Brazilian teenage bodybuilder Matheus Pavlak has reportedly been found dead at the age of 19. The New York Post cited multiple reports that he died on Sunday, Sep. 1, 2024, in his home.
- Early reports cite that Pavlak suffered a heart attack, but no confirmed cause of death was announced at the time of this article’s publication.
Pavlak was a native of Blumenau, Santa Catarina. The success story of his transformation from obese teenager to bodybuilding champion made him a popular athlete in his home country. He competed in Santa Catarina and was named “Mr. Blumenau” by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA) after winning the Under 23 division of the contest in November 2023 at the age of 17.
Pavlak did not compete in the National Physique Committee, the amateur division of the IFBB Pro League. It is unknown if he was preparing for another contest at the time of his passing. The 2024 Mr. Blumenau contest is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
Pavlak’s family has not released a public statement, but his former coach, Lucas Chegatti, remembered him in comments:
“[Pavlak] had a brilliant future ahead of him as a respected athlete,” Chegatti wrote in part. Chegatti shared that Pavlak went on to defeat him in a bodybuilding show after they started working together.
I promised him that one day he would beat me and said and done; the first time we competed against each other, he won.
Funeral arrangements for Pavlak have not been announced as of this writing. The bodybuilding community has been rocked with several tragic deaths throughout 2024, including Daniela Schulz, another Brazilian competitor who died in a plane crash on Aug. 9, 2024, as she was preparing to make her IFBB Pro League debut.
Other bodybuilders who have passed away during the year include Men’s Open pros Kristoffer Berner and Doug Fruchey, NPC bodybuilder Daniel Broadhurst, Figure Pro Cintia Goldani, and Kevin Gebhardt.
Featured Images: @matheus.pavlak and @nabbawffsc on Instagram
