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Heart Strong: Miss Lake Murray 2025 Champions Youth CPR and AED Education
Sarah Kay Wrenn currently serves as the Director of School Engagement at the American Heart Association, where she channels her passion for health and wellness into impactful educational initiatives. A Marketing graduate of Clemson University, Sarah’s career journey has evolved from marketing roles into the world of fitness instruction, an experience that laid the foundation for her transition into heart health advocacy.
During her time as a Fitness Instructor at Clemson Campus Recreation, Sarah discovered her deep commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles. She has since carried that same energy and purpose into her professional career, where she champions fitness as a form of empowerment and a gateway to lifelong wellness. In her role with the American Heart Association, she advocates for innovative, patient-centered medical solutions and leads school engagement efforts across the state.
In early 2025, Sarah was crowned Miss Lake Murray, using her platform to amplify awareness around heart health, heart disease prevention, and emergency preparedness, including the prevention of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Throughout the 2025 school year, she partnered with elementary, middle, and high schools to teach students about heart-healthy habits and lead CPR and AED training sessions.
To support her mission, Avive partnered with Sarah in her AED education efforts, providing her with an Avive Connect AED® and training cartridge. This technology allows students to see what an AED looks like, hear the metronome that guides compression rates, and experience simulated emergency responses. The device has significantly enhanced Sarah’s ability to create realistic and engaging training sessions for young learners.
Beyond her work in schools, Sarah is also dedicated to bringing Avive’s 4 Minute Community™ Program to Forest Acres, SC. This initiative aims to reduce response times to sudden cardiac arrest by placing Avive Connect AED®s, integrated with 911 systems, directly in the hands of everyday citizens. These AEDs provide audible alerts and display the patient’s location, empowering bystanders to act within the critical first four minutes before first responders arrive.
In her own words, Sarah Kay Wrenn reflects on the personal loss that fuels her passion, her work with the American Heart Association, and her hopes for improving community safety in Forest Acres, SC.
Heart Strong is my mission to prevent the heartbreak caused by sudden cardiac arrest through education, advocacy, and action. As the AHA’s Regional Director of School Engagement and Miss South Carolina, I’ve trained thousands of students in CPR and AED use, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for heart health, and partnered with organizations to make lifesaving equipment accessible within four minutes statewide. Through legislative work, school outreach, and a national Wellness Empowerment Plan, Heart Strong equips the next generation with the tools they need to save lives, because every second matters.
The 4 Minute Community™ Program.
Avive’s 4 Minute Community™ Program strives to provide lifesaving care within the crucial minutes following a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) emergency.
The 4 Minute Community™ Program aims to break down historical barriers to survival by closing the critical gap between SCA and the arrival of first responders. Avive Connect AED®s are seamlessly integrated with 911 and strategically placed in the hands of everyday citizens throughout the community. When an emergency occurs nearby, the AED emits an audible alert and displays the exact location of the patient, empowering bystanders to take immediate action and provide life-saving care within the crucial first four minutes.
The CARE team.
The CARE (Cardiac Arrest Rapid Engagement) Team is a group of citizen volunteers strategically located across a community who are equipped with an Avive Connect AED®. CARE Team members are recruited in coordination with local First Responders, trained in CPR/AED use and volunteer response safety, and empowered to respond quickly when alerted to neighbors in need.
Partner with Sarah.
To learn more about introducing Heart Strong to your school or supporting the effort to bring the 4 Minute Community™ Program to Forest Acres, SC, contact Sarah at: Sarahwrenn66@gmail.com