Walk to honour cardiac health advocate

MEMBERS of local cardiac health group Heartbeat Ballarat will soon honour a long-time contributor one year after his passing.

On Saturday 5 October, the organisation’s walking group members will gather for a commemorative walk to remember Kevin Tolhurst, who passed away on the same date in 2023.

A volunteer with the group for more than half a decade, Heartbeat Ballarat’s volunteer lived experience educator and walk leader Barry Nixon said Mr Tolhurst was an incredible advocate for cardiac illness in the community.

“He walked very regularly with the Heartbeat walking groups so we’ll be celebrating his life with this,” he said.

“Heartbeat’s a peer support group that supports those living with cardiac illness. Kevin reached out to us when he was a new patient and benefited greatly from the association.

“He went on to repay that by becoming an active Heartbeat volunteer and sharing his experiences with new cardiac patients at St John of God Hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation program.

“He used to represent us at medical conferences as well and was a great activist for positive cardiac results.”

Based in Creswick, Mr Tolhurst was involved with Heartbeat Ballarat for about six years.

He was also heavily involved with fire management research, and was Honorary Associate Professor in Fire Ecology and Management at University of Melbourne’s School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences.

Mr Tolhurst passed away at the result of a heart attack that took place after giving a presentation on fire management at Mallacoota.

The memorial event will commence at 9.30am at Victoria Park.

“It’ll start near the playground and toilet block, and it’s a five-kilometre track,” Mr Nixon said.

“Kevin regularly walked with us at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. If he wasn’t working in fire prevention he’d be on that walk. That’s why it’s being held then.”