Girl dies on cross-country run

'Delightful girl': Rianna Wingett may have had an undiagnosed heart condition. She collapsed during a race at her school in Hornchurch
12 April 2012

A girl has died after collapsing in a cross-country running race a day before her 12th birthday.

Rianna Wingett had been leading the race at Abbs Cross School in Hornchurch, Essex. It is thought she may have suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition,

PE teacher Claire Pilling, 36, fought to revive the child as her classmates looked on. Rianna, who started at the school in September, was taken to Queens Hospital, Romford but was pronounced dead.

Children who were at the scene have written on a Facebook site that the young athlete cried "Oh God, I feel like I'm going to die, I love you all" before falling unconscious.

Her father John, 49, of Hornchurch, is a governor at Abbs Cross School and her older sister Sarah, 14, is a Year 10 pupil at the 840-pupil school.

Rianna may have suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a leading cause of sudden death in young athletes.

Headteacher Glenn Mayoh said: "It has come as a great shock. Rianna was a delightful girl. She was helpful, hard-working and enthusiastic.

"This tragic event will be felt very deeply by the whole school community. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her family."

Mr Mayoh has sent a letter to parents telling them of the tragedy. Pupils are being offered counselling.

More than 1,000 people have joined three Facebook pages set up in memory of Rianna, leaving hundreds of messages of support.

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