The family of an 18-year-old squash-player who died in the middle of a match are raising money to help more young people get screened for heart defects.
Berkhamsted School pupil Harry Faulkner, who was ranked sixth in England and 30th in the world for his age group, suffered from sudden adult death syndrome on February 8. The term is used to describe people who die from unexplained cardiac arrests.
At the time, Harry had been playing a league match against St Albans for the Berkhamsted Lawn Tennis & Squash Rackets Club.
His coach Adam Fuller said: “The team had already lost to St Albans, but in true Harry style he was trying to salvage a bit of pride for Berkhamsted.
“Although he was losing against the chap he was playing, he was fighting back.
“He asked politely for a three-minute injury break, because he was feeling sick.
“By the time I got down from the spectator’s gallery, he had thrown up and gone into cardiac arrest.”
He died later that day at Watford General Hospital.
Dad Stefan said: “He was a big, strong lad and this was completely out of the blue.”
Harry had been offered a scholarship to study PE, marketing and politics at Birmingham University – regardless of A-level results.
Stefan has set up Harry’s Fund through the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young. Learn more about or donate to the fund at www.c-r-y.org.uk/faulkner_my_story.htm
A fundraiser will be held at the Broadwater base of Harry’s squash club on Saturday, September 28. World squash champion Nick Matthew and Alison Waters, ranked fourth out of the world’s female squash-players, will be there.
Harry leaves behind Stefan, mum Donna and sister Charlie, nine.
Adam said: “He was the salt of the earth, really. He was a very genuine, honest, hard-working bloke that was always willing to go the extra mile to help people out.”