Female bodybuilder, aged 37, collapses and dies of suspected heart attack weeks before big competition
A 37-year-old female bodybuilder has collapsed and died of suspected heart attack, just weeks before she was due to compete in a big competition.
Lorena Blanco, also known as Lorena Blanco Pita, collapsed at her home in Lugo in Galicia, Spain, on Saturday morning (July 26) before being rushed to hospital. But, the fitness star was pronounced dead after arrival.
She had been due to take part in Ms Olympia in Las Vegas in October. Lorena, who was married to fellow bodybuilder Isi Bolanos, trained at a gym in her native city of Club Fluvial de Lugo and became a professional bodybuilder in 2023. Last year, she competed in seven shows and was due to compete in more this year.
During the Tahoe Pro in 2024 she achieved her best finish when she came in fourth. This earned her qualification to Ms Olympia - which is regarded as the pinnacle of female bodybuilding in the way Mr Olympia is for men.
The star had travelled all over the world for the sport, and a few days before her sudden and untimely death she had take part in a competition in Colombia, where she ranked 12th.
Close friends and family members gathered for a small private funeral for Lorena earlier this week. In a social media post, Canary Island bodybuilding group Pioneers del Culturismo Canario Español paid tribute to her. A post on their page reads: "We send our most sincere condolences to the friends and family of Lorena Blanco. Rest in peace."
Lorena is the latest in a list of bodybuilders who have died this year - all of them young and all in tragic circumstances too.
In March, 20-year-old bodybuilder and fitness coach Jodi Vance died at a sports festival after suffering a heart attack brought on my severe dehydration.
Bodybuilder and fitness influencer Christina Bitner died earlier this month, just days after turning 41. Her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
30-year-old bodybuilder Guilherme Henrique, known as Gui Bull, died in May. His cause of death was said to be asphyxiation due to bronchoaspiration, according to his girlfriend. Bronchoaspiration, or aspiration into the lungs, is a serious condition where food, liquid, or other material enters the lungs instead of the digestive tract.
Another 30-year-old, Wanderson Da Silva Moreira, fell ill during a bodybuilding contest in Brazil in May. He collapsed in front of the audience while competing and later died after suffering a cardiac arrest.