US Olympic speedskating coach back on ice after heart attack

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Ryan Shimabukuro still has that deep passion for speedskating.

In a way, he remains the starry eyed kid who watched Eric Heiden beat the world at a strange sport in a glorious golden suit, setting the course for a quixotic journey that took Shimabukuro from the surf and sun of his native Hawaii to where he truly felt at home.

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The ice.

But things have definitely changed for the coach of the U.S. speedskating team since he felt a piercing, terrifying pain in his chest a few summers ago.

Having a heart attack in your 40s will do that to a person.

Erin Jackson of the United States holds up an American flag with coach Ryan Shimabukuro after winning the gold medal in the speedskating women's 500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in Beijing.  (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

"I better live for today," Shimabukuro mused, "because tomorrow's not promised."

On Memorial Day weekend in 2019, he was on a camping trip in a remote area of Utah with family and friends, enjoying some down time between the end of one speedskating season and the start of another.

The group was packing up to head home when, suddenly, Shimabukuro felt a pain in his chest like nothing he'd ever experienced.

A friend in the group, who'd had a heart attack himself, suggested he go into town to get checked before the long drive home.

Three hours later, Shimabukuro was on a Life Flight helicopter back to Salt Lake City. The next day, he underwent surgery to put in a stent for a significant blockage.

"When they showed me the pre- and post-pictures, my heart was starving," he said.

After talking with his doctor, Shimabukuro knew he