Fitness influencer and bodybuilder Raechelle Chase has passed away, leaving behind five children. Chase was described as an "internet sensation" who used her massive platform to help people worldwide.
According to Stuff.co.nz, she was the first woman from New Zealand to participate in the Figure Olympia bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas in 2011.
In recent years, she worked as a fitness model and influencer, offering online fitness coaching to her more than 1.4 million followers on Facebook.
Her eldest daughter, Anna Chase, said her mother sacrificed a lot to give her children an exciting life and managed to achieve every goal she set for herself.
"She was supportive, kind-hearted, and always had the best advice for us. She was an incredibly driven woman with ambitions and has inspired millions of people around the world. I miss her incredibly, and that love will never fade," Anna stated.
Cause of death
The cause of death remains unknown, but Keith O'Connell, a friend of Chase, said her death was "sudden and unexpected."
"I won't lie; very few things in my life have hit me as hard as your passing... You had so much more to live. So much love to give," he wrote.
In 2016, Chase publicly wrote about her experience of leaving a "toxic and abusive" relationship after separating from her husband, Chris Chase.
Chris was imprisoned for 10 years after being arrested in 2012 for his role in distributing a so-called "designer drug" resembling ecstasy around New Zealand.
"The relationship I was in taught me many things about what I don't want and what I should steer clear of. It wasn't just me who suffered; it was my entire family. So if you know you're in an abusive relationship and you don't have the courage to leave, do it for your children," she wrote.
Chase's death is currently being investigated by the coroner in New Zealand. "Given the recent nature of the death, no further information is available at this time," said a spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Justice.
Watch Raechelle Chase in the video below
