Abroad
British woman, 19, a taekwondo athlete, dies in her sleep after apparent cardiac arrest
She had intended to pursue law.
September 04, 2026, 06:26 PM
Photos from GoFundMe & ITF
A 19-year-old British taekwondo athlete died after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.
According to a GoFundMe post, Isabelle Sava had “passed away completely unexpectedly in her sleep”.
Emergency responders apparently “fought desperately to resuscitate her”.
Taekwondo
Sava reportedly dedicated “more than 10 years of her life” to Taekwondo.
In an Instagram post by her club, she attained her 1st Degree Black Belt in 2019 and her 2nd Degree Black Belt in 2021.
In 2022, Sava competed at the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championships in the Netherlands and won a silver medal in sparring in her category.
She also reportedly umpired taekwondo competitions.
“She had become a trusted and valued member of the taekwondo community, giving her time and experience back to a sport that had been such an important part of her life,” the GoFundMe page said.
Law
Sava also intended to pursue law and was preparing for her second year studying it at Queen Mary University of London.
She was apparently “working towards her dream of becoming a commercial lawyer”.
“She was intelligent, ambitious, focused and incredibly determined. She knew where she wanted to go in life, and she was prepared to work hard to get there,” her GoFundMe page added.
As of writing, her GoFundMe post has drawn over £14,512 (S$24,882) in donations.
“The funds raised will contribute towards Isabelle's funeral and memorial expenses, as well as other unexpected costs the family is facing following her sudden passing,” the page said.
