From collapse to comeback: Savy King returns after cardiac episode with renewed spirit, commitment to advocacy

With NWSL preseason in full swing, a slew of comeback player story arcs are unfolding ahead of the new campaign. For Angel City defender Savy King, her return to the pitch follows a very scary, public moment that kept her on the sidelines for months and thankfully was not worse -- a cardiac episode on May 9 of last year that required immediate medical attention in the middle of a regular-season NWSL game. 

The 20-year-old defender had suffered a form of heart attack due to a rare congenital heart abnormality she was born with, an anomalous left coronary artery. The condition shifts the heart's most critical blood vessel to a slightly different location than normal, disrupting blood flow. Now, nearly nine months later, King is back in preseason camps after recovering from the medical emergency, which required, in the moment, life-saving care and surgery. 

In a very frightening moment in front of a stadium full of fans, teammates, colleagues, and viewers tuning in to watch a game, King has used the time away to navigate her recovery with openness and transparency. 

"I think that it's definitely been something that I've kind of had to adjust to," King said about managing a life-altering moment at a young age. 

"The first question I asked once I knew what happened to me was, if am I going to be able to play soccer again. Looking at it, being 20 years old, I still have a lot of career ahead of me and a lot that I still want to accomplish. So, in my head, unless [doctors] told me you're not gonna be able to play again, there was nothing that was gonna stop me from getting back out there onto the field. And I think it's important for people to see that. Maybe people don't have injuries that are similar, per se, but any injury in general, to just see that you can come back and you can be stronger, and you can go through something like that, and it's your approach is what matters the most."

Stepping back into routine

In the weeks following a successful surgery and receiving a positive prognosis at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, King was trying to embrace the long road ahead while balancing the public interest and concern.

"I was very particular in what, at least at first, of what I put out there. I feel like the way that I kind of knew going into it, that there was going to be a lot of questions, and it was just kind of me navigating how I wanted to answer the questions. I wasn't sharing everything that was going on, but at least the important things that made people feel comfortable enough to feel okay with how I was doing, if that makes sense. Because for me, it felt wrong to not let people know because it was so public and so many people were affected by it, that I just didn't want to completely disappear and then one day be like, 'Oh, I'm fine,'" she expanded.

"I wanted people to see the journey and progress and all of that. And as time went on, I felt more comfortable in sharing more, because I felt like that was helping people the most, the more people knew about what was going on. So I've kind of tried to figure out the best way to answer certain questions. But I feel like vulnerability is the best thing to be when it's such a public event that happened."

King was surrounded by a wave of support by teammates and fans, and she credits her sports psychologist as an added resource of recovery as well. Through every step, her parents, Karrie King and Kim Parker King, have been by her side, though the player acknowledges that the experiences have had highs and lows for everyone. But just having time together as a family has been key just getting back to a sense of normalcy, by even just attending soccer games as fans together.

"I feel like, for a long time, it felt kind of crazy with everything going on, and there was just a lot of publicity with it and everything. But as we've gotten closer to me being back on the field, I feel like it's kind of settled down a lot, and I've settled down a lot. My parents would never admit this, but I know that it's been really hard for them, and it's a very sensitive subject for them, for sure," she said.

"I let them know that I'm doing okay as well, and I feel like they've been able to calm down a lot, even though they haven't shown it. But I can't imagine that it's been anywhere close to easy for them. So yeah, I think that as time has gone on, it's definitely felt more normal, especially just being a person again, which is cool."

King has made a conscious choice to be open about her experience when she could've taken the opposite approach and kept things private. The vulnerability has become a part of her journey, and she's bravely opting to go through it, instead of avoiding it or going around it.

"Sometimes people don't feel comfortable being vulnerable. And I feel like I've been vulnerable on a very public scale, because I think that that's so important for people to see that side of it, too. Because sometimes you get like, sometimes athletes, I feel like you're seen as robots, like we're not human. And I wanted to show the personal side of it too, so people could really see everything that I was going through as well, and that it's normal to have ups and downs, not everything is just going to be linear," she said.

"It's just about who you feel comfortable enough to open up to, but it's so important to do that, and I feel like that is important for people to know when going through injuries, that you don't have to go through it all alone, because that doesn't make you a stronger person. I feel like it makes the whole entire process a lot easier."

Being Savy again

After a lengthy time away to recover from surgery, Savy King is back with Angel City in the preseason. Though she's still listed with a season-ending injury designation and still must have medical clearance for game action, her arrival ahead of the regular season marks a massive personal milestone.

"To be honest, I think that I've tried to approach it with the most grace that I can and just know that everything happens for a reason, and that I was in the right hands at the right time, and that there's a lot more to look forward to, and I just didn't want that to be something that defined me," King said about her return.

"I can't wait for it to just be Savy, the soccer player again. That's why it's so important for me, and getting back out there on the field, because I miss that, instead of it just constantly being [about] what happened to me. I can't wait to change the narrative for that and continue to accomplish everything. But I think just having that perspective in my mind, that there's so much coming for me in the future, that there's no point in dwelling on everything that happened."

The decision to continue the match following the emergency was met with fierce vocal opposition from players across the league, including Washington Spirit national team forward Trinity Rodman, who posted on her Instagram stories, sending prayers and adding, "In no world should that game have continued."

King's return is significant for Angel City, as the club felt her absence on both emotional and tactical levels. While King's medical emergency occurred earlier in the season, she had started all eight matches prior to her collapse, forming a promising presence on the club's backline. 

For now, it will be just about taking small, important steps toward playing professionally again while using her experience to make a difference and grow on a personal level.

"I just tried to handle it the best way possible, just so people could see that anything is possible if you're resilient and you're hardworking. I've worked so hard to get back out there on the field, and it's only been eight months since my surgery, and I'm already back fully in training, which is awesome to look at. But yeah, I think that every step of the way, I've definitely gone through ups and downs, for sure, it's part of the process as well, and learning myself too," she said. "I feel like I've matured and grown a lot through this, and so really proud of the way that I've handled everything, looking back at it."

Savy King of Hearts foundation

With the extended time away and the attention the King family received following the event, there were discussions on how they could make an impact on others. The family and medical surgeons credit the first responders who administered life-saving care, including chest compressions and the use of an automated external defibrillator during King's cardiac event.

"The amount of people that came up to me and talked about how they were affected by [it] either personally or indirectly, by someone that had a cardiac event that happened to them ... It's not something that I was necessarily aware of before this all happened to me. The amount of messages that I've had, the amount of kids that have their parents reached out, or they themselves reached out, and talking about how they went through something similar, and how they were going through open heart surgery, was like, Wow, this is something that is really more common than what we think," she said. 

The family ultimately settled on developing a non-profit to connect and raise awareness of the importance of quick responses to cardiac events. 

"I remember talking to my family and being like, we definitely need to try and do something with it, because I have the ability to," she said. "It was so public, like, there's a platform behind it. There's a lot of people that want to know these things, and that were so interested in knowing what happened to me and how I was dealing with it. So we were trying to figure out the best way to go about it, and we thought a nonprofit was the best way to kind of spread awareness to the message that I wanted out there, which was to learn CPR, learn about cardiac events, and then hopefully everyone kind of knows."

The foundation is connecting more families through community events with the American Heart Association. King's long-term goal is to expand her foundation beyond California and have an impact nationwide. 

"Every donation that we get goes towards putting AEDs in communities that don't have them. So we're doing our best to put on events. I had a camp where the American Heart Association came out there, and all the little girls learned CPR, and so did their parents. Going back and sharing my story, or having events where I partner with the American Heart Association, or whoever it is, to help bring people together to learn CPR is the main goal eventually," she explained.

Creating the nonprofit also became a source of comfort and catharsis for King while she was away from the pitch. Taking the time to connect with other individuals and families whose lives have changed through cardiac episodes.

"It's awesome to see how much that has affected people and how much it means to people. That has been the biggest drive for me to keep going and try to figure it out. It's got a lot bigger, really fast. So it's been a lot for us to kind of manage. It grew faster than what we ever imagined," she said. "But it's really cool to just get messages through the email and see how much it means to people. How people went through the same things, and that them seeing me helps them in their recovery as well. But it's vice versa, too. For me to know that I'm not the only one that's going through that as well, it's awesome to have other people that I can relate to."