Brazilian fitness blogger Mara Flavia Araujo drowned during the swim at Ironman in Texas, the race organizers report. Her body was found only hours after the report of her disappearance.
Fell Ill Before the Swim
The disappearance of 38-year-old Araujo became known around 7:30 AM local time. A rescue boat, part of the race support group, was in the area at the time of the incident. The athlete's body was found at a depth of about 3 meters. Divers brought it to the surface at 9:37 and transported it to shore.
The organizers noted that the water temperature was about 23 degrees Celsius — normal conditions for such a competition. Local authorities have already begun an investigation into the cause of death.
According to friends of Mara, she fell ill before the swim.
“We told her that she was too weak for this race. However, Mara insisted that she felt fine. A decision that cost her her life,” Bild quotes one of the athlete's friends.
As noted by an Ironman volunteer, the tragedy occurred in front of the other participants in the swim.
“They all said the same thing: she went under the water. Right here. Right beneath us. I don’t know how to describe that feeling. I tried diving for her. Again and again. I just knew: if I felt her, I could grab her and pull her up. It didn’t even occur to me that she had been dead for a long time. I just kept searching, as if I was going to pull her out alive,” Bild quotes him.
Mara started doing triathlons in 2019. In 2022, she took third place at the Triatlo Brasilia competition, won GP Brasil twice, and qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship twice.
On social media, Araujo had over 60,000 followers. The Brazilian's content is dedicated to fitness.
Not the First Tragedy in Open Water
Last summer, during the 37th Bosphorus Intercontinental Race, Russian Nikolai Svechnikov went missing. According to eyewitnesses, the 29-year-old swimmer strayed off course about 500-600 meters after the start.
The athlete's disappearance was discovered late — thanks to belongings left in the locker. His body was found only in January 2026, and a DNA test was required to establish his identity.
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