'Inspirational' bodybuilding champion dies suddenly at age 36, just days before major fitness competition

Bodybuilder Cintia Goldani who has died at the age of 36. Photo by Instagram/cintiagoldanipro.Bodybuilder Cintia Goldani who has died at the age of 36. Photo by Instagram/cintiagoldanipro.
Bodybuilder Cintia Goldani who has died at the age of 36. Photo by Instagram/cintiagoldanipro. | Instagram/cintiagoldanipro
An ‘enlightened’ bodybuilding champion has died suddenly - just days before she was due to take part in a major competition.

Cintia Goldani, from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, reportedly died due to complications of a blood clot. She was just 36. Local media reports state that the fitness guru was rushed to hospital for treatment, but she could not be saved.

She died on Wednesday (June 26), and her untimely passing was announced by to Musclecontest International, the company organising the event she was due to take part in, in July. Goldani, who had more than 24,000 Instagram followers on her account @cintiagoldanipro, had only been a professional bodybuilder for three years and was going to take part in one of Brazil's biggest bodybuilding events.

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A pulmonary embolism can be caused by weightlifting and heavy exercise but the organisers of the contest said that, in Cintia's case, it was actually caused by a complications which stemmed from pneumonia.

In her final Instagram post, which was uploaded on Monday June 17, she said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." The video showed her carrying out some exercises, presumably in preparation for the contest.

Musclecontest International said in a statement on Instagram: "With great pain and sadness, we hereby inform you of the death of Professional Figure Athlete Cintia Goldani due to complications from pneumonia. Cintia was an angel in human form. God needed reinforcement in heaven. She will never be forgotten by the MuscleContest family. Cintia was the presenter of the Figure category on our channel."

Within a year of taking up bodybuilding in 2021, Goldani was competing at national level, even though it usually takes people a few years to reach that level of expertise.

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Many fans took to Goldani’s Instagram page to leave their tributes to her. One said: “Pneumonia at 36 taking a life supposedly said by society that was healthy, too difficult. May God give strength to the family, and a great loss.” Another said: “Rest in peace... You will always be an inspiration”. A third said: “My condolences to the family, she was an enlightened person and inspired many people.”

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