A 26-year-old athlete has died suddenly after suffering a “cardiac event” at an Arizona marathon.
Pierre Lipton, who was also a well-known successful businessman, collapsed after completing the Mesa Marathon earlier this month.
Boston.com reported that Lipton suddenly collapsed near the paramedics after crossing the finish line.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
There is still no official cause of death.
However, Lipton’s dad, Dr. Jordan Lipton told the Boston Globe, “the working diagnosis is he might have had some sudden electrolyte imbalance that caused arrhythmia.”
A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. It occurs when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart’s beats don’t work properly, according to Mayo Clinic.
Other reports stated that Lipton died after suffering a “cardiac event.”
“On Saturday, I lost the love of my life,” Lipton’s girlfriend, Eleanor Pereboom, wrote in an Instagram post.
“The person I thought I would spend forever with.”
“He accomplished more than anyone I know in just 26 years, but he still had so many plans.
“Here he is just a couple of feet from the finish line.
“He’s still smiling,” she continued.
“Both feet lifted off the ground, he’s still flying.
“He was doing what he loved.”
Eleanor’s dad, Derk Pereboom, penned a heartfelt tribute to Lipton.
“Our family has suffered a tragedy this week,” Derk wrote.
“On Saturday, our daughter Eleanor and her partner Pierre Lipton ran the Mesa Marathon in Arizona.
“After completing the race, Pierre collapsed and passed away.
“Pierre had a short life, but it was one that shone so brightly,” he continued.
“He was an exceptionally generous person to all, motivated by a deep impulse to lift others up, to help them to succeed and be happy.
“He did so much to enrich all of our lives.”
Pierre Lipton, a Brown grad, died after completing a marathon on Feb. 4. He was 26.
The co-leader of the 'Gansett Run Club, which Lipton was a part of, posted a photo of the group gathered around a pair of running shoes like the ones Lipton wore. https://t.co/ZHuAIURyJ6 pic.twitter.com/JacPzsOAS3
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) February 16, 2023
Lipton was a celebrated entrepreneur who was featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
He was the founder of 1440 Media, which sends daily updates via email from around the world to subscribers.
The company’s revenue was estimated to be around $7 million.
Lipton was an expert in languages like Spanish and Arabic and taught English and Mathematics at a Panama-based orphanage.
He developed an interest in soccer at a very young age, but following an eye injury, he joined his girlfriend Perebroom, and they decided to run for different causes.
He also aimed to establish various business ventures.
While he was a college student, he founded a company called VitaLives which aimed to increase awareness of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.
From his obituary:
Pierre is an athlete.
He cares about health and movement, always working on becoming stronger, and focused on improving the lives of others through sport.
His goals of playing soccer or running at a semi-elite level for Tonga in the South Pacific are a big part of his life that he dreamed about but didn’t have the chance to realize, even though everyone who knows him knows that he would have accomplished it.
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