Bodybuilders who died too younger – from steroid cocktail to deadly backflip

A professional bodybuilder’s haunting last Instagram post has resurfaced after his untimely death earlier this week.

Kevin Gebhardt, who was recovering from knee surgery posted a picture of himself sitting in a wheelchair captioned: “Time heals all the breaks!” just days before he was found dead aged 31.

The acclaimed pro joins a long line of famous bodybuilders who have died over the years at a young age, while they appeared to be at the peak of fitness.

READ MORE: Bodybuilding star found dead in his flat aged 31 after ‘knee surgery’

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The rigorous physical strain that athletes subject their bodies to, especially on their heart, frequently leads to severe repercussions in their later years, with numerous instances of heart attacks and similar conditions.

Here are bodybuilders who were taken too soon.

Kevin Gebhardt

Professional bodybuilder Kevin Gebhardt died at the age of just 31, following a reported knee surgery.

Earlier this week, tributes flooded in for the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) star, who was last heard from on social media on April 26, when he revealed he was at home recovering from serious surgery.

He posted a photo on Instagram of himself sitting in a wheelchair with a torn tendon in his knee. He posed with a brace on his right knee and captioned the post: “Time heals all the breaks!”

No official cause of death has been announced, though it is understood he died on Sunday (May 26) and was discovered in his apartment.

Gebhardt began his bodybuilding career as a 14-year-old. He won the EVLS Prague Qualifiers back in 2018, as well as claiming a top 10 finish in various competitions, including the 2021 Yamamoto Cup Pro, 2021 Egypt Pro and the 2021 EVLS Prague Pro. The German was also seen as an up-and-coming coach to younger bodybuilders.

Shaun Davis

Mr Universe winner Shaun “Dinosaur” Davis died in December 2023 aged 57.

Picking up the Mr Universe title in 1996, Davis retired soon after due to ongoing kidney problems. The former Mr Universe received dialysis care three times a week before a kidney transplant in 2009.

Medical experts suggested training for the competition decades ago will have left lingering damages which contributed to his death.

Speculative comments from Dr Chris Raynor suggest Davis’ body was not able to keep up with his rigorous training requirements.

The doctor said: “He has done things in his training that have probably contributed to his death. Because he had used them (performance-enhancing drugs) for some time… his body was not able to produce a normal level on its own.”

Shaun was Mr Universe in 1996. He was also Mr. UK, Mr Britain, Mr Europe and Mr Pro Universe. A cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

Neil Currey

In September 2023, bodybuilder and Mr Olympia star Neil Currey died aged 34.

The UK-born weightlifter’s death was revealed by his former mentor and fellow bodybuilding star Milos Sarcev.

An inquest heard the champ died after taking a lethal coktail of drugs including steroids. His parents said his use of the drug “went off the scale” and by the beginning of 2023, he was “very isolated and depressed” and cut himself off from his family.

They said it was their “firm belief” his steroid abuse impacted his mental health and was responsible for his death.

“Without the use of steroids it is impossible to compete, although this is called ‘cheating’ in any other sport,” they said.

The late star made a name for himself at several high-profile bodybuilding events, eventually winning the 2022 New York Pro competition.

Jo Lindner

In June 2023, the bodybuilding community were left heartbroken following the death of German bodybuilder and fitness influencer Jo Lindner.

The social media sensation, known online as Joesthetics, died suddenly of an aneurysm in his girlfriend’s arms at the age of 30, following neck pain.

Lindner first rose to fame on YouTube by sharing the workout routines he credited with giving him his impressive physique as well as other content relating to his passion.

He spent a brief period of time living in Thailand where he made much of the content that would eventually skyrocket him to stardom.

Paul Poloczek

Polish strongman Paul Poloczek had been competing at the NPC Worldwide Championship in Germany just hours before his death in May 2022.

It remains unclear as to how the 37-year-old passed away.

His death was confirmed in a heartbreaking social media post from his wife, who broke the news on her Instagram page.

She wrote: “Bodybuilding was your life. You are not forgotten, you live on in our hearts. We will love you forever.”

Cedric McMillan

American bodybuilder Cedric McMillan died aged 44 from a suspected cardiac arrest in April 2022.

McMillan, a long-time veteran of the US Army and National Guard, was a veteran bodybuilder and 2017 winner of the prestigious Arnold Classic.

His death was confirmed online by his sponsor, Black Skull USA.

Black Skull USA posted on Instagram and said: “We regret to inform you that our friend and brother @cedricmcmillan passed away today.

“Cedric will be greatly missed as an athlete, comrade, friend and father.”

McMillan became a professional bodybuilder in 2009, before going on to win a string of competitions culminating in the 2017 Arnold Classic, named after bodybuilder, actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

After 2020, however, he was largely unable to compete after being plagued by health problems including a serious bicycle crash, heart problems and Covid-19.

Shawn Rhoden

Mr Olympia Shawn Rhoden died in November 2021 aged just 46.

The bodybuilder posted to his Instagram account multiple times in the hours leading up to his sudden death and his chilling final Instagram post contained an eerie omen in its caption.

Rhoden reportedly died of a heart attack, according to Generation Iron.

But posting to his Instagram feed just three days before he died, the bodybuilding legend wrote: “Brick by brick and patience it will take. See you on the other side. #thechallenge #train #fitness.”

And in his final Insta stories post, Rhoden shared a meme which read: “Be with someone who will take care of you.

“Not materialistically, but takes care of ur soul, ur well being, ur heart & everything that’s you.”

George Peterson

Bodybuilder George Peterson was another bodybuilder taken too young.

He died in November 2021 after being discovered in his hotel room just a day before he was due to take part in a competition in Florida. He was just 37.

His death was reported by bodybuilding website Barbend citing an announcement from the event’s organisers Olympia LLC on Instagram.

Olympia LLC said: “It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of George Peterson, a champion on stage and off.

“Our condolences go out to his family and all who respected and admired one of the kindest men we have ever known.”

An autopsy later revealed he died from sudden cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

John Meadows

John Meadows was a viral bodybuilding star known as the Mountain Dog and was tragically found dead at the age of 49 in August 2021.

With a 30-year-long career, John also had more than 500,000 followers on YouTube where he posted workouts for people to follow.

He died from a blood clot 18 months after suffering a heart attack – a condition common among bodybuilders due to the high pressure they put on their hearts during their careers.

Andy Haman

American bodybuilding icon and actor Andy Haman died in March 2021 at the age of 54.

Nicknamed Mr Incredible, he reportedly died as a result of a pulmonary embolism – a blocked blood vessel in his lungs.

He earned his nickname due to his love of dressing up as the superhero character at events.

During his glittering career, Andy also had a go at acting and featured in movie The Jurassic Dead.

Dallas McCarver

Dallas McCarver died suddenly in August 2017, aged just 26.

McCarver, a former top 10 placer at Mr Olympia and the boyfriend of WWE star Dana Brooke, reportedly died from choking on food, according to Men’s Health.

Brooke is said to have found him unconscious at his home. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Brooke wrote on her Instagram page: “Dallas was an exceptional body builder, but I didn’t see him for that .. I saw him for HIM AND HIS HEART!! He is the best individual I have ever met—my ying to my yang.”

Sifiso Lungelo Thabethe

World champion bodybuilder Sifiso Lungelo Thabethe tragically died after performing his signature backflip in front of a horrified crowd during a warm up.

The 23-year-old passed away a few days after he landed on his head while carrying out the stunt during a contest in South Africa.

It was reported that the 75kg muscle man didn’t rotate his body far enough, which led to him snapping his neck back in August 2017.

He struggled to flip his body and was filmed lying motionless before rolling onto his back.

Rich Piana

Celebrity US bodybuilder Rich Piana died back in August 2017 after collapsing at his home.

The 46-year-old’s estranged wife Sarah broke the devastating news on Instagram.

She wrote: “I’m in tears writing this that @1dayumay has just passed away. I can barely believe this… I am so saddened & heartbroken that he didn’t make it.

“I just want to say THANK YOU Rich for teaching me so much about life, whether it was the easy or the hard way.”

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