The now 18-year-old, from Mangoplah, has had two heart operations since last year after being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

She was diagnosed after having issues with her heart racing. The first time it happened she was warming up for water polo.

“I would be out of breath, I felt a bit dizzy and I could feel my chest moving really fast,” she said.

“I wasn’t always playing sport when it happened.”

Sharni leads a very active life including representing NSW at water polo nationals and playing other sports like netball.

After her diagnosis she had to stop playing sport until she could have an operation, which had a 95 per cent success rate.

“I was shocked when I got diagnosed,” she said.

“I was banned from playing all sport until after my operation because of the increased risk of cardiac arrest.”

In December last year she had her first operation but it failed, seeing her go back again in February this year.

“It seems to have worked this time,” she said.

The aim of the operation was to stop the second electrical pathway in the heart, which is what would kick in and create her rapid heartbeat.

During the operation her heart was accessed through an artery where the second pathway was burnt. In the second operation doctors had to go deeper into the tissue.

Sharni’s mum, Robyn, was “very worried” when the first operation wasn’t successful.

“They said there could be 5 per cent chance it could come back within eight weeks,” she said.

“We were packing to go to state champs when she had another episode.

“It’s all looking fine at this stage, though.”

Mrs Salau hopes others will take heart health seriously for people of all ages.

“When you think about heart issues you think about older people but it can strike young, fit, healthy athletes,” she said.

“If there is any doubt in your mind about something going on with your heart get it investigated.”

The call is increasingly relevant with the start of Heart Week on May 1. The Heart Foundation is promoting heart health until May 7.