A FORMER soldier who doctors said should have died multiple times, has completed the Bristol Half Marathon just over a year after receiving a life-saving heart transplant.

Phillip Hardwell ran the Bristol Half with comrade Brendan Hickinson on Sunday, and shaved half an hour of his target time in an incredibly brave run, which saw him rely on his ‘commando spirit’ to cross the finish line.

Phillip, from Yate, was medically discharged from the army after an operation on his bicep found he had an atrial flutter. A series of tests found him diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Phillip then spent the majority of 2019 in hospital with a number of blood and heart difficulties and was eventually assessed as a suitable candidate for a heart transplant at the Royal Papworth Hospital.

He was transferred to the hospital in the November 2019 after suffering heart failure. The veteran soldier was then fitted with a bi-ventricular assisted device and an ECMO machine as other organs began to fail.

Phillip was removed from the transplant list a number of times in early 2020 due to his deteriorating health and doctors said most people would not have survived the trauma.

In April of last year, Phillip received his transplant and was released from hospital, unbelievably just two weeks after his operation.

Since then, he has gone from strength to strength and started training for the Bristol Half three months ago.

“I had completed the Bristol Half Marathon in 2015 and made it a goal to try it again.” said Phillip.

“My initial aim was just to cross the finish line regardless of the time, I was hoping for around three hours, but I as I ran the commando spirit took hold and I finished in just over two-and-a-half hours.

“I struggled the last few miles but kept pushing through, thinking of the gift that my donor gave me and this amazing accomplishment ahead of what is nearly 18 months past transplant.”

Brendan added:”Everyone who knows Phil knows just what a warrior he is! He always gives his all in everything he does, he just grits his teeth and gets on with it without moaning! So I knew Bingo (Phil) would smash this challenge too and I was proud to run alongside him.”

Phillip is planning a skydive in 2022 to raise more funds for the hospital that saved his life.