Rachel Apa, who collapsed near the finish line of the New York City Marathon, died from a rare muscle condition, her father has revealed.
The 24-year-old former college field hockey player was pronounced dead at a New York hospital after collapsing in Central Park.
As reported by The New York Times, a hospital social worker rushed to Apa’s aid but was unable to find a pulse, while two physicians from the crowd also performed CPR.
She was declared dead on Sunday night, with her father – Steve – revealing that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, which can be brought on by excessive exercise without rest.
The rare condition, which affects around 0.0076 percent of the US population every year, causes your muscles to break down and leads to ‘toxic components of your muscle fibers’ entering the kidneys and the body’s circulation system.
‘It’s unfathomable,’ Steve Apa told the New York Times. ‘Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.’