On Jan. 28, Tyler Sabapathy, an 18-year-old Temple student and Toronto native, tragically passed after suffering critical injuries during the Eagles NFC Championship celebration.
Sabapathy was a cherished member of the Temple community. As expressed by those around him, he was a kind, hard-working student-athlete deeply loved by friends, family and coaches.
“Thank you for making me a better person and for the positive ripple effect you have left on the TUMG program,” wrote Jesse Kitzen-Abelson, Sabapathy’s gymnastics coach, in a memorial post on social media. “It was an honor to have you on my team.”
Sabapathy was a well-decorated competitive gymnast who won more than 120 medals at local and national gymnastics competitions before his time at Temple. His dedication to his craft and training continued during his time at Temple under the leadership of men’s gymnastics coaches Kitzen-Abelson and Fred Turoff.
“A son, brother, mentor, role model, a motivator, a giver and so much more,” Kitzen-Abelson wrote. “He was a man of character, he never stopped working and never stopped giving.”
On Jan. 28 President John Fry expressed his condolences at the sudden loss in a statement to the Temple community announcing Sabapathy’s passing.
“There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing,” Fry wrote. “Our hearts go out to Tyler’s family, friends, classmates and all who knew and loved him.”
He was inspired to pursue his degree in exercise and sports science from his passion in injury prevention and the Temple community is deeply saddened by the loss of such a unique talent, Fry wrote.
In his time at Temple, Sabapathy touched the life of his teammates and coaches. His driven and passionate energy will be remembered by those who got the chance to spend time around him.
“It was an honor to have you on my team,” Kitzen-Abelson wrote. “Ask me so I can tell you about the strong legacy of Tyler Sabapathy and how his spirit will live on.”
Be the first to comment