“Her blood pressure was high when she walked through the door,” says Adam Williams, exercise specialist at Baptist Family Fitness. “During her assessment, she had trouble maintaining any aerobic activity. Those two factors combined were warning signs of a potentially greater problem.”

Concerned about her symptoms, Williams advised Shook to see her family physician prior to exercising.

“My family doctor referred me to a cardiologist who discovered five blockages, all of which were either 80 or 90 percent occluded,” says Shook. “Just a few days later, I was undergoing a five-bypass open-heart surgery.”

Shook praises Williams for his quick thinking and alertness. “Adam could have been indifferent to it all and started me on an exercise program with no regard to those warning signs,” says Shook. “But instead, he was smart enough and professional enough to be concerned about me. I was due to have a stroke or a heart attack and I didn’t, all because someone cared enough to intervene and make me proactive about my own health. I have no doubt that Adam’s concern for me saved my life.”

Williams says he is very grateful that his training in cardiac rehab paid off. “Knowing that I can identify health risks in our members and react to that in a positive way is very gratifying to me,” says Williams.

Shook agrees. “It’s so wonderful to know that Baptist Family Fitness cares first and foremost for its members’ health.”