A rising star of the Brazilian bodybuilding world has died at the age of 35, just hours after posting photos of himself preparing for his latest competition.
Mailson Araujo was just days away from taking to the stage when he suffered a medical emergency at his home in Alagoinhas, Brazil, according to reports.
Globo claim that he was preparing for a championship in Curitiba when he collapsed, before his mother – a nursing technician – tried desperately to resuscitate him.
The Fire Department was called – with the family living across the street from the station – and further attempts made to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of Araujo’s death on Friday night has not yet been released, and it has been reported that he was due to compete on Wednesday.
Just hours before his death, the bodybuilder had posted fresh images to his 30,000 followers – whom he regularly updated with diet and workout content.
Mailson Araujo posted this photo of himself just hours before he collapsed and died in Brazil
His mother (pictured) tried to resuscitated him but he was pronounced dead at the scene
Alongside the images, he wrote: ‘In the process, enjoying every day.’
Araujo had reportedly only been a professional athlete for three years before his death, after earning his ‘card’ in 2023 by winning the Arnold Classic South America title in Sao Paulo.
In the past few years, he has enjoyed several top four finishes in competitions, including a third-place at the 2023 Muscleman event.
Tributes quickly poured in from across the bodybuilding world, with Maiki Ono writing that he would be ‘greatly missed’.
Last month, he had paid an emotional tribute to his girlfriend (pictured left) on social media
Araujo was a rising star of Brazilian bodybuilding and had sealed multiple top-four finishes
Fellow Brazilian bodybuilder Lucas Moraes, meanwhile, called him a ‘giant’.
Last month, Araujo had paid tribute to his girlfriend in an emotional Instagram post in which he called her ‘incredible’.
‘Glory to Jesus!,’ he wrote, ‘for setting me apart for you and you for me, my love! He didn’t just unite two people, he united purposes!
‘He heard my prayers and led me to you! You are everything I’ve ever dreamed of!’
