On Tuesday, a mother of three collapsed at the finish line of a charity marathon in Los Angeles and died, according to her family and race organizers.
Trisha Paddock, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, was running the half marathon Sunday where all participants were fundraising for one of the race’s official charities.
Paddack was 46 according to marathon results, but Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said she was 44, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Crews encountered Paddock at 12:10 p.m.on Sunday, according to Scott. He said that she had “a medical complaint which escalated to a witnessed cardiac arrest.”
“Medical aid was quickly provided by over a dozen personnel, including LAFD Cycle Teams, and the patient was rapidly treated and transported to a local hospital,” he said.
Trisha Paddock’s husband Ryan Paddock told NBC Los Angeles that she was an avid runner and he was waiting for her at the finish line.
“She sent me a message and said, “I only got one more mile to go,” he said.
According to the race organizers, Paddock was running to raise funds for a charity called the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP), a non-profit started in 1972 that provides Asian-Pacific Islanders, and other underserved communities with substance abuse services like affordable drug and alcohol treatment.
“This is a devastating loss, and our deepest sympathies go out to her family and loved ones,” race officials said in a statement. “We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all the first responders, paramedics, and medical personnel who were immediately on the scene.
As of Friday morning, a GoFundMe page for the grieving family had raised more than $63,000.