A teenage bodybuilder has been found dead in his home following an apparent cardiac incident, according to Globo and multiple other outlets.
Matheus Pavlak, 19, was found on Sunday at his home in Blumenau, Brazil, after suffering a heart attack, according to the Military Fire Department. His death has left the bodybuilding community reeling as they mourn the “determined, funny, and friendly” athlete who entered the sport just five years ago, at the age of 14, to combat his struggle with obesity.
Matheus Hennings, 20, told Globo that his late friend “beat his own mind” in regard to his weight struggles. “He always went out of his way to make things happen,” Hennings said.
After he graduated high school in 2022, Pavlak looked towards a career in bodybuilding. "He started training harder in 2019 due to obesity. In 2022, when we met, we aligned our training and started aiming for the championship," said his former coach, Lucas Chegatti, who worked with Pavlak until 2023 when he won the U23 competition.
"We had a very strong friendship,” explained Hennings, who met Pavlak in the sixth grade. “His parents and family have always been and are very dear to me, they treat me like his brother. And that's how I considered him too, a brother from another mother."
"I still can't believe that this happened to him so quickly and so early,” he continued. “I didn't expect to lose such a young friend.”
Authorities haven’t released any further details regarding the circumstances surrounding Pavlak’s death. On Monday, he was laid to rest in a private ceremony in Blumenau. That evening, Chegatti took to Instagram to honor his late student.
“Today ends in a sad day,” the translated statement reads. “The loss of a great friend, a spectacular boy who leaves us early, a tragedy that took us by surprise. God has his plans, it's hard to understand. I was his first coach and I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to take care of him as a son. May God comfort the family and take care of our boy.”
