When you think about athletes, you tend to think about stamina, strength and being in peak physical condition.
But anyone pushing his or her body to its limits also has to beware of overdoing it. The tragic death of Rachel Apa, a former college athlete who collapsed two miles from the finish line of the New York City Marathon, is an extreme case of a body fatally breaking down within a few hours, but a reminder that it can happen.
According to her father Steve Apa, Rachel died of rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged muscle tissue breaks down and sends harmful proteins into the bloodstream.
“It’s unfathomable,” he told the New York Times. “Perfect health, perfect shape, 24 years old.”
Rachel, running her first marathon, had texted her dad after passing the 9-mile mark of the 26.2-mile route, which starts on Staten Island and finishes in Central Park, “I feel amazing. I’ve never felt this good.”
Steve texted back from the family’s home in Lewisberry, Penn., per NBC News, “Great, don’t overdo it. First marathon. This is a learning run. Don’t overdo it.”
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