Athletes and fans of professional bodybuilding are saddened and shocked by the unexpected death of IFBB Pro League Women’s Physique competitor Kristyn Lia, who passed away at the age of 39. Her exact time of death and cause of death have yet to be officially confirmed at the time of this article’s publication.
News of Lia’s death spread on social media before being confirmed by multiple sources. She reportedly moved from Australia to the United States with hopes of thriving in her professional bodybuilding career. According to NPC News Online, Lia earned her IFBB pro card at the 2021 NPC Worldwide Australia Season A Pro Qualifier. She began her pro career in 2022 at the Pittsburgh Pro, where she placed 13th overall. She followed that with an eighth-place rank at the 2022 New York Pro.
After an extended offseason, Lia made her return to the stage at the 2023 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro to an impressive third-place finish. Amy McKown won that competition.
Lia competed one week later at the 2023 Chicago Pro and ranked 11th overall. She competed twice in August 2023: taking ninth place in the 2023 Tampa Pro, ranking outside the top 15 in her final contest, the 2023 Texas Pro.
Lia shared training clips from MI40 gym in Tampa, FL, with her 20,000 followers on Instagram, before her passing, but it’s was unclear if she intended to compete in 2024.
Kristyn Lia Bodybuilding Career, Women’s Physique
The summary of Lia’s pro career is below:
2022
- Pittsburgh Pro — 13th place
- New York Pro — 8th place
2023
- Atlanta Pro — 3rd place
- Chicago Pro — 11th place
- Tampa Pro — 9th place
- Texas Pro — 16th place
Away from the stage, Lia worked as a trainer and coach. Among those expressing condolences were fellow pros and Women’s Physique Olympia champions Sarah Villegas and Natalia Abraham Coelho, as well as women’s bodybuilder Theresa Ivancik.
There is no word on formal funeral arrangements or memorial services as of this writing. BarBend will share more information regarding Lia’s passing as it becomes available.
Featured Image: @krissy_with_gunz_ifbbpro on Instagram
