The American Heart Association and the National Football League, along with Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's foundation and Doctor Mike, will attempt to set a Guinness World Records title for the most people to complete CPR training in one hour during the NFL Draft. The record attempt, scheduled for Friday, April 24, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, aims to train 4,000 individuals in Hands-Only CPR. This effort is designed to empower fans and communities with a simple, lifesaving skill that can double or triple a person's chance of survival after cardiac arrest.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 90% of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest without immediate CPR do not survive. Yet more than half of people who collapse outside a hospital do not receive bystander CPR. Learning Hands-Only CPR takes as little as 90 seconds and requires no formal training, making large-scale events like this a powerful step toward improving survival rates.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, emphasized the importance of the event. "Every second matters when someone experiences cardiac arrest and knowing how to perform CPR can be the difference between life and death," she said. "By bringing thousands of people together at the NFL Draft, we’re teaming up with the league, Damar Hamlin and Doctor Mike to make history and equip individuals with the confidence and skills to act when it matters most."
Participants will join the Nation of Lifesavers, a global movement launched by the American Heart Association in 2023 following the sudden cardiac arrest of NFL player Damar Hamlin during Monday Night Football. Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills safety and National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers, has used his experience to highlight the lifesaving difference bystander CPR can make. "As my experience with cardiac arrest has shown, CPR saves lives," Hamlin said. "Our world record attempt during the NFL Draft Experience in my hometown of Pittsburgh is a full-circle moment for me, and I’m proud to see the NFL, the American Heart Association, and our community come together to build a life-saving legacy."
Doctor Mike, the most followed doctor on social media and a longtime volunteer medical expert with the American Heart Association, expressed his excitement about the record attempt. "It's always been a dream of mine to set a world record for CPR training," he said. "This one-hour record emphasizes how quick and simple it can be for laypeople to learn a life-saving skill, so they can be the help before someone like me arrives in an emergency."
The collaboration between the American Heart Association and the NFL extends beyond the draft. Through the NFL Foundation, each team receives CPR grants to expand training and automated external defibrillator (AED) access in local communities. Since 2023, grants have supported Hands-Only CPR training, Heartsaver CPR AED credentialing, and the placement of CPR in Schools Kits and CPR Youth Sports Kits. Anna Isaacson, NFL SVP of Social Responsibility, noted, "Through our partnership with the American Heart Association, the NFL is committed to building safer, stronger communities by giving people the knowledge and confidence to act in a medical emergency."
With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests outside of hospitals occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. The American Heart Association advises that if a teen or adult collapses, witnesses should immediately call 9-1-1 and begin chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute and a depth of approximately two inches. Registration for the record attempt is free and open at heart.org/NFLDraft.
