In the right place at the right time

One winter Friday night, the atmosphere at the CrossFit Hydro in Omaha, Nebraska, was electric. Its “Friday Night Lights” is a weekly event where local CrossFitters participate in the worldwide CrossFit Open.

It was supposed to be just another night of pushing limits and cheering, but for Peter Soby, it became the night he got a second chance at life.

Soby was working out side-by-side with Lydia Meece, a physician at the Omaha VA Medical Center. The workout was grueling—burpees, lunges and heavy lifts. 

“I remember the clock said eight minutes. I still had seven minutes to go,” recalled Soby. He finished his workout, sat on the floor to catch his breath, exchanged a few high-fives—and then everything went black.

The next moments were chaos—but also orderly. A fellow athlete noticed Soby gasping and convulsing. The other athlete rushed over, called for help and the gym’s community sprang into action.

Among those present were an ER doctor, an ER nurse, a former Army medic, a medical equipment specialist and Dr. Meece. Together, they formed an impromptu emergency response team that even seasoned professionals would later say operated better than some emergency rooms.

“They said it was like watching an episode of ER,” Soby said later. “Everyone just clicked into their professional mode. They weren’t CrossFitters anymore. They were lifesavers.”

The team started CPR immediately, even though everyone had just finished an exhausting workout. Dr. Meece retrieved the gym’s automated external defibrillator, or AED, carefully followed the prompts and delivered the critical shocks Soby’s heart needed.

Thanks to the team’s and Dr. Meece’s efforts, Soby’s heart started beating again before the paramedics arrived.

In the ambulance, one of the medics told him simply, “You’ve got great friends. They just saved your life.”

Soby underwent triple bypass surgery a week later for what is commonly known as the “widow-maker” heart attack. Statistically, only 12% of people survive such an event when it strikes outside of a hospital setting. 

“I credit the CPR and the AED. And the fact that these amazing people didn’t hesitate,” Soby said. “Everything clicked into place because they were ready.”

Dr. Meece reflected on the importance of continuous training. “As an attending physician, I don’t always personally run codes anymore, but because of the training at VA, I had practiced these skills just a few months before. It made all the difference. I wasn’t just relying on old knowledge—I had muscle memory.” 

Soby, now in cardiac rehab, carries a profound sense of gratitude—not only for the team that saved him, but for the broader community of health professionals who dedicate their lives to training, preparing and responding when it matters most.

“Medicine doesn’t get enough credit,” Soby said. “For them, saving lives is just part of the job. But to people like me, it’s everything.”