Rachel Apa, the talented athlete who was running her first-ever marathon race, succumbed to death on November 1, 2026. Now, her close friend as a 'determined' and 'competitive' sportsperson.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleRachel Apa’s death is indeed shocking and heartbreaking. For the unversed, 24-year-old Rachel suddenly collapsed in Central Park, just under two miles from the finish line. She ran the 26.2-mile New York City Marathon as a member of the Parkinson's Champions team.
Rachel was a talented athlete who played Division I (D1) field hockey at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Now, in an interview, the athlete’s close friend, Isabella Pavlides, spoke about their friendship and couldn’t stop praising her.
In a recent interview with The New York Post, Rachel Apa’s close friend, Isabella Pavlides, remembered her as a 'determined' and 'passionate' athlete who believed she could achieve anything she set her mind to. According to reports, Rachel died from a rare muscular condition, rhabdomyolysis. Isabella described Rachel as a kind and loving friend, someone she looked up to as a big sister. She said:
"I always admired Rachel’s work ethic and the way she approached pretty much everything, especially with field hockey. She was so competitive, and when she had her mind set on something, and she wanted something, she put her whole heart into it and truly believed that she could get it done."
Isabella, a 23-year-old pre-med student from Voorhees, New Jersey, first met Rachel Apa at a hockey camp in 2018 before attending Bucknell together. The 23-year-old pre-med student described the late athlete as an extremely passionate and fierce sportsperson and said that Rachel always believed in herself. Isabella shared that Rachel was always radiating confidence and always figured out a way. According to Isabella, Apa was one of the most determined people she knew.
Further, in the interview, Isabella mentioned that, as Apa was a year above her, she played a big part in her decision to go to Bucknell, a liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Explaining it further, Isabella said that during her time as a freshman, whenever she had a rough time, it was Apa who used to boost her confidence. Recalling their time together at college, Isabella said:
"From the moment I stepped on campus as a freshman, she essentially took me under her wing and became like my best friend and my big sister. I could not imagine my time at Bucknell without her."
Isabella said her favorite memory with Rachel was when they moved into campus housing together and spent their first night having a sleepover and making cookies. The duo stayed friends after college, when Apa moved to South Carolina to start an MBA program at Charleston Southern University this year in 2026. The last time Isabella saw Rachel was in December 2025 at Santa Con in New York, before Apa knew she was going to be running the marathon.
According to reports, Rachel Apa ran the New York City Marathon as a member of the Parkinson's Champions team in honor of her grandfather, who passed away from the disease in 2022. Apa wrote on her LinkedIn that she was running her first marathon to raise money to fight Parkinson’s disease, which had killed her grandfather. The 24-year-old Apa, who was running her first-ever marathon, was texting with her father, Steve Apa, until just minutes before she collapsed.
Before starting the November 1, 2026, morning’s race, Rachel told her dad she was excited about the marathon. In a text to her dad at around 11:30 a.m., she wrote that she felt amazing and had never felt this good. Steve warned his daughter not to overdo it on her first marathon and said she would see her mother shortly at the 14-mile mark. But unfortunately, Rachel collapsed near the 24-mile mark in Central Park.
Rest in peace, Rachel Apa. We offer our heartfelt condolences to her family.
Also Read: Deceased NYC Marathon Runner Said She 'Never Felt This Good' Before Her Tracker Stopped Moving