A young athlete and influencer has died while competing in a gruelling triathlon event on the weekend.<\/p>\n
Mara Flavia Araujo, 38, vanished during the swimming leg of the Memorial Hermann Ironman event outside of Houston Texas on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The Brazilian national\u2019s body was later found by emergency dive crews who spent several hours searching the murky waters of Lake Woodlands.<\/p>\n
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By continuing you agree to our Terms<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rigorous Ironman event consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run.<\/p>\n Event organisers confirmed Ms Araujo\u2019s death in a statement posted to the Ironman in Texas Facebook page.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swim portion of today\u2019s IRONMAN Texas triathlon,\u201d the post reads.<\/p>\n \u201cWe send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n Just days before her death, Ms Araujo expressed her excitement about the upcoming competition to her 60,000 followers by uploading a photo of her at swimming training.<\/p>\n \u201cJust another day of work,\u201d the Instagram post was captioned.<\/p>\n Tributes for the young athlete poured in through the comment section, with many calling her an inspiration.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a strong statement, 4 days before… \ud83d\ude22 Rest in peace,\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n Another added: \u201cIt\u2019s indescribable to explain the feeling of losing someone so special to you, rest in peace Mara! My condolences to the entire family!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOmg, I have the absolute chills reading this post after hearing of your passing. May she be resting and my condolences to the family,\u201d a third said.<\/p>\n