Bodybuilder dies from heart attack in the middle of competition hours after writing tragic Instagram post

Brazilian Antônio Leso Brás de Souza, aged 26, collapsed earlier this month while performing during a bodybuilding contest. Doctors rushed to his aid at the scene but he could not be saved.

His wife, Yone Farias, and others, later confirmed a heart attack was the cause of his sudden and untimely death.

Shortly before the competition, which took place in São Paulo on Saturday (August 3), De Souza shared a video of him on social media where he told his fans he hoped for things to go well during the contest. He said: "All right, folks, off to the weigh-in. God willing, everything will go well. We’re lean, right? I think you can tell from my face."

Just hours later, the fitness guru was dead. His body will be flown back to his home city of Manaus later today (Tuesday August 6) for so that his funeral and burial can take place.

Farias posted a video of her late husband grinning and flexing for the camera to her own social media, and wrote a tribute to him alongside it. She said: "This is how I will remember you, my love. Rest in peace. Although life has ended, my love for you will last forever. Your departure has left a void, but your memory will stay with me always."

De Souza had more than 9,000 followers on Instagram. He was known for sharing videos of his intense workouts, photos showing off his extremely toned physique, and also videos of his wife. According to his bio, he had won several bodybuilding trophies between 2020 and 2022.