TAekwondo WORLD CHAMPION ISABELLE SAVA, 19, DIES SUDDENLY IN HER SLEEP — “HER STORY SHOULD HAVE HAD SO MANY MORE CHAPTERS”

A 19-year-old taekwondo champion and aspiring lawyer has died unexpectedly in her sleep, leaving her family, university and sporting community devastated.

Isabelle Sava died on August 17 after suffering an unexpected cardiac arrest. Emergency ambulance and air ambulance crews attempted to resuscitate her, but she could not be saved, according to a fundraiser established for her parents.

Her family friend described the loss as “completely unexpected.”

No further details about what caused the cardiac arrest have been provided.

A FUTURE LAWYER WITH BIG DREAMS

Isabelle was preparing to begin her second year studying law at Queen Mary University of London.

She was involved in several university societies and also worked as a student blog writer for the Queen Mary Legal Advice Center.

Her ambition was to become a lawyer, and friends described her as intelligent, focused and exceptionally determined.

But academics were only one part of her life.

A CHAMPION ON THE MAT

Isabelle had dedicated more than a decade to taekwondo.

She earned a second-degree black belt and went on to compete internationally.

In 2022, she represented herself at the World Taekwondo Championships in the Netherlands, where she won a silver medal in sparring.

She also served as a Police Cadet and completed the Bronze and Silver levels of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

“SHE WAS THEIR PRIDE AND JOY”

For her parents, Laura and Ovi Sava, Isabelle was their only child.

A family friend described the three as an exceptionally close family, saying Isabelle was her parents’ “pride and joy” and “best friend.”

Those who knew her say her achievements never changed her character.

She was remembered as kind, compassionate, hardworking and humble — someone who continued helping others while pursuing her own ambitions.

A COMMUNITY LEFT HEARTBROKEN

The taekwondo community has also paid tribute.

Trenic TKD described Isabelle as someone who was a pleasure to teach, train alongside and know, saying she would be deeply missed by those who had the privilege of meeting her.

A fundraiser has been established to support her parents with funeral and memorial expenses and the unexpected financial burden following her passing.

But no amount of money can replace what they have lost.

Isabelle was only 19.

She had already achieved so much — and was preparing for a future filled with even more possibilities.

Her family friend summed up the heartbreak by saying Isabelle had “so many plans, so many dreams, so much potential.”

Her story should have had so many more chapters.