Texas bodybuilder and coach Jodi Vance died last week while attending a sports festival in Ohio after severe dehydration led to a heart attack, her family said.
She was 20.
“Jodi passed away yesterday afternoon,” her family wrote on Vance’s Instagram account. “Her heart stopped due to complications of severe dehydration. Despite all efforts by the hospital, they were unable to revive her.”
Vance, of Amarillo, Texas, was attending the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus when she began feeling sick, TMZ reported. Paramedics rushed her from the Sonesta Columbus Downtown hotel to Grant Medical Center, the Franklin County Coroner’s Office told The Columbus Dispatch. She was pronounced dead at 12:51 p.m. Thursday, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Her coach, Justin Mihaly, implied in an Instagram reel on Sunday that Vance may have been using potentially dangerous substances, though she had not competed for months and was weeks away from her next competition.
“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,” Mihaly said, noting that he had spoken to her family before making his statement.
“Her work ethic was actually second to nobody,” he said, to the extent that both he and her loved ones had been urging her to “pull off the gas pedal a bit” as some health-related issues had “become quite concerning.”
A high potassium level found in her blood indicated she was using a “potassium-sparing diuretic” in conjunction with another drug, which turned out to be a fatal combo, he said. He added that details would continue to come to light and would be released “when appropriate.”
Vance’s family asked for privacy as they pick up the pieces.
“She was a beautiful person inside and out and she will be missed every single day,” her family said. “This was sudden and unexpected. Please give her family time to process this loss in peace. If anyone takes anything from this, please put your heath first.”
