A TEENAGER from Teignmouth has been inspired by her sister’s bravery to take on the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Megan Preece-Bishop, 19, was motivated by the determination of her younger sister, Ella, who has a heart rhythm condition called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

Ella, 15, had just started secondary school in 2020 when she began to experience a strange sensation in her chest that felt like ‘having a ball inside her’.

After being referred for tests, Ella was fitted with a temporary heart monitor in February 2021.

When the data was analysed, it sparked an urgent dash to the specialist heart unit at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Megan explained: ‘One evening, the hospital rang Mum out of the blue.

‘A cardiologist had looked at the results and was so concerned that they wanted to admit Ella as a patient straight away.’

Ella’s heart was found to periodically beat too quickly due to a fault in the electrical system that controls her heartbeat.

While a resting heartbeat is normally around 60 to 100 bpm, Ella would experience periods where hers would rise to 270 bpm.

After spending several days in the hospital, Ella had a device implanted into her chest to monitor her heart’s activity.

Since then, doctors have carried out three procedures – known as ablations – to help fix the faulty electrical signals in her heart, but without success. Ella’s medical team is now gathering more data before recommending a new course of action.

While SVT is rarely life-threatening, the condition does pose a challenge to Ella’s everyday life.

Megan said: ‘Most of the time, Ella’s episodes are quite mild.

‘She’ll feel a tingling or light-headed. However, a more severe episode will cause her to pass out.

‘That’s happened three times now, including twice at school. They’ve been really supportive and introduced a buddy system so that someone is always with Ella in case it happens again.’

The condition has also impacted other areas of Ella’s life.

A talented footballer, Ella was playing football for Devon County when first experiencing issues.

While she has had to stop playing at that level due to her health, her doctors have signed her off to play for her local team.

Despite the difficulties, Megan says that Ella has taken them all in stride.

She said: ‘She’s such a brave character and never lets anything faze her.

‘It’s obviously frustrating for her that the condition continues to impact her life. And then there’s the uncertainty about when she might have another episode because there’s never any warning.

‘Yet, in the face of all this, she just carries on as if there isn’t an issue.

‘After the procedures on her heart, she was back at school as quickly as she could because she didn’t want to miss out. Her resilience is amazing.’

Determined to support the BHF’s research into heart and circulatory conditions, Megan signed up for the London Marathon, which takes place on April 27.

She said: ‘I thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

‘The BHF information and support has helped my parents with Ella’s condition, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to raise money for a great cause.

‘It’s going to be a step into the unknown for me.

‘I’m quite sporty, but I’ve never been a runner. I’ve enjoyed the training, especially as the days get sunnier. I’m not putting any pressure on myself for a time; I just want to get over the finish line.’

Jas Dhanda, senior events executive at the BHF, said she was just as impressed as Megan by the way Ella had handled her heart condition.

She said: ‘Dealing with a challenge to your health is never easy at any age, but Ella has shown remarkable fortitude and a maturity beyond her years.

‘And I think Megan is also showing those same qualities by challenging herself to run the London Marathon to fundraise on our behalf.

‘The money she raises will ensure the scientists we fund can continue their work looking for new scientific breakthroughs that can help families affected by heart and circulatory conditions.’

People can support Megan’s fundraising online at: https://justgiving.com/page/megan-preece-bishop-marathon2025