Bolton-born Gary Fox revealed he is still putting off a second heart operation due to his love of badminton.
Fox (above left) has atrial fibrillation, a condition which results in his heart beat becoming excessively fast and erratic when he plays the sport.
The 25-year-old had an operation in February 2014 designed to cure the problem but it failed.
Badminton is a huge part of his life. The new AJ Bell National Badminton League format, where games only last nine points, means he is still able to star for Birmingham Lions and he is also the lead coach at Wycombe Performance Centre in Buckinghamshire.
So he faces a real dilemma as an operation would not only rule him out competitive badminton temporarily but also his day job.
Fox, who was a national finalist in the mixed doubles earlier this year, and his Birmingham Lions partner Koen Ridder were part of a thrilling 3-2 defeat against University of Nottingham’s Adam Hall and Adam Swalina on Monday night in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
But little did the crowd inside the University of Birmingham’s Great Hall know, but Fox was once again struggling with his heart condition.
Speaking immediately after the contest, the former St Mary’s Catholic High School pupil said: “I played in the Welsh International last week and it came on again then and it started again in the match tonight.
“I had to slow down a little bit but I just want to play so much that I want to play through it.
“It is caused by adrenaline and in those kinds of pressure situations it is very adrenaline-orientated and when the adrenaline kicks in my heart starts going more and it is rapid and irregular and it makes me breathless. It also tires me out really fast.
“It is great that the NBL games are only to nine points because if games are up to 21 points then I really struggle with my heart.
“In terms of how you manage it, I just have to be lucky because if I am too up for the game then it will start going and tires me out. If it kicks in then I can’t stop it. It is not like I can slow down to stop it. I have to try not to get too excited in games.
“I could have another operation but that would mean time off work and time off playing.
“I have been weighing up whether to have an operation for a year and I still haven’t decided. It is a really hard decision.”
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