Latest news with #Galicia
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Tragedy as top Spanish bodybuilder collapses and dies aged 37 - days before she was due to compete in Ms Olympia contest
A Spanish female bodybuilder has died aged just 37 after suffering a suspected heart attack. Lorena Blanco, who was preparing to take part in Ms Olympia in Las Vegas in October, was taken to hospital after collapsing at her home in Lugo in Spain 's north-west Galicia region on Saturday morning. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Lorena, who worked out at a sports club in her native city called the Club Fluvial de Lugo, was trained by her husband Isi Bolanos who is also well-known in the bodybuilding world. She completed in a total of seven shows during the 2024 bodybuilding season after turning pro a year earlier, competing around the world with a best finish last year at the Tahoe Pro where she came fourth. That placing earned Lorena, a Spanish champion in several fitness categories, her qualification to the Ms. Olympia which is regarded the pinnace of female bodybuilding like the Mr Olympia competition for men. She had competed a little over a week ago at the Gomeisa Ultimate Battle Pro in Medellin in Colombia, another event run by the IFBB Professional League which is the governing body for professional bikini and other bodybuilding competitions, where she ranked 12th overall. Her funeral was held yesterday in private with only close friends and family believed to have been in attendance. Canary Islands bodybuilding group Pioneers del Culturismo Canario Español said in a social media tribute: 'We send our most sincere condolences to the friends and family of Lorena Blanco. Rest in peace.' Another strength training organisation wrote online: 'The fitness world mourns a legend. RIP IFBB Pro Lorena Blanco, 1988-2025.' Her death at just 37 also led to comments about the type of training methods she was subjecting herself to. Ail Andy wrote on Facebook: 'These sudden heart attacks happen to a lot of high-performance athletes and almost none of them survive them. 'I think it has to do with the size of their hearts given the amount of exercise and their age.' In June a professional female bodybuilder was beaten to death with a hammer at her rented Costa del Sol home before her muscleman husband killed himself using a knife. Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez, also described locally as an Onlyfans model, was found dead on June 19 after detectives went to the property on an upmarket residential estate in the popular resort of Fuengirola. The body of her partner, 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling, was found in a bathroom with what police described in an initial statement as 'apparent self-inflicted stab wounds.' Zunilda, who called herself Amy although she also known online as Colombian She-Hulk, had been missing for several days after flying to the Costa del Sol from Dubai where the couple spent much of their time following a competition. The dead woman's relatives described Jarrod after news emerged of her death as 'aggressive' and said they believe he could have lashed out after she told him she wanted a divorce. Spanish news website El Espanol reported at the time that as well as being a big name in the professional bodybuilding world, Zunilda also had more than 100,000 followers on Onlyfans and Fansly where it said she sold steamy videos as 'the naughtiest fitness girl.' She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021. Her coach Branden Rey said in an emotional Instagram post beside a photo of her flexing her muscles in a black bikini: 'We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world my friend. 'I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year and I meant it. 'Rest in paradise Amy.' In a second post he added: 'We were so close to the end but the closest person to you ended it too soon. 'Domestic violence should never be taken lightly, because it can leave many with a heavy heart.' In November last year a male bodybuilder died aged just 28 after suffering a heart attack during a punishing training session. Jose Mateus Correia Silva was working out with friends at a gym in Aguas Claras near the Brazilian capital Brasilia when he fell ill. He was rushed to a nearby fire station by a firefighter pal he was with but efforts to revive him lasting more than an hour proved unsuccessful. Jose's heartbroken brother Tiago paid tribute to him in an emotional social media post, writing alongside a photo of the tragic athlete: 'You were incredible. Thank you for so much. I love you.' Insisting his sibling was 'in good shape' and didn't have any health problems he was aware of in an interview with local media, he added: 'Heaven has gained an angel. Jose was a much-loved man.' The dead man had competed, finishing ninth in the Men's Physique Class up to 179cm in the 2018 South American Championships after an eleventh placing a year earlier in the Men's Bodybuilding Class up to 100kg in the Arnold Classic South America. Although he wasn't competing when he died, Jose kept himself busy between training sessions preparing other bodybuilders for competitions and was the owner of an online supplements store. He had also qualified as a lawyer and completed a nutrition course. In September last year a teenage bodybuilder with a 'brilliant future' ahead of him was found dead at his home in Brazil. Matheus Pavlak, 19, had transformed his body in just five years after taking up the gruelling sport to overcome his obesity. The police officer's son was a regular competitor in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina where he lived and last year won an U23 contest to become Mr Blumenau in his home city of the same name. In May last year he finished fourth and sixth in other regional competitions. He was found dead on September 1 at his home after suffering a reported heart attack. In May last year a Majorcan bodybuilder who survived cancer and life-threatening peritonitis died aged 50. Xisco Serra's premature death was attributed locally at the time to natural causes after he suffered stomach problems. The sports science graduate, who started lifting weights as a 16-year-old, began competing three decades ago and went on take part in around 90 contests. His most notable wins on the international stage included Mr World IBFA in Rome in 2011 and Mr Universe IBFA in the 40-plus category in 2014, the same year he was voted overall Musclebeach Champion after competing in Venice, California.
The Sun
a day ago
- Health
- The Sun
Female bodybuilder dies aged 37 after suffering suspected heart attack in training for Ms Olympia in Las Vegas
A SPANISH female bodybuilder has died aged just 37 after suffering a suspected heart attack. Lorena Blanco, who was preparing to take part in Ms Olympia in Las Vegas in October, was taken to hospital after collapsing at her home in Lugo in Spain's north-west Galicia region on Saturday morning. 1 She was rushed to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Lorena, who worked out at a sports club in her native city called the Club Fluvial de Lugo, was trained by her husband Isi Bolanos who is also well-known in the bodybuilding world. She completed in a total of seven shows during the 2024 bodybuilding season after turning pro a year earlier, competing around the world with a best finish last year at the Tahoe Pro where she came fourth. That placing earned Lorena, a Spanish champion in several fitness categories, her qualification to the Ms. Olympia which is regarded the pinnace of female bodybuilding like the Mr Olympia competition for men. She had competed a little over a week ago at the Gomeisa Ultimate Battle Pro in Medellin in Colombia, another event run by the IFBB Professional League which is the governing body for professional bikini and other bodybuilding competitions, where she ranked 12th overall. Her funeral was held yesterday in private with only close friends and family believed to have been in attendance. Canary Islands bodybuilding group Pioneers del Culturismo Canario Español said in a social media tribute: 'We send our most sincere condolences to the friends and family of Lorena Blanco. Rest in peace.' Another strength training organisation wrote online: 'The fitness world mourns a legend. RIP IFBB Pro Lorena Blanco, 1988-2025.' Her death at just 37 also led to comments about the type of training methods she was subjecting herself to. Ail Andy wrote on Facebook: 'These sudden heart attacks happen to a lot of high-performance athletes and almost none of them survive them. 'I think it has to do with the size of their hearts given the amount of exercise and their age.' In June a professional female bodybuilder was beaten to death with a hammer at her rented Costa del Sol home before her muscleman husband killed himself using a knife. Colombian bodybuilding champion Zunilda Hoyos Mendez, also described locally as an Onlyfans model, was found dead on June 19 after detectives went to the property on an upmarket residential estate in the popular resort of Fuengirola. The body of her partner, 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling, was found in a bathroom with what police described in an initial statement as 'apparent self-inflicted stab wounds.' Zunilda, who called herself Amy although she also known online as Colombian She-Hulk, had been missing for several days after flying to the Costa del Sol from Dubai where the couple spent much of their time following a competition. The dead woman's relatives described Jarrod after news emerged of her death as 'aggressive' and said they believe he could have lashed out after she told him she wanted a divorce. Spanish news website El Espanol reported at the time that as well as being a big name in the professional bodybuilding world, Zunilda also had more than 100,000 followers on Onlyfans and Fansly where it said she sold steamy videos as 'the naughtiest fitness girl.' She finished second in the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021. 'Rest in paradise' Her coach Branden Rey said in an emotional Instagram post beside a photo of her flexing her muscles in a black bikini: 'We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world my friend. 'I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year and I meant it. Rest in paradise Amy.' In a second post he added: 'We were so close to the end but the closest person to you ended it too soon. 'Domestic violence should never be taken lightly, because it can leave many with a heavy heart.' In November last year a male bodybuilder died aged just 28 after suffering a heart attack during a punishing training session. Jose Mateus Correia Silva was working out with friends at a gym in Aguas Claras near the Brazilian capital Brasilia when he fell ill. He was rushed to a nearby fire station by a firefighter pal he was with but efforts to revive him lasting more than an hour proved unsuccessful. Jose's heartbroken brother Tiago paid tribute to him in an emotional social media post, writing alongside a photo of the tragic athlete: 'You were incredible. Thank you for so much. I love you.' The fitness world mourns a legend. RIP IFBB Pro Lorena Blanco, 1988-2025.' Insisting his sibling was 'in good shape' and didn't have any health problems he was aware of in an interview with local media, he added: 'Heaven has gained an angel. Jose was a much-loved man.' The dead man had competed, finishing ninth in the Men's Physique Class up to 179cm in the 2018 South American Championships after an eleventh placing a year earlier in the Men's Bodybuilding Class up to 100kg in the Arnold Classic South America. Although he wasn't competing when he died, Jose kept himself busy between training sessions preparing other bodybuilders for competitions and was the owner of an online supplements store. He had also qualified as a lawyer and completed a nutrition course. In September last year a teenage bodybuilder with a 'brilliant future' ahead of him was found dead at his home in Brazil. Matheus Pavlak, 19, had transformed his body in just five years after taking up the gruelling sport to overcome his obesity. The police officer's son was a regular competitor in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina where he lived and last year won an U23 contest to become Mr Blumenau in his home city of the same name. In May last year he finished fourth and sixth in other regional competitions. He was found dead on September 1 at his home after suffering a reported heart attack. In May last year a Majorcan bodybuilder who survived cancer and life-threatening peritonitis died aged 50. Xisco Serra's premature death was attributed locally at the time to natural causes after he suffered stomach problems. The sports science graduate, who started lifting weights as a 16-year-old, began competing three decades ago and went on take part in around 90 contests. His most notable wins on the international stage included Mr World IBFA in Rome in 2011 and Mr Universe IBFA in the 40-plus category in 2014, the same year he was voted overall Musclebeach Champion after competing in Venice, California.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bayern Munich attacker nears La Liga transfer after playing just seven games for Bundesliga champions
Celta agree loan with buy obligation Winger impressed on loan at Osasuna Ends miserable spell in Bavaria Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 WHAT HAPPENED? According to Sky Sport, Zaragoza is set to leave Bayern 18 months after initially joining from Granada, with Celta reaching a full agreement for a loan deal that includes a purchase obligation. The €13 million (£11m/$15m) clause will be triggered if Zaragoza plays a set number of games and Celta finish between 11th and 13th in La Liga. The Galicians will only cover part of his €2m annual salary during the loan spell. THE BIGGER PICTURE The 23-year-old Spanish international, whose Bayern contract runs until 2029, managed just seven appearances for Bayern before being loaned out to Osasuna, where he reignited his form. Now, with Bayern open to letting him go, and focusing on the potential arrival of Luis Diaz, the Spaniard's switch back to La Liga represents a reset. For Celta, who have qualified for the Europa League and lost key attacking options this summer, Zaragoza could be a statement signing to kickstart their 2025-26 rebuild. TELL ME MORE Zaragoza's deal with Celta had already been agreed in principle in June, but agent changes delayed confirmation of the move. Bayern's stance changed during the Club World Cup, when sporting director Max Eberl made it clear the club would allow Zaragoza to leave. Celta's strategy is to avoid financial overcommitment, they originally preferred a non-mandatory clause but eventually accepted Bayern's terms. The move aligns with Bayern's attacking reshuffle, as the German champions prepare to bring in Liverpool's Luis Diaz and offload surplus options. WHAT NEXT FOR BRYAN ZARAGOZA? A return to Spain could be the career restart Zaragoza needs. Celta Vigo are expected to offer Zaragoza consistent first-team opportunities, and his recent loan spell suggests he can make an impact at La Liga level. If he meets the clause requirements, his stay could become permanent for €13m.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mel C, 51, shows off her incredible figure in a black skimpy bikini as she soaks up the sun on holiday
Mel C showcased her incredible figure in a skimpy black bikini as she shared stunning Instagram snaps on Friday. The Spice Girl, 51, put on a loved-up display with her boyfriend Chris Dingwall as they enjoyed a romantic holiday together. The singer and DJ looked happy and relaxed as she read her book on the sun lounger while soaking up the sun. Mel, known for hits including Wannabe and Viva Forever, kept herself cool by wearing her hair up in a bun. Living her best life, Mel larked around the crystal blue waters of a location fans believe to be Galicia - an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. The star also shared snaps of herself looking lovingly into the eyes of her Australian model boyfriend, Chris, believed to be in his 40s, who she went official with at last year's Glastonbury. The pair are reported to have begun a romance after the iconic nineties singer's relationship with her producer ex Joe Marshall came to an end in 2022. While it is not known exactly how the couple met, Mel was using the mainstream dating app Hinge prior to finding love. The snaps come after Mel C recently opened up about the rumoured Spice Girls reunion tour. She revealed that one member still 'needs more convincing' to take to the stage. It was revealed earlier this year that the iconic girl group would be reuniting for a possible world tour to celebrate 30 years since the release of the debut single Wannabe. It has already been said that Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham, is '90 per cent out of the running', with the fashion designer, 51, having not joined the girls on stage since the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony. Speaking on the No Filter with Kate Langbroek podcast, Sporty Spice shared: 'Next year is a big year for us and we have to acknowledge it in some way. 'So we are talking about what that's going to look like and for me, Melanie, I know for sure, and Emma [Bunton], we'd be back on stage. 'But sometimes other people need a little bit more convincing.' Amid her revelation that it was Geri Halliwell-Horner that needed convincing. This further adds to recent reports that Ginger Spice is set to meet with Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller in Miami to discuss the plans. The singer, 52, recently remained coy about a possible reunion. She said in an interview last month: 'I love the Spice Girls as a whole movement, the tribe of us, and the individual members.' Meanwhile, discussing the prospect of all five girls being on stage together for the first time since 2012, Mel added: 'It would be the best thing ever, ever, ever. And sometimes it feels like a duty to the world. 'When we did the shows in 2019, it brought so much joy to so many people. Not everybody likes the Spice Girls but loads of people do. 'We're living in this weird world right now. There's so much negativity and mad s**t going on. Let's all spice up our lives.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
What Santiago's many 'Camino' pilgrims often miss
Europe's most famous pilgrimage destination is also one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. Now, the city is keen to show off its artsy side. For the last 1,200 years, the Unesco World Heritage city of Santiago de Compostela has best been known as a pilgrimage destination for devout Catholics. Last year alone, nearly 500,000 faithful hikers set out along the series of well-trodden trails called "the Camino", journeying through the lush wooded hills and river-flecked valleys of Galicia in north-west Spain to reach the city's towering Romanesque years, I'd heard about Santiago's beauty from friends and fellow travellers who had gazed upon its towering church spires and twisting honey-coloured lanes. Yet, one of the great ironies is that many of those who had walked for weeks or even months to get there admitted that once they arrived, they shuffled alongside the masses into the cathedral to see the tomb of St James, slumped into one of the many touristy tapas bars around Rua Franco and then quickly headed home. If they had just taken a few more steps, I'd always wondered, would they have discovered more? I wanted to dig deeper into the city's medieval and more modern heart, but I didn't have the time or energy to trek the demanding trail myself. Fortunately, a high-speed rail route now whisks travellers across the nation to Santiago, giving visitors a blister-free way to explore one of Spain's most stunning – and under-explored – cities. The fast track Though Spain boasts Europe's longest and most-advanced high-speed train network (second in the world only to China's), it wasn't until December 2021 that the nation extended its three-decade-old high-speed Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) network to Santiago. "We're in an isolated corner of Spain," Ana Munín, from the Santiago de Compostela Convention Bureau, tells me. "We get things last." Stepping onto the platform at Madrid's Chamartin station, the white flanks of my streamlined AVE train were adorned with proclamations of its top speed (330km/h) plus a logo indicating that it was powered by 100% renewable energy. According to Munín, the arrival of these high-speed trains has brought an increase of Spanish travellers to Santiago, while simultaneously reducing the number of flights arriving at its small regional airport. "A one-hour flight – it is just wrong," she remarks. As my train leaves Madrid, I watch the seat-back speedometer rise inexorably until, after 20 minutes, I'm cruising serenely along at 300km/h. Arid plains dotted with weathered ochre-coloured villages and clusters of hardy trees scrolls by. Passing the city of Zamora, moorland gives way to sylvan valleys where mountain streams glint below the tracks. The train eases across the wide span of the Miño, Galicia's longest river, as we reach the ancient hot springs town of Ourense. From here, a series of viaducts carry us across hills carpeted by a tight arboreal tapestry, dotted with colourful villages whose facades seem brighter in the clear hill air. Barely more than three hours after leaving Madrid, I step off the train into the heart of Santiago. A new vision Pilgrims approaching Santiago on the Camino's network of trails often describe their first glimpse of the cathedral's ornate spires. Instead, I was struck by the dramatic rollercoaster curves and soaring glass facades of the City of Culture architectural complex, which rises atop Mount Gaiás and overlooks the train station below. Designed by US starchitect Peter Eisenman, this eye-popping, futuristic set of museums, gardens and libraries was designed as a "beacon for pilgrims of knowledge" when its first two buildings opened to the public in 2011. Inside the vast multipurpose cultural space (now known simply as the Gaias Centre Museum), I take in a retrospective of artist Rafael Ubeda before wandering through an exhibition on global tattoo designs and culture at the neighbouring UTESA convention and culture centre. "We have fantastic contemporary architecture, modern art – and the gastronomy scene has just grown and grown," Munín later tells me. As we sit at a communal table sipping Galicia's world-renowned Mencia wine and savouring the region's prized octopus and mackerel at Abastos 2.0, a hip diner attached to the historic food market, I look around and noticed that there doesn't appear to be a single foreign visitor in sight. "Santiago is also very much a university city," adds Munín, revealing that a quarter of the city's 100,000 residents study or work at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, which dates back to 1495. As she explained, this infuses the city with a vibrant, youthful energy, as students and young creatives frequently showcase their work at pop-up arts events – like the exhibition of contemporary photographs I soon stumble upon housed in a 17th-Century church nestled amid the city's medieval core. Santiago's Old Town is a glorious, compact melange of squares and historic porticoed streets that give way to promenade-lined parks like the central Alameda and more secluded Bonaval. Munín explains that in recent years, ancient edifices have been refashioned into atmospheric museums. But unlike the tourist-thronged cathedral, I experience near solitude in every other cultural space I visit – as if the pilgrims don't realise that reflection can be stirred in Santiago's quiet corners, as well as on the trail. Inside the austere granite outlines of CGAC (Galician Centre for Contemporary Art), for example, I see just four other people during my hour spent exploring three floors that include a brilliant exhibition of Galician photographer Mar Caldas. Mere metres from the end of three Camino trails (the French, Northern and Primitivo Ways) on Rua de San Pedro, incoming pilgrims walk right past a showcase by young Galician artists at the tiny Defímeras gallery. After taking it in, I tuck into a luscious Galician bean stew and generous pork loin at the nearby local favourite O Dezaseis. Inside a neighbouring Dominican convent now housing the Museum of the Galician People, there's just one other person absorbing evocative displays of ancient industries, linked via a dazzling Baroque spiral staircase. At Colexio de Fonseca, the university's oldest college, I immerse myself in a contemporary art show beside its leafy Renaissance courtyard while all alone. Ditto at the nearby Fundacion Eugenio Granell, which showcases Surrealist art inside an 18th-Century mansion once believed to be Santiago's loveliest. The following day I visit Casa RIA, a foundation opened in 2023 by famed British architect David Chipperfield which aims to promote sustainable development in the area. As well as displaying exhibitions on topics like Galician food markets, there's a stylish in-house cantina whose affordable daily menus include produce from the foundation's allotment in its tranquil rear garden. "We've welcomed academics from Shanghai's Tongji University and MIT, but also a few people every day visiting the exhibition or stopping by the canteen," Casa RIA's director, Inés Piñeiro Ozores, tells me. Interestingly, she adds, very few of their visitors are pilgrims. Back at the city's main square, the vast Praza do Obradoiro, I watch the melee of faithful mill around the cathedral. Suddenly, the sound of Galician bagpipes draws me around a corner to discover a piper named Fernando Hernandez playing alone in an ancient archway as a flow of people go by without pausing. He happily tells me about the link between Galician pipes and those of Scotland, Ireland and Brittany before lamenting Santiago's pilgrim hordes. "The Camino has just become a walk for too many people – companies now even carry their bags each day!" he says, before returning to his pipes. More like this:• St James Way: The return of the UK's medieval highway• The Lighthouse Way: Walking Spain's 'other' camino• A 77km hike that could inspire miracles As a record-number of pilgrims have descended on Santiago three years in a row, the city has started pushing back against the negative aspects of overtourism that have prompted fierce protests in other Spanish destinations like Barcelona and the Canary Islands. In Santiago, these include a surge in short-term rentals that push out locals, an influx of souvenir shops selling cheaply manufactured wares and bad tourist behaviour such as pitching tents near the cathedral. In addition to local campaigns such as Compostela Resists, in 2024 the city launched a "Fragile Santiago" campaign to encourage visitors to engage differently. The hope is that visitors seek out handmade local crafts, savour traditional Galician cuisine and take time to discover the city's cultural – and not just religious – heritage. "Every month, Santiago has some sort of arts festival," says Flavia Ramil, director of the city's tourist office, adding a note on their affordability, with tickets starting at just a few euros. "Now, we are seeing more tourists from places like Japan, the US and UK who are very interested in the culture of the city," she says happily. Amen to that. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
