When Ella Page was just 15, she felt perfectly healthy.

She was active, sporty and had no reason to suspect there was anything wrong with her heart.

Accompanied by her dad, who was refereeing football on the island at the time, she attended a free heart screening with Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation.

With both her dad and grandad having previously experienced heart problems, it felt like the sensible thing to do.

The results showed Ella had ‘ectopic’ beats, meaning her heart was beating slightly more often than it should.

With trips to Liverpool and regular check-ups, her condition was monitored.

Ella studied at King William’s College, living between Peel and Douglas.

Now 21, she is in her third and final year studying Sports Coaching at Leeds Beckett University.

She admits she was less consistent in monitoring her heart health after moving to university, and it was not until her third year that things changed.

‘I got back for my final year in September and in my second week I went to Leeds General Infirmary for an extra cardiogram, which is an ultrasound on your heart.

‘They then called me back and said, “we need to admit you, your heart is really weak.”

‘I was admitted and ended up staying a week. My left ventricle was functioning at 10 to 15%, and it should be at 50 to 55%. I was considered to be in heart failure at that point, which was very scary to hear.’

Throughout her journey, Ella had been asymptomatic, experiencing no warning signs despite the severity of the condition.

During her time in hospital, she underwent a catheter ablation, a procedure used to treat irregular heart rhythms.

She now takes four different medications each day and attends regular follow-up appointments, while further tests are carried out to determine the underlying cause of her condition.

Her left ventricle is currently functioning at 35%. While still classed as severe, it is an improvement on her earlier diagnosis.

Ella said: ‘My biggest worry was that they were going to tell me I could no longer play sports. I had two weeks off to recover from the surgery but, other than that, they wanted me to continue as normal.’

In May, Ella plans to take part in the Leeds Half Marathon to raise money for Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation.

She has been gradually building up her training again, balancing her studies with preparation for the race.

The Isle of Man-based charity carried out the screening that first identified her condition.

She said: ‘Without Craig’s Heartstrong’s free scan, I would have been unaware of what was going on with my heart. I will forever be grateful and it feels right to give something back. Any donations are greatly appreciated and I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me over the past few months.’