Bodybuilder Matheus Pavlak was found dead in his home in Brazil after suffering an apparent heart attack, as per multiple reports, as the bodybuilding community mourns his loss. Pavlak had become an icon in his home country after transforming himself in just five years into a finely-tuned bodybuilder to overcome obesity.
The New York Post reported that Pavlak began bodybuilding in 2019 and regularly competed in competitions in Santa Catarina, a state in the southern part of Brazil, and was named “Mr Blumenau” after he won a U23 competition last year. He also took part and finished in the top 10 in other competitions in the region.
A son of a police officer, Pavlak was described as having a 'brilliant future' but sadly his dreams came to a tragic end as he was found dead on Sunday afternoon after suffering a reported heart attack. "No matter how difficult or impossible your dream is, if you really want it, you will get there," he wrote in a social media post earlier to document his transformation.
'God has his plans but...'
In a touching tribute online, his former trainer Lucas Chegatti shared pictures of his star pupil celebrating one of his competition victories. "Today ends in a sad day with the loss of a great friend, a spectacular boy who leaves us early, a tragedy that took us by surprise. He had a brilliant future ahead of him as a respected athlete," Chegatti wrote.
"God has his plans but it’s hard to understand, I don’t have the words to explain the weight I feel in my heart. I was Matheus’ first coach and I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to have cared for him like a son. I promised him that one day he would beat me and said and done, the first time we competed together against each other, he ended up winning," the coach further wrote.
According to Daily Mail, critics have claimed anabolic steroids as the likely reason behind Pavlak's untimely death. "It's impossible to get that sort of muscle definition aged just 19. If anyone is to blame here it's the person who prescribed this torrent of steroids," said one user on Instagram.
Bodybuilder deaths
Pavlak's death is the latest in a string of high-profile tragedies involving bodybuilders. In May, Majorcan bodybuilder Xisco Serra, who survived cancer and life-threatening peritonitis, died aged 50. A sports science graduate, Serra started lifting weights from the age of 16 and participated in at least 90 contests.
Prior to that, Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness instructor Jonas Filho died at the age of 29 in April, losing a battle against COVID-19. Just days before, Marco Luis, a prominent bodybuilder and coach from Portugal died, but the cause of his death was not revealed.
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