Nicolas Lamoureux is an active 31-year-old surfer and skier like anyone else. The only difference is that he has lived with a slow heartbeat his entire life, and he has relied on a pacemaker to keep his heart going since the age of 4.
However, during a competitive hike up Aspen's Highlands Bowl, he was so short of breath that he knew something was wrong.
A wire from his previous pacemaker had mangled a heart valve, which caused a severe leakage and required urgent open-heart surgery, as well as a pacemaker replacement.
Refusing to settle for a traditional - or "old school," as he calls it pacemaker that could cause additional complications and hinder his passions, his research led him to a dual-chamber leadless pacemaker that is placed inside the heart and has no wires.
Since receiving the minimally invasive implant procedure in July 2025, Nicolas' recovery was remarkable: he was discharged the same day and attended a wedding that evening.
Although there may not be many surfers with a pacemaker, Nicolas' story could set a standard for people with similar conditions who want to stay active in sports.
SurferToday.com sat down with Nicolas to learn how he manages his life-threatening heart condition with his passion for surfing.
You've had a pacemaker since you were four years old. What was your relationship with the ocean and surfing like growing up?
I've had different pacemakers throughout my life, but one constant was my love for the water.
Growing up in Rhode Island, I spent my entire childhood at the beach and in the ocean every day of summer.
I started surfing when I was 11 or 12, but before that I was skimboarding and boogie boarding basically every single day from 10 am to 5 pm, June to September.
Rhode Island is called the Ocean State for a reason - pretty much every part of our summers revolves around being in or on the water.
Did doctors, coaches, or even family members ever tell you to slow down or avoid certain sports?
I was told to avoid certain heavier-contact sports like football and wrestling to help prevent issues with my pacemaker.
At what point did surfing become more than just recreation for you?
Surfing is my favorite thing to do. Most of my travels revolve around either surfing or skiing.
It is just a hobby for me; I have never competed in it or done it professionally.
Were there moments in the water where you became especially aware of your heart condition, or did surfing actually make you feel free from it?
For most of my life, I never felt hindered by my heart condition.
I basically ran full throttle up until a couple of years ago when my old pacemaker lead - which is a wire that carries the electrical signal from the pacemaker battery to the heart - created a leak in my tricuspid valve.
The leak slowly worsened over several years until I started feeling uncomfortable while surfing because I'd get short of breath when duck-diving bigger sets.
This prompted me to get my heart looked at.
Once we saw how bad the leak had gotten, we knew I needed a new pacemaker along with a valve repair.
Fortunately, at the time, Abbott had just released the Aveir DR Dual Chamber Leadless Pacemaker System.
The device was much smaller - about the size of an AAA battery - than I previously had implanted and didn't require leads in my heart.
It was a major upgrade in my mind because it meant I wouldn't have to deal with device-related issues, like the leak the wire had caused that brought me back to the cardiologist!
How do you think living with a pacemaker shaped your mentality as a surfer?
Until the recent valve leak, it really hadn't affected me mentally or physically.
Surfing can be physically brutal - paddling, hold-downs, long sessions, heavy currents. What aspects were hardest on your body before the surgery?
Breathing.
Prior to the valve repair and upgrade to the new leadless system, my ability to breathe had gotten extremely compromised.
I'm pumped to have my breathing back on track, which makes me feel comfortable in the water again.
Looking back now, were there warning signs in the water that your old pacemaker setup was failing?
Yes. My breathing had deteriorated so badly due to the leak caused by the wired pacemaker that it became obvious something was not right.
It started to really affect my comfort in the water and hindered my ability to enjoy surfing.
You mentioned becoming severely short of breath during a hike in Aspen. Had you experienced similar limitations while surfing before that moment?
Yes. I had noticed it during the prior hurricane season while I was surfing in Rhode Island.
I kept telling my buddy that when surfing, "I couldn't clear a full breath between sets."
This was a sign that the situation was getting worse.
The hike at Aspen Highlands Bowl was what really made it 100 percent obvious to me that it was time to do something ASAP.
Did your endurance or confidence in bigger surf change as your condition worsened?
Absolutely, my stamina was depleted, and not being able to breathe normally during bigger surf sessions was pretty spooky.
Were there waves or conditions you avoided because of concerns about your health?
I wish I could say that I avoided surfing during certain conditions because of how bad my breathing had gotten from the heart issue, but the reality is I went in the water anyway.
It's pretty hard to sit on the beach and not surf when the waves are good. The sessions were just not as enjoyable when I wasn't functioning at 100 percent.
You called traditional pacemakers "old school." What specifically frustrated you about the limitations of older technology?
The biggest frustration for me was the wire aspect, mostly given that the valve leak was related to the wire crossing my tricuspid valve.
But I had also broken a lead when I was younger and had to have emergency pacemaker surgery, so the wire risk was always something in my mind.
Old pacemakers also require that you have a battery placed under the skin in your chest, which was something I thought never really bothered me after so many years of having a pacemaker.
However, since the Aveir leadless pacemaker fits inside my heart, I no longer have a device creating a bump on my chest, and I no longer have leads.
Now, I realize how nice it is to have nothing sticking out of my body!
How deep did you go into researching alternatives before deciding on a leadless pacemaker?
My parents and I are meticulous researchers and ask harder questions than 99 percent of people probably would.
I evaluated the potential benefits and risks of each type of system and made the decision that was best for my situation.
The main thought about the Aveir leadless pacemaker was just that it was new and unfamiliar, but it was still the way I wanted to go.
The Abbott team helped answer all my questions, and they continue to follow up and have a personal interest in my device's success, which is really awesome to see as a patient.
Was surfing part of the conversation when discussing treatment options with doctors?
Definitely.
One of the options for pacemaker systems was a traditional battery device with leads to my heart, but instead of placing the battery under the skin in my chest like other old pacemakers, it would have been placed in my abdomen.
I was immediately not a fan of this option because all I could think of was how unnatural and uncomfortable it would be to have a lump in my abdomen when lying on a surfboard and paddling.
The leadless pacemaker I went with is incredible in the sense that if I woke up tomorrow with no memory, I wouldn't even know I had it.
I don't feel the leadless system in any way, unlike the old device.
Did you feel understood by the medical world when you explained that getting back in the water was non-negotiable?
Yes.
I was clear that a pacemaker with leads and a battery in my abdomen was absolutely not what I wanted and that it should be an absolute last resort if, for some unforeseen reason, the leadless system wouldn't work.
Fortunately, leadless was a viable option in my case.
What made the dual-chamber leadless pacemaker feel like the right fit for your lifestyle?
I have always been a believer that the fewer systems you have, the less likely something will break.
So the idea of going from a pacemaker with leads to a pacemaker with no leads immediately resonated with me.
If we could eliminate the leads and the potential problems they have, then it was like getting rid of half the risk in my mind. Less is more.
You had the new pacemaker implanted and then attended a wedding the same day you were discharged. Did that quick recovery surprise you?
Because the leadless pacemaker was implanted through a minimally invasive procedure, I was able to drive to NY the next day and attend a wedding of some good friends.
It was very surprising.
I had originally RSVP'd to my friend saying that I couldn't make it because I was getting a new pacemaker. Based on the pain and recovery of old-school devices, I thought I definitely couldn't make it.
But the leadless implementation was so much less invasive and painful that I felt totally fine going to the wedding.
I never would have gone if it was a traditional pacemaker surgery.
How soon after the procedure were you thinking about surfing again?
As soon as I could!
My heart surgeon had said I could probably start surfing and skiing in 8-10 weeks after the procedure.
Since it was winter, I had an itch to ski, and as soon as I felt solid enough and got my doctor's blessing, I went to Colorado.
I think I was supposed to ease back into it, but I got a little excited and ended up going heli-skiing for my first days back on the mountain.
What was your first surf session like after surgery?
Great!
I snuck down to a friend's house in Costa Rica and spent six days surfing with two sessions a day.
My breathing was better, and I kept saying to my buddy that I forgot how much more fun surfing is when you can breathe right.
Were you nervous paddling out for the first time post-operation?
I was only nervous that the place where they inserted the catheter was going to feel weird, but was happily surprised that it felt great.
Did the experience change the way you approach risk in the ocean?
Not really. I feel 110 percent again and look forward to more time in the water.
Physically, what feels different now when you surf?
I would say it's enjoyable again and not stressful because I no longer struggle for breath when paddling.
For a lot of surfers, surfing is tied directly to identity and mental health. Did the possibility of losing that part of your life affect you emotionally?
Luckily, I never thought I was going to lose the ability.
I was always confident that the team of doctors at Boston Children's Hospital could address my issues, and I had faith in them.
They are rockstars and the best option in my opinion.
Once I met the team and we had a plan, I was just pumped to get through it and on the other side to move forward!
Was there ever a point where you genuinely feared you might not surf again?
No, but I did kind of grow numb to how bad the breathing was.
I was a little bummed at the thought of that being normal. Luckily, it isn't anymore.
What did fighting to stay active teach you about resilience?
One of my favorite poems is called Invictus, meaning "unconquerable" in Latin. It's about always pushing forward no matter what. It's how I approached the whole situation.
The final two lines of the poem are my favorite: "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."
You have to keep fighting; the only one holding you back is you.
Has your relationship with the ocean changed since the surgery?
Not really. I'm at the beach, in the water, or on the water pretty much any free day I have.
Do you surf with more gratitude now, or are you still chasing waves exactly the same way as before?
I'm more thankful that I have the ability to keep doing the things I love, like surfing and skiing, and don't worry as much about that ability being hindered.
Are there any practical considerations surfers might not think about when it comes to having a pacemaker?
Having the old-school pacemaker that is outside of your heart and placed under the skin in your chest can be uncomfortable. I would highly recommend the leadless device because this isn't an issue.
Do airport security, surf travel, remote destinations, or long surf trips become more complicated?
No.
Have wipeouts or heavy impacts ever raised concerns about damaging a traditional pacemaker device?
Yes, with the old pacemaker, falling weird or dislodging a wire was always something that was in the back of my mind, especially because I broke a lead when I was a young kid fooling around.
Did the leadless design remove some of those worries?
One hundred percent.
How do you manage recovery, training, and overall health while maintaining an active surf lifestyle?
Within two days of my procedure to insert the Aveir leadless pacemaker, I made it a goal to walk one mile and/or 10,000 steps each day.
I'm not sure if the doctor would be thrilled about it, but I just had to do it.
I feared becoming inactive and tried to keep doing little exercises, so I could work my way up as recovery progressed.
What would you say to young surfers or athletes living with heart conditions who think their active life might be over?
Stay positive! There's always a way.
Do you think medical technology is finally catching up with the lifestyles people actually want to live?
Absolutely. It's incredible what medical technology has accomplished. I'm thankful for the leadless technology.
What does "living fully" mean to you now?
Take every opportunity you can because you never know when you might not be able to.
If you could describe your first clean wave after valve surgery and the implantation of the new pacemaker in one sentence, what would it be?
Reinvigorating.
What's next on your surf bucket list now that you're back?
A two-week boat trip in the Indonesian islands booked with eight friends in December. I am stoked for that one.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
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