Gates senior runner and heart survivor Bruce Rychwalski, 68, completed his 300th 5K on July 15 at the Seneca Park Zoo Society’s Jungle Jog at Seneca Park.
It was his 300th 5K since experiencing a life-threatening Ventricular Tachycardia, being shocked with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), being diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) (genetic heart muscle disease) and having implantation surgery at Unity Hospital for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in 2011 and then for a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device (CRT) in 2017.
The 2018 Jungle Jog and Conservation Walk was held to raise funds and awareness for giraffe conservation in anticipation of the arrival of giraffes at Seneca Park Zoo this summer and to raise awareness of the Seneca Park Zoo Society.
Pamela Reed Sanchez, President and CEO of the Seneca Park Zoo Society, congratulated Rychwalski on his athletic accomplishment and took his picture for the Seneca Park Zoo Facebook page.
After his 300th 5K, Rychwalski expressed gratitude for his Cardiologist, Dr. Sarah Taylor of Sands-Constellation Heart Institute, whose care he felt made this milestone possible.
Rychwalski is a member of the Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC) and has been awarded the annual Greater Rochester Track Club Silver Milestone Patch for the past six years (2012-2017).
In April he created and was the Captain of a team (The Lionhearted) that raised over $1,500 for the American Heart Association in the Rochester Heart Walk & Run at Frontier Field on April 14.
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