Swedish pro mountain runner dies by suicide at 21
Emilia Brangefält was second at this year's Transculvania by UTMB 48K, but had been dealing with undiagnosed health challenges
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Transculvania by UTMB
Top Swedish mountain runner Emilia Brangefält has died by suicide at the age of 21, according to a statement released by the Swedish Athletics Federation. “Emilia Brangefält was a young and very promising runner who had already made a big impression in her favorite trail discipline,” they said.”Today we think above all of the person Emilia was and our thoughts also go to her loved ones.”
Brangefält ran to bronze in her first international competition at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMATRC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and in May took second place at Transculvania by UTMB 48K in Spain. She was fifth in the 40K short course at the 2023 WMATRC in Innsbruck, Austria.
Brangefält had experienced some undiagnosed health challenges in the period before her death. “During her last months, Emilia felt very bad, both physically and mentally,” the Swedish Athletics Federation wrote.”She had good support from those closest to her, but on November 13, she ended her life.”
Brangefält had shared about her health issues on Instagram, writing that at the end of July, her body shut down.”Haven’t been able to train anything due to an extremely high heart rate. (120-150 bpm) just standing up. Just taking a walk is painful right now,” she said. “Have been to the hospital and visit the medical over 20 times but every single blood test/ ekg/ cycle test is good.”
In an article by EuroSport, Swedish national trail team lead Karl Avedal said the news came as a shock for the team. “Me and the friends in the national trail team remember her as the happy, very popular girl she was, full of energy,” Avedal said. “Her personality lifted the team. It feels completely surreal that she is actually gone.”
“I am super sad because running and training means so much,” Brangefält wrote on Instagram.”But now, just living a normal life is difficult. I have spent more hours in bed than on my feets this past month. Maybe one day I will be back. Or I won’t. I hope my body can recover from this.”
Friends and members of the public can share tributes to Brangefält on a memorial page dedicated to the runner, where there is also the option of donating to Suicide Zero, an organization that works to reduce suicides in Sweden.
If you or someone close to you needs immediate help, you can call Talk Suicide in Canada at 1-833-456-4566, or 988 in the U.S.
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