Rachel Apa, 24, died after collapsing near the end of Sunday’s New York City Marathon, according to The New York Times. She was running her first marathon with the Parkinson’s Champions team in memory of her grandfather, who died from Parkinson’s disease in 2022.
As Apa approached the finish, a hospital social worker who was watching the race and Apa’s fiancée tried to revive her with CPR. She could not be saved. Her father, Steve Apa, told the Times that she had trained for months and was in “perfect health, perfect shape.”
Steve tracked his daughter’s progress through the marathon app. Apa’s mother, Michelle, recorded her at the 14-mile mark, where she appeared to be beaming. Apa later texted her father “Ow” at miles 18 and 19. He sent her a message at mile 23 saying, “Final stretch,” but received no reply.
Apa was a former field hockey player at Bucknell University.
Sources: TMZ.