Michael Whitesmith Photo: Supplied
School teacher Michael Whitesmith was just 40 when his wife realised he was having stroke at their Hawke's Bay home.
Whitesmith, now 44, was fixing his garage door in December of 2020 when his wife saw something was wrong, he told RNZ's Afternoons.
Teacher’s stroke to triathlon triumph
"I'd been through into the garage just to fix a problem with the garage door. But from that point onwards, I can't really remember much about what happened.
"My wife just relayed to me that as I walked back into the lounge, she noticed that I didn't look quite right. I sat down in the armchair, and my left side of my face had drooped, and the left side of my body wasn't moving as much as it would be normally. She immediately noticed that was the sign of strokes and got on to emergency services."
Her decisive actions in recognising the signs of stroke and calling an ambulance undoubtedly improved Whitesmith's chances of survival and then recovery.
In fact, so much so later this week, Whitesmith's off to Spain to compete at the World Triathlon Championships.
It is unusual for a fit man in his 40s to get a stroke, he said.
"I didn't have any signs of someone who would normally have a stroke. I'm younger, I was in good physical health, I don't smoke or drink huge amounts, so it was something that they can maybe put down to a genetic factor."
There is history in the family, he said, his brother had a stroke in his early 30's and his father has had DVT problems.
His wife's quick thinking and his physical fitness meant his stay in hospital was brief and the after-effects relatively benign, he said.
"I was in hospital for about four days, and then I was let out on Christmas Eve, which was nice, and the only issues I faced after the stroke were with tiredness, a bit of brain fog, and just being not able to concentrate or focus on activity for too long."
Nevertheless, his doctors encouraged him to pursue his athletic goals.
"They said just to take it slow, but also that getting back into good physical shape is a good thing to do to make sure that I've got less chance of having another stroke in the future."
Being in shape not only reduces the chance of another stroke, if it happens the impacts will be lessened, he said.
And now four years on Whitesmith is off to Spain for the World Triathlon Champs.
"It's been a long journey to get to that point where I can train at that level and that intensity and be able to go to a qualifying event that was here in Napier, which was cool, and I've got a great event at the end of that hard work to look forward to."
Warning signs of a stroke - FAST
Facial drooping, arm weakness, speech impairment, take action.