MAVIS Coupe has always been super-fit.

At the age of 75 she makes sure she walks every day and spends times in the garden as a form of exercise. So she was horrified when she had a heart attack while visiting her daughter in Portsmouth in March. After spending nine days in hospital she returned to Bolton and has just finished a course of cardiac rehabilitation to get her back to full strength.

Widow Mrs Coupe, of Hough Lane, Bromley Cross, said: "I had a hospital appointment because I had conjunctivitis and I just passed out. I don't really remember anything but it was a real shock to be told what had happened when I came round.

"I couldn't believe I'd had a heart attack because I'd always been so fit and made sure I ate healthily and got plenty of exercise but I've been told it was hereditary."

The grandmother-of-three, who worked as a delivery van driver, is joining with other members and staff from the cardiac rehab group, to urge everyone eligible to make sure they have The BIG Bolton Health Check.

She said: "You just don't know when this could happen to you. I never thought Luckily, my lifestyle hasn't changed but not everyone is as fortunate."

The cardiac rehab group was launched in 1993 and offers heart attack patients the help they need to get them back on their feet.

As well as exercises, the group also offers education about how to prevent another heart attack, dietary tips and advice on how to return to a normal life.

Carol Fielding, the cardiac rehabilitation manager at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "Prevention is always better than cure and early detection of any risk factors is so important."