Popular Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness influencer Alana Paiva has died following a freak motorcycle crash in Rio de Janeiro. She was 21 years old.
The horrific accident occurred on October 12 while Paiva was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend, a retired military officer named Uilblim Do Espírito Santo, local media reported.
They were reportedly driving in the Campo Grande neighborhood when a van reportedly made an illegal turn at an intersection, hitting the couple head-on, and ripping the motorbike’s handlebars off, Jam Press reported.
Following the collision, the van’s driver sped away without providing assistance. Police are currently investigating the incident.
While Santo was initially lucid and able to talk to first responders, he died just four hours later after being taken to the hospital.
Paiva was also transported to the emergency room in critical condition, whereupon medics intubated the patient and placed her into a medically induced coma.
A glimmer of hope seemed to come when, on Oct.17, the musclewoman’s aunt Laísse Paiva, uploaded a post on her Instagram stories, in which she claimed her niece’s condition was improving.
“They say that prayer cannot be thanked, but I am here to thank you for the immense affection for our dear and the great chain of support that formed around her healing. She continues to fight for her life,” the hopeful relative wrote, per local media. “We decided to share the news based on what we received. We can’t delve into details, but Alana is our miracle. The most important thing is to know that she is evolving, receiving the necessary care and, even though it is a gradual process, we cannot lose faith.”
Unfortunately, despite the medics’ best efforts, Paiva passed away, ten days after the accident. She was interred Monday at the Jardim da Saudade de Paciência Cemetery.
Prior to her death, the fitness influencer had amassed thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, where she uploaded workout clips and footage from her various victories in bodybuilding and fitness competitions.
She described bodybuilding as a “wonderful sport, which is not just about winning, but about maintaining discipline every day to surpass yourself each time you step on the stage.”