On June 17, Jenny Simpson was serving as a pacer during the Sir Walter Running Pop Up Mile event when she suddenly collapsed. Responders rushed to her aid and reportedly found no pulse. So, they immediately administered CPR and used an AED to revive her. The 39-year-old was first taken to UNC Rex Hospital before being transferred to Duke University Hospital for specialized treatment. It was later revealed that the Olympic bronze medalist had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Now, nine days later, there is a hopeful update in her recovery journey.

On June 26, Fleet Feet shared a positive update on her condition. “We’re grateful to share that Fleet Feet Chief Running Officer Jenny Simpson has been discharged from Duke University Hospital and will continue her recovery in North Carolina,” the company said in a statement. “For the time being, Jenny will remain in North Carolina with her husband, Jason, and their two pups, where her focus will be on rest and healing.”

The positive update arrives months after Simpson started a new chapter of her life. She was one of the most successful middle-distance runners in her generation in the USA, and retired from professional running after the end of the 2024 season. She had a world championship victory in the 1,500m in 2011, three Olympic appearances, and a Rio 2016 Olympic bronze in the 1,500m.

Rather than immediately stepping into another high-profile role, Simpson spent the following year traveling across the United States with her husband in a motorhome. Together, they visited all 50 states, covering nearly 36,000 miles and connecting with local running clubs, youth groups, and everyday runners along the way.

In February 2026, Fleet Feet named her its first-ever Chief Running Officer. The job allowed Simpson to continue her passion for the sport, to be a national ambassador, and to help support coaches, local shops, training programs, and running groups all over the country. This connection with the running world became evident after her medical emergency.

In its statement, Fleet Feet further shared, “Jenny is sincerely grateful for the countless messages, prayers, encouragement and acts of kindness she has received from friends, colleagues, competitors and runners around the world, and she looks forward to connecting with the community in time.” Perhaps the most touching example of that support came just three days before the positive health update.

Sir Walter Running shared photos from a gathering held in honor of Simpson and her contributions to the sport. Runners and supporters came together to celebrate her impact on the community, and one image showed a large group holding a sign that read, “We ❤️ U Jenny.” Fleet Feet later included the same photos in its update announcing Simpson’s discharge from the hospital. Anyone who has followed Jenny Simpson knows her story has never been a straight line.

Jenny Simpson faced numerous struggles before becoming a champion

Jenny Simpson grew up in Florida, where running first showed up in the simplest way. As a kid in third grade, she was always in motion, playing tag and chasing games during school breaks. She was often the fastest in her class, and a physical education teacher noticed it and encouraged her to try running more seriously. That small push mattered. She joined her elementary school cross-country team and started running local 5K races with school friends.

Things became more serious when she joined the University of Colorado in 2005. Competing as Jenny Barringer, she won four NCAA titles and, while still in college, qualified for her first Olympic Games in 2008. At the Beijing Olympics, she made her debut on the biggest stage in the steeplechase. She set an American record of 9:22.26 in the final and finished ninth.

But her early career also had moments that tested her. In 2009, at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, she went in as the favorite, led the race early, and then suddenly became lightheaded and collapsed. She still finished the race, but far from where she expected to be. Soon after, she turned professional in 2009 with New Balance. A stress reaction in her right femur kept her out for most of the 2010 season, forcing her into a long pause just as her career was starting to build.

Then came her big moment years later at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she picked up a bronze in the 1,500m. But life kept challenging her. In 2021, she and her husband, Jason, had to evacuate their home in Colorado due to a wildfire. Then in 2021, she also suffered the most debilitating injury of her career, a hip injury that took months of consistent rehabilitation.

She went through it all and retired from her professional career towards the end of 2024. Retrospectively, it doesn’t seem like a straight rise, but rather someone learning how to continue moving forward despite the shifting ground under her feet.