John Harbaugh had the family of Rachel Apa on his mind when he stepped to the podium on Wednesday.
The Giants head coach opened his press conference by sending thoughts and prayers to the family of the 24-year-old New York City Marathon runner who died on Sunday just 2 miles shy of the finish line.
“First of all, I want to express our thoughts and prayers to the family of Rachel Apa, the 24-year-old young lady, athlete that passed away in the New York City Marathon this past weekend,” Harbaugh said. “I cannot imagine the pain they’re going through and yet also the pride they feel for a life well lived when you read about her life, it’s just incredible to read. The type of person she was and she’ll be very dearly missed.
“She’s in God’s hands now, and we just to let the family know the New York Giants are thinking about their daughter and their family.”
Apa tragically succumbed to the rare muscular condition rhabdomyolysis after she collapsed during the final stretch of the marathon.
Plenty of tributes have poured in since Apa’s passing.
Friend and former Bucknell University field hockey teammate Isabella Pavlides described Apa as “determined” and “passionate” in an interview with The Post on Wednesday.
“I always admired Rachel’s work ethic and the way she approached pretty much everything, especially with field hockey,” Pavlides said. “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.”
Apa, after her Division I athletic career at Bucknell, moved to South Carolina earlier this year to work on an MBA at Charleston Southern University.
She entered the New York City Marathon to raise money to fight Parkinson’s disease in honor of her grandfather, who died from the disease in 2022.
“My grandfather was my role model growing up. He taught me to stay active, push limits, and embrace challenges, shaping my love for sports and movement,” Apa wrote on LinkedIn.
Apa collapsed around 1:33 p.m., according to The New York Times.
She was eventually taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where doctors worked to save her life for six hours before she was pronounced dead.
