Rosario Monachino
Popular fitness influencer Raechelle Chase has tragically died aged 41.
The mum-of-five, from New Zealand, competed in bodybuilding and was the first woman from the country to have taken part in the Figure Olympia bodybuilding event back in 2011 in Las Vegas.
She would share inspirational posts on fitness, as well as being a single mother to her 1.4 million followers on Facebook.
Sadly, one of Chase’s children has shared that she has passed away.
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Her eldest daughter, Anna, posted on Facebook: “She was supportive, kind-hearted and always had the best advice for us.
“She was a wildly driven woman with ambition and has inspired millions of people around the world.
“I miss her immensely and that love won’t ever fade.”
Chase’s cause of death is yet to be confirmed. Her death is under investigation by the New Zealand Coroner.
“Given the recent nature of the death, no further information is available at this stage,” the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said, via Stuff.
The outlet also mentions a tribute from Chase’s friend, Keith O’Connell, who said that her death was ‘sudden and unexpected’, while describing the influencer as one of the ‘kindest souls’ he knew.
He adds: “Not going to lie, very few things in my life hit me as hard as your passing. You had so much left to live. So much love to give. You were, still are, and always will be one of the kindest beautiful souls I will ever have experienced.”
Chase began competing in bodybuilding competitions at a young age and appeared on the cover of numerous fitness magazines – most recently, she shared pictures on social media of an upcoming shoot for Oxygen magazine.
The influencer was married to her husband Chris Chase for 14 years, until their separation in February 2015, and had five children together.
Her ex-husband was arrested in 2012 and would be imprisoned for 10 years for his involvement in a $50 million drug dealing around New Zealand, as per the New Zealand Herald.
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In an article Chase wrote in 2016 for Stuff, she gave details about leaving a ‘toxic’ relationship she found herself in after separating from Chris.
She penned: “The relationship I was in taught me many things about what I don’t want, and what I need to steer very clear of. It wasn’t just me that suffered, it was my entire family.
“So if you know you are in an abusive relationship and you don’t have the courage to leave, do it for your children.
“Grab hold of whatever you need long enough to survive crawling out of that hole because I promise you it will be worth it.”
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