Champion bodybuilder Hayley McNeff dies at 37

A well-known bodybuilder has died unexpectedly.

Hayley McNeff, who was known in part for being featured on the “Raising The Bar” documentary in 2016, died on Aug. 8 at the age of 37. An obituary for the Concord, Mass., native described McNeff’s death as “unexpected but peaceful.”

No official cause of death was listed.

“A lifelong athlete, she excelled as an accomplished equestrian, a talented board diver and skier as a youth and young adult. As an adult, she discovered a passion for bodybuilding and was the US Bodybuilding Champion during her career. She later pursued graduate studies in psychology, driven by a desire to better understand and help others,” the obituary for McNeff reads.

McNeff won several bodybuilding championships during the 2000s, including a title at the 2009 East Coast Classic. She spoke in the “Raising the Bar” documentary about how she still had a passion for bodybuilding and was committed to gaining as much muscle as possible.

“The quest for getting huge will never end. There’s no limit,” McNeff said. “I hope there’s a day that I’ll be able to look in the mirror 100 percent of the time and be like ‘yeah man, I’m huge.'”