Clarissa’s Campaign is a student-led charity set up in memory of Clarissa Nicholls, who tragically passed away from an undiagnosed heart condition during her year abroad.

Clarissa was a French and Italian student at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In May 2023, Clarissa collapsed and died while hiking in France. She was just 20 years old. A keen and active athlete, often described by her family and friends as a “duracell battery”, Clarissa had no idea she was living with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy — a condition that could have been detected with a simple ECG. It is estimated that 1 in 250 young people are carrying a life threatening condition.

Clarissa’s Campaign was set up to raise awareness and prevent further tragedies by providing free ECG screenings to students. Thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of so many, along with the support of CRY and the University Sports Service, we will have carried out 10 screening days and screened more than 1000 students by the end of 2025.