Athletes are often seen as the epitome of fitness, but a recent tragedy has left the track and field community in shock. On Saturday morning, Wesleyan College cross-country runner Nefertari Holston stepped into the competition zone for a long-distance event, unaware it would be her last.

Her plans for the competition took a devastating turn when her health collapsed unexpectedly. Even more tragic, the runner was just 23 years old, with so much life ahead of her. This heart-wrenching news has left her loved ones in deep grief, and the track community is now coming together to mourn her untimely death

Nefertari Holston is no more

For the second year in a row, Nefertari Holston was competing at the Julius Johnson Invitational, in the women’s 5K bracket. While she had a ‘DNS‘ flashing opposite her name from 2023, she must have hoped to turn the results around this time. Alas, her plans could not materialize, as a cardiac arrest led her to collapse mid-race and the athlete had to be taken to the Atrium Health Nacivent, per Coroner Leon Jones.

But, it was too late and Holston was declared dead at around 10.30 a.m. While her parents were immediately informed, the Wesleyan College spokesperson, Drew Davidson voiced a statement on behalf of the entire college, “The entire Wesleyan Community is deeply saddened by the death of one of our students.” He further assured Nefertari Holston was a vibrant part of their campus and extended his condolences to her family and friends.

The runner apparently died of a cardiac arrest, but the authorities shall be conducting an autopsy at the GBI Crime Lab. But in the meantime, the track and field fans are deeply saddened and concerned by the news.

Holston’s death concerns the track community

As the news of Nefertari Holston’s death was uploaded on the Reddit thread, “23 Year Old Dies of a Heart Attack? Devastating?” by r/trackandfield, fan replies exhibited their state of shock. One of them wrote, “So young. I feel for the family.” Chiming in with a similar sentiment, another fan wrote, “Saying life is brutal is an understatement these days.”

Nefertari Holston was just 23 and did not have much to back her as a frequent runner. Although, at the Brewton Parker Invitational last year, she completed her 5K race in 42:48.2. However, one of the responders added possible reasons why she could have suffered a cardiac arrest. They wrote, “This is the result of someone who was out of shape, never really ran before, and likely had underlying health problems- ran in 90+ degree weather in high humidity and sadly passed. RIP.”

Moreover, the visions of her illustrious career crashed abruptly with Nefertari Holston’s passing, something that must have left her family torn to bits. Pointing this, another one added, “She had a whole life ahead of her. I read somewhere she was a major in psychology.” A third wrote, “Really active and otherwise healthy ppl can have sudden heart attacks. F**king sucks😞.” The fact that she suffered a cardiac arrest despite being young and athletically inclined left people in disbelief.

After the incident happened in Middle Georgia State, Drew Davidson noted that the College is providing counseling services. He even asked for privacy in this difficult time. Indeed, recovering from this loss will need courage as one of the fans writes, “Oh goodness thats so tragic 😭😭,” reflecting the gravity of the situation. Until then, the community continues to mourn Nefertari Holston, the track and field athlete who passed during a race.