In November of 2023, the game of path working misplaced certainly one of its most promising rising stars, and the world misplaced a vibrant and exuberant younger lady, who shortly made an impression on those that had been fortunate sufficient to satisfy her.
The working journey of Sweden’s Emilia Brangefält had solely begun 4 years prior, and already she had racked up achievements many proficient runners might solely dream of in a lifetime, together with putting third within the 2022 Path World Championships 40k in Thailand. The then 20-year-old was the youngest competitor within the race.
In an effort to rejoice her quick however impactful life, we share the phrases of Emilia’s teammates and mates.
Emilia Brangefält (proper) on the rostrum, having taken third place within the 2022 Path World Championships 40k. Photograph: Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna
Emilia Brangefält got here from Västerås, within the flatter a part of southern Sweden, and practiced cross-country snowboarding. She additionally engaged in orienteering, though she was extra drawn to the working facet of the game than the map studying. She practiced quite a lot of sports activities as a youth, however turned her consideration to working in 2019.
Having began out with extra conventional working, earlier than lengthy she discovered the paths, and found her nice reward. Swedish teammate and pal, Johanna Gelfgren, shared that she was, “One of the best uphill runner I’ve seen.”
Gelfgren first met Brangefält on the inaugural Swedish Nationwide Championships in 2021. She shared: “I hadn’t seen her at any races earlier than, and I used to be like, ‘Who is that this younger woman?’ She completed third and I used to be first, so we shared the rostrum, however we solely stated ‘hello.’”
The 2 had been to satisfy once more in 2022, when Brangefält was chosen to signify Sweden on the World Mountain and Path Working Championships in Thailand, and Gelfgren was assigned as her roommate. Gelfgren remembers, “We talked a bit earlier than, and we met on some smaller competitions right here in Sweden. After which after we got here to Thailand it was like I used to be her large sister. I used to be born in 1998, and she or he was born in 2002. She at all times requested me about all the things, and we obtained to know one another rather well, as I assume you do whenever you dwell and do all the things collectively.”
Swedish ultrarunner Ida Nilsson remembers the primary day she spoke with the younger Emilia Brangefält, on the 2022 Fjällmaraton, the place they completed first and second: “I used to be working [in the lead] and there was this younger woman. And I used to be like, ‘Okay, she’s shut.’ After which I’d assume, ‘Okay now I’ve a niche.’ After which I might flip round and she or he’s there once more! It was like that the entire race, she wouldn’t hand over. After which within the end it was actually shut. We talked after the race, and I used to be simply so impressed with how a lot she’d improved in a single yr. It was a extremely nice breakthrough race for her in Sweden.” The yr earlier, Brangefält had positioned fourth in the identical race, and had carved some 28 minutes off her time on the second try.
Following Fjällmaraton, Brangefält was chosen to run in Thailand, the place she exceeded all expectations, putting third in her first main worldwide competitors.
Staff Sweden girls on the 2022 World Mountain and Path Working Championships (l-to-r): Sanna El Kott Helander, Johanna Gelfgren, Lina El Kott Helander, Emilia Brangefält, and Ida Nilsson. Photograph courtesy of Ida Nilsson.
Nilsson, who raced the 80k distance on the championships, shared: “And that was one of many first issues I keep in mind [at the Trail World Championships], I used to be so drained after I completed my race, after which I came upon that Emilia was third [in the 40k], and it was so superb as a result of she hadn’t achieved any worldwide races in any respect. It’s all these people who find themselves so skilled, and she or he was the youngest one within the area. It was actually cool. And that confirmed she had such a robust racing mentality. She was actually good at pushing herself in races.”
Gelfgren additionally famous, “When she took third place in Thailand it was a extremely large factor, in her life and in addition, for her crew.”
Adidas Terrex and Swedish teammate, Petter Engdahl, remembers the primary time he met Brangefält, in Badgastein, Austria, in September 2022 — on the Adidas Infinite Trails occasion, the place she raced the relay. Each her bubbly character and uncooked expertise stood out to him.
He stated, “I met her for the primary time up within the mountains through the race, I used to be taking images of the race and she or he was within the lead. I didn’t acknowledge her at first by way of the lens, however then she screamed one thing to me in Swedish, and I spotted it was Emilia. I screamed one thing again and we talked a bit after the race. She was an enormous expertise and loved working within the mountains. She was residing in a really flat a part of Sweden and simply coming to the Austrian Alps and working like she did was actually cool and spectacular to see.”
Emilia Brangefält racing on the 2022 Adidas Infinite Trails. Photograph: Petter Engdahl
Engdahl stayed in contact with Brangefält after that first assembly, and went on to introduce her to the supervisor of the adidas Terrex crew and assist her by way of the method of changing into a sponsored athlete. He recalled that she had stated that, “The environment and crew spirit of Terrex appeared very nice.”
Nilsson too had suggested Brangefält on completely different sponsorship alternatives and felt that Terrex could be a great match for her: “The Terrex crew, I had stated that which may go well with her because it’s plenty of younger folks they usually have plenty of widespread camps and that’s good whenever you’re younger.”
Following on from her success in Thailand, Brangefält raced the 2023 Transvulcania by UTMB 46k, the place she completed a detailed second behind fellow adidas Terrex runner, Toni McCann. She then went on to signify Sweden once more on the 2023 Path and Mountain Working World Championships in Austria, the place she took fifth within the 40k distance.
The 2023 Transvulcania by UTMB 46k girls’s podium (l-to-r): 3. Julia Font Gomez, 1. Toni McCann, and a pair of. Emilia Brangefält. Photograph: Transvulcania by UTMB
Tragically, this was to be the final race of Brangefält’s budding profession. Shortly after, she started to undergo with an undiagnosed situation, associated to an elevated coronary heart charge, which left her unable to run. After months of being unwell, and present process repeated assessments to no avail, Brangefält discovered herself unable to manage, and ended her life.
Tributes have poured out on her memorial web page, and the stunning occasions have sparked a dialog in regards to the want for larger help for athletes and younger folks on the whole who is perhaps struggling.
The phrase “little sister” got here up repeatedly within the conversations with Brangefält’s teammates, indicative of the regard by which she was held, the heat that these round her felt towards her, and the affect her loss has had. Nilsson stated, “I actually appreciated her character, and as a younger woman I felt like I needed to assist her … I hadn’t spent plenty of time together with her, it was largely in these races. However she was somebody I felt strongly for and such an adolescent, it’s devastating.”
Emilia Brangefält on the 2023 Transvulcania by UTMB 46k, the place she positioned second. Photograph: Transvulcania by UTMB
Gelfgren, who additionally shared a room with Brangefält on the 2023 World Mountain and Path Working Championships in Austria, stated: “We hadn’t met that many days in case you compress it collectively, but it surely was very intense the instances we did meet … She was a really pleased individual, she stated what she thought and was cussed — however not in a unfavorable approach — she simply at all times knew what she needed. Which I admired as effectively, as a result of I don’t at all times know what I need. If she had an concept and she or he believed in it, then she would simply go for it.” Throughout their quick friendship, Glefgren additionally had the chance to satisfy Brangefält’s mom, and stated that she had “probably the most supportive household.” Engdahl too nonetheless struggles to course of her loss.
In her quick time as a part of our sport, Emilia Brangefält touched many lives and left an everlasting mark on the world round her — a shiny gentle, quenched far too quickly.
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Emilia Brangefält (proper) in Innsbruck with Staff Sweden on the 2023 World Mountain and Path Working Championships. Photograph courtesy of Johanna Gelfgren.
