Celebrity fitness trainer Amanda ‘Mandy’ Blank was found dead at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 42.
Blank was found unresponsive at her Los Angeles home on Monday, the Los Angeles County Coroner told The New York Daily News. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the fitness trainer and body builder’s housekeeper called 911 after she discovered Blank in the bathtub on Oct. 29.
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A cause of death has not yet been determined, though foul play isn’t suspected “at this time” and no drugs or alcohol were found at the scene. An autopsy and toxicology screening has been scheduled.
“I’m absolutely shocked, for sure,” fitness personality Annette Milbers told the Daily News. “We messaged last week. She always made other people feel great, and she had reached out to me because I competed. She said how proud she was.”
“She was such a passionate, kind person. Her purpose was always to express love through body movement,” Milbers added. “She was a very unpretentious person, which can be rare in our industry. She was all about connecting with people on whatever level they were on.”
Blank began her fitness career at the age of 18, placing fifth in the body building competition World Fitness Olympia. After only a single year of competition, she received her professional status and became the youngest competitor ever to win the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) World Championships, beating Kelly Ryan in 1999. That same year, she became fifth in the World Arnold Classic.
Blank went on to appear in a number of women’s fitness and bodybuilding magazines, including Oxygen Magazine, Glutes Magazine, and Muscle & Fitness Magazine.
She has worked with celebrities such as Alex Rodriguez, Mickey Rourke, Marcus Allen, Michelle Monaghan, and Jordana Brewster. Blank also worked with people across Los Angeles, creating Mandy Blank Fitness.
“I train everybody regardless of gender, age, shape or size. You’re never too old or too young to get started on your fitness and nutrition journey,” she wrote on her website. “Depending on your goals and condition. I give every customer/client a different formula according to what you need and want to accomplish through your journey with me.”
In addition to her work as a celebrity trainer and body builder, Blank had a competitive edge from an early age. Prior to her start in bodybuilding, she competed in a number of gymnastics competitions. At the age of 17, she was named the Majorette Queen of America title, which is the highest honor that a baton twirler can receive.
