Fitness influencer and bodybuilding champion dies ‘unexpectedly’ at 37
Hayley McNeff, an American bodybuilder who won multiple state championships and was featured in a documentary, died at her home.
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Former bodybuilding champion Hayley McNeff died last Friday at the age of 37 in an “unexpected” shock to those that knew her.
An obituary published on Boston.com on Tuesday described her death as “unexpected but peaceful” while her family confirmed to People that she died at her home in Sudbury, Mass.
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“Hayley was like a beam of light in this world. She had boundless energy and was very determined to achieve whatever she set out to do,” Hayley’s father, Dave, told People in a statement. “She set her sights on bodybuilding and fitness and achieved the highest success that sector offered. She loved us and we love Hayley very much, we miss her madly.”
Per the obituary, McNeff graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an accomplished bodybuilder in the 2000s, capturing state titles in both Maryland and Delaware.
“A lifelong athlete, she excelled as an accomplished equestrian, a talented board diver and skier as a youth and young adult,” the obituary reads.
McNeff also was featured in Raising the Bar, a 2005 documentary described as ” one of the first of a new wave of realistic and honest bodybuilding documentaries.”
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“The quest for getting huge will never end,” McNeff said in the documentary. “There’s no limit. I hope there’s a day that I’ll be able to look in the mirror 100% of the time and be like, ‘Yeah man, I’m huge.’”
McNeff pursued a graduate degree in psychology after retiring from the sport, but remained interested in fitness.
Her Instagram bio described her as a “nationally ranked bodybuilder, nutritionist and life coach.”
“She had a gift for making those around her laugh and feel welcomed,” the obituary reads. “Her energy and determination was a constant in her life and she always accomplished what she set out to achieve. She treasured her friendships and nurtured strong, lasting relationships with those who knew her best. Hayley will be deeply missed by her parents, siblings, extended family, and friends.”
A service for McNeff is set to be held on Saturday, and her family has asked attendees to make a donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in her honour.
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