Brazilian fitness influencer dies during Ironman triathlon in Texas

A fitness influencer from Brazil drowned while competing in an Ironman triathlon in Texas, according to local investigators. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the participant drowned Saturday during the swimming portion of the event in Lake Woodlands, located about 30 miles north of Houston . Now, the athlete has been identified as Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, a 38-year-old from Brazil, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed to The Independent .

The Houston Chronicle described Araujo as an influencer who shared fitness content on her Instagram page , where she had more than 62,000 followers. Araujo’s partner said she was a “dedicated, strong, kind, and a fantastic athlete,” according to local outlet KHOU 11 . “The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office can confirm that a participant in today’s Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands has drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,” the agency said in a statement .

Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, 38, drowned during a triathlon in Texas over the weekend, according to local investigators (Instagram) “The Woodlands Fire Department completed the rescue in Lake Woodlands near North Shore Park. Once it was determined the participant was deceased, The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office began their investigation into this drowning per normal protocols,” the statement continued. Rescue crews first received reports of a “lost swimmer” around 7:30 a.

m. local time Saturday, Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck told Click2Houston . “We already had a rescue boat on the scene; they were out as part of the racecraft working the event.