38-year-old fitness influencer drowns during triathlon

Brazilian triathlete Mara Flavia Araujo drowned during the swimming portion of the Ironman Texas Triathlon on Saturday in The Woodlands, according to media reports.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Facebook that they were investigating the drowning of a participant during the swim portion of the event.

The sheriff’s office confirmed to MassLive that the swimmer was Araujo.

“MCSCO can confirm that Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, 38, of Brazil died while competing in the Ironman event in the Woodlands on Saturday,” the office said. “Preliminary investigations indicate she drowned during the swimming portion of the event.”

The Ironman Texas confirmed the death in a statement on Facebook: “We are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swimming portion of today’s IRONMAN Texas triathlon. We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance.”

During the competition, the event’s website states that athletes must complete a 2.4-mile lake swim before cycling 112 miles and concluding with a 26.2-mile run.

Luis Taveira, a friend of Araujo, told The U.S. Sun that Araujo had health problems.

He said: “She was ill before the trip, she wasn’t okay.

“My wife and I spoke with her to say she was too weak for this race, although a couple of days ago when we talked to her, she insisted she was okay.

“I still cannot believe what’s happened,” Taveira said.

Araujo documented her triathlon experiences on social media and had more than 60,000 followers on Instagram at the time of her death.

The fitness influencer was a journalism graduate and worked in communications on radio and television for a decade before transitioning into a sporting career at age 28, O Dia reported.