Bodybuilder Jodi Vance died last week after her heart gave out, according to a statement from her family and loved ones.
Vance, who was also a coach, was in Ohio attending the Arnold Sports Festival when she died, it reported. She began to feel sick and was taken to a hospital.
“Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration,” the statement from her family read. “Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive her.”
The circumstances are not known. Her family said her death was "sudden and unexpected."
“She was a beautiful person inside and out and she will be missed every single day,” her family said.
Vance’s loved ones encouraged others hearing about her death to prioritize their health.
Justin Mihaly, who was Vance's coach, said she was taking two "extremely hazardous" substances to improve her physique, without his knowledge or her family's.
"Recently, her health had become quite concerning and now we know why, now we have the answers," Mihaly said in a video on Instagram. "Many people who loved Jodi, including myself, tried to get her to pull off the gas pedal a bit, and anyone who knows Jodi knows how challenging that would be."
In another video, Mihaly spoke about the dangers of taking diuretics and said bodybuilding would be better off without them.
Diuretics, also known as water pills, are a class of drugs that increase urine production and help the body get rid of excess fluid and salt. They are used to treat high blood pressure, edema and heart failure.
The fitness supplement company Eminent Nutrition, whom Vance represented as an athlete, honored her on Instagram as "an amazing, unique, and beautiful soul."
"One of our favorite memories is watching the passion and love Jodi poured into others," the post read. "Jodi's contagious energy and love was something we can all cherish and remember."
