Jodi Vance, a 20-year-old bodybuilder in the US, has died after suffering a fatal heart attack while attending a sports festival. In a social media post, Ms Vance’s family said that her death was “sudden and unexpected”. “Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration. Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive her,” the statement read. “She was a beautiful person inside and out, and she will be missed every single day,” the family said as they asked for “time to process this loss in peace”. 

Ms Vance was attending the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio. She was not competing, but was in attendance to help coach her pupils, as per the New York Post. She reportedly began feeling sick after attending the competition and was eventually transported to a local hospital, where she was declared dead. 

“If anyone takes anything from this, please put your heath first,” Ms Vance’s family wrote on Instagram. 

Ms Vance’s trainer, Justin Mihaly, provided additional details in a video posted on Instagram. In the caption, Mr Mihaly noted that Ms Vance’s mother had approved to share the information publicly. He explained that the 20-year-old made a “significant error that should not be taken lightly” and suspected that she was taking “dangerous” substances without his knowledge that led to her dehydration. 

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“Jodi used two extremely hazardous substances to improve her physique – I assume just for the Arnold Expo – without my knowledge, my approval, without family’s knowledge, their approval … There is no reason that she should have been dehydrating,” Mr Mihaly said. 

The trainer further added that Ms Vance’s “health had become quite concerning”. “Many people who loved Jodi tried to get her to pull off the gas pedal a bit,” he added. “Her work ethic was actually second to nobody. It was so hard getting her to pull back,” he said, noting that Ms Vance’s vitals at the time of her death suggested that she had taken a substance that he had warned her would be dangerous. 

Jodi Vance secured the third position in the Women’s Physique division of the 2024 NPC Battle of Texas. She regularly posted pictures of her physique, motivational thoughts and quotes on Instagram. She had over 8,000 followers on the social media platform.