A FORMER triathlon champion has discovered a new passion for music and photography after being diagnosed with a heart condition.

Sixteen-year-old Frank Arentz immersed his whole life in sport and was an outstanding rugby player until doctors told him to stop strenuous physical activity immediately.

A medical test revealed the Monmouth School pupil had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an inherited disease which causes the muscle wall of the heart to thicken.

If left undiagnosed and untreated, the condition can lead to sudden death.

It was a life-changing moment for sports-mad Frank who played tennis, squash and football at a competitive level.

However, the inspirational teenager is now learning to play the guitar and the piano and takes sports photographs to capture his friends and former team-mates in action.

He is also playing golf, coaching at school, and campaigning about the importance of heart screening for the general population.

“I decided to try to find the positive outcomes of my diagnosis of HCM by capturing many unforgettable images,” he said.

You can see Frank Arentz’s sports photography page on Instagram: @frank.arentz_photography