High-school athlete and aspiring Marine dies after crossing finish line of half-marathon
A Missouri high-school athlete died after collapsing at the finish line of a half-marathon when his “body temperature reached a fatal level and his heart stopped,” his heartbroken family said.
Rudy “Junior” Zevallos, 18, of Lebanon, Mo., was rushed to the hospital after the 13-mile Frog Hill Half Marathon on Oct. 5 but couldn’t be saved, the Kansas City Star reported.
“Junior was a remarkable friend, student, brother, and son,” his family wrote on GoFundMe of the teen, who ran track, played football and wrestled. “He was driven by a competitive spirit and a relentless determination to not just complete, but master any and all challenges.”
The high-school senior immersed “himself in the study of the Bible, mastering the knowledge of investing, and devouring self-improvement books. He was always striving to become the absolute best version of himself,” his kin said.
Junior planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Marine Corps after graduating early this December, according to the fundraiser.
“If not at school, hiking with his girlfriend, Olivia, or serving up coffee in the 7Brew drive-thru, Junior invested his free time in his friends, family, and his hobbies,” his relatives wrote.
The teen also enjoyed working on his car, playing poker with friends and game nights with his family, according to the fundraiser.
Doctors told the family that the teen’s body temperature had reached “a fatal level and his heart stopped.”
Lebanon High School, where the teen was a senior, noted in a Facebook post that it was mourning the student’s loss “together.
“This is a very difficult time for our school community, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragic loss,” the district said.
The teen’s family noted, “Rest was a foreign concept to him.
“I would like to make a final note that I know Junior would want everyone to know,” a relative wrote in the fundraiser. “His goal was to complete the marathon in under two hours. He completed at an hour and fifty-eight minutes.”
