Hello, my name is Reagan McCarthy and I am honored to be a 2026 Teen of Impact Nominee for the American Heart Association
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women, causing 1 in 3 deaths among women every year. However, most cardiac and stroke events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes, such as eating smart and managing blood pressure. One of the most impactful ways to improve heart health is through movement, especially through sports like tennis.
Tennis has often been called the “sport for a lifetime” and the American Heart Association (AHA) has proven that tennis can prolong an individual's life by 9.7 years. This is due to movement and exercise lowering your resting heart rate, decreasing the wear and tear on your heart since it doesn’t have to work as hard while you are at rest. Because your heart is stronger, it becomes more efficient at pumping blood and delivering oxygen to your cells.
The benefits of tennis aren’t only physical. The AHA has also concluded that there are health benefits from the social connections made on the court. Social connection with others reduces the risk for depression, anxiety, and stress, which all take a toll on the heart. The benefits of social connections through tennis protect the heart just as much as movement.
The American Heart Association is committed to closing the gender gap in heart research through the Research Goes Red Initiative. Symptoms often present themselves differently in women than in men so identification of those symptoms is critical to the treatment of heart disease. My mission for the 2026 Teen of Impact campaign is to spread awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart disease, to teach women to recognize them early and to empower them to advocate for their cardiovascular health. You can make a difference by donating today to fund life-saving research into the prevention and treatment of women's heart health.