An internationally known bodybuilder and celebrity fitness coach has died suddenly after suffering a medical emergency during a workout, leaving his wife and three daughters devastated.
Einar Méndez, a Mexico-based bodybuilder who trained high-profile clients, died Friday, Sept. 4, in Mexico City after collapsing while doing what his family said he loved most — working out.
His wife of 30 years, Yan, announced the heartbreaking news on his Instagram account, saying the family was still struggling to comprehend his sudden death.
“Rest in peace, love of my life. Fly to the highest heights, and I promise we will meet again,” she wrote.
“We are all still in shock. He left suddenly, at the gym, doing what he loved most: working out.”
Yan described her husband as “strong, resilient, kind,” adding that everyone who knew Méndez understood the kind of person he was.
Reports have described the medical emergency as a sudden heart attack, although an official cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed.
Méndez had built an impressive career in the fitness world, describing himself as both a national and international bodybuilding champion.
He had also amassed nearly 47,000 followers online and worked with a number of clients, including Mexico-based Nicaraguan television personality Martha Debayle.
Debayle said Méndez collapsed during his workout and paid an emotional tribute to the trainer following his death.
“Before he was a coach, Einar was Yan’s husband, his wife for 30 years, a father to his three daughters,” she said. “And that’s where today it becomes impossible to measure this loss.”
Debayle said thinking about the pain Méndez’s wife and daughters are experiencing “breaks my heart.”
“Because no matter how much you try to find an explanation for them, there are things that just don’t have it,” she added.
Méndez was more than simply Debayle’s personal trainer. She said he had helped countless other people through her “Sumer Body” fitness program, pushing participants to work harder than they thought possible.
“Einar was my coach, but he was also the coach of so many of you in ‘Sumer Body,’” Debayle said, recalling how he pushed people, made them laugh and helped them discover that they were capable of doing more.
The timing of Méndez’s death made the tragedy even more painful.
According to Debayle, he had been looking forward to several future plans in the United States. He intended to see the Miami Dolphins and was preparing to visit New York City for the first time.
He was also planning to continue the career that had made him such an influential figure to his clients — “training, scolding and demanding” that they give their best.
Instead, his sudden death has left his family, friends and fitness community mourning a man they described as a devoted husband, father and coach.
Méndez leaves behind Yan and their three daughters.