In this deeply moving episode, the AT Last team sits down with Amir Nickerson, a young athlete whose life was saved after a sudden cardiac arrest during a high school track event, and Dr. Jonathan Drezner, world-renowned sports cardiologist, team physician for the Seattle Seahawks, and director of the UW Center for Sports Cardiology. Together, they unpack the science, systems, and inequities behind sudden cardiac arrest in athletes, and how access to emergency planning and trained professionals can mean the difference between life and death.

The conversation highlights the urgent need for AED access, emergency action plans, and cardiac screening programs in underserved schools, where resources are often scarce. Drawing from Amir’s experience and Dr. Drezner’s decades of research, the discussion becomes both a call to action and a roadmap for prevention.

From personal testimony to systemic insight, this episode captures how community partnerships, policy, and medical innovation can close the cardiac safety gap and protect the next generation of athletes.

AT L.A.S.T.

Website: WeAreATLast.org

Email: adam.cady@weareatlast.org

Support: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/athletic-trainers-leveraging-activism-for-social-transformation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/at-l-a-s-t

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlastpod

35% OFF Thorne Products compliments of http://raincrosshp.com/ go to https://thor.ne/Ch2Uc

20% OFF Xcelerated Recovery products: Code Rain20: https://xrscience.org/

Artwork by Jason Eisenberg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dots_and_squares/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoneisenberg00/

Music by Willie B the Ichiban Don

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichibandon/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-brown-25945b168/

Production / Engineering / Editing / by Gerson Sandoval

Website: www.davyrover.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davy.rover/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gersonsandovalengineer/

Guest

Website: https://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/jonathan-drezner

Cardiology researcher and clinician Dr. Viet Le joins us to talk about the pressing need for equitable access to heart health services. Drawing on his work with underserved communities, Le explains how systemic gaps in screening, prevention, and treatment contribute to disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease among communities of color and low income populations.

We discuss culturally tailored approaches to cardiac screening, the role of trust in patient-provider relationships, and how simple interventions can make life-saving differences. Dr. Le also shares insights from his own journey as a first generation healthcare provider, highlighting the value of representation in medicine. This conversation is both a wake-up call and a roadmap for making heart health truly accessible to all.

AT L.A.S.T.

Website: WeAreATLast.org

Email: adam.cady@weareatlast.org

Support: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/athletic-trainers-leveraging-activism-for-social-transformation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/at-l-a-s-t

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlastpod

35% OFF Thorne Products compliments of http://raincrosshp.com/ go to https://thor.ne/Ch2Uc

20% OFF Xcelerated Recovery products: Code Rain20: https://xrscience.org/

Artwork by Jason Eisenberg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dots_and_squares/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoneisenberg00/

Music by Willie B the Ichiban Don

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichibandon/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-brown-25945b168/

Production / Engineering / Editing / by Gerson Sandoval

Website: www.davyrover.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davy.rover/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gersonsandovalengineer/

Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vietheartpa/

References

1. Corrado D, Basso C, Schiavon M, Thiene G. Screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young athletes. N Engl J Med. 1998 Aug 6;339(6):364-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199808063390602. PMID: 9691102.
2. Crawford MH. Screening athletes for heart disease. Heart. 2007 Jul;93(7):875-9. doi:...

David Gallegos, NATA leader and advocate for underserved athletes, joins us to rethink one of sports medicine’s most routine practices, the pre participation physical exam (PPE). Rather than treating the PPE as a checkbox, Gallegos sees it as a powerful touchpoint for preventive health, education, and relationship building, especially in communities with limited access to care.

We discuss ways to integrate mental health screening, nutrition counseling, and injury prevention education into PPEs, transforming them from a formality into a real service for athletes and families. Recorded for release on GivingTuesday, this episode is also a call for listeners to support AT Last’s PPE programming, which provides free and enhanced physicals to student athletes from underserved and underrepresented communities.

AT L.A.S.T.

Website: WeAreATLast.org

Email: adam.cady@weareatlast.org

Support: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/athletic-trainers-leveraging-activism-for-social-transformation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/at-l-a-s-t

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlastpod

35% OFF Thorne Products compliments of http://raincrosshp.com/ go to https://thor.ne/Ch2Uc

20% OFF Xcelerated Recovery products: Code Rain20: https://xrscience.org/

Artwork by Jason Eisenberg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dots_and_squares/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoneisenberg00/

Music by Willie B the Ichiban Don

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichibandon/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-brown-25945b168/

Production / Engineering / Editing / by Gerson Sandoval

Website: www.davyrover.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davy.rover/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gersonsandovalengineer/

Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-gallegos-nm/

X: https://x.com/crucesaggie?lang=en

References

1. LaBotz M, Bernhardt DT Preparticipation physical examination: Is it time to stop doing the sports physical?British Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:151-152.
2. Krowchuk DP, Krowchuk HV, Hunter DM, Zimet GD, Rainey DY, Martin...