Paul Poloczek, a 37-year-old Polish bodybuilder, died just hours after the NPC Worldwide Championship in Germany.
“Bodybuilding was your life. You are not forgotten, you live on in our hearts,” his wife, Kathrin DeNev wrote in an Instagram tribute.
“We will love you forever.”
Another body builder…https://t.co/WW153FC39A
— FarmgirlRebel 🏴☠️ 🐎 🐾 (@FarmgirlRebel) May 31, 2022
Poloczek won the 2017 Arnold Amateur Classic competition, which qualified him for a pro card.
According to Fitness Volt, in 2002 Poloczek joined the famous Powerhouse Gym franchise in Oehringen, Germany, eventually becoming its owner.
His cause of death has not been announced.
He leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
Polish pro bodybuilder Paul Poloczek, who won the 2017 Arnold Amateur Classic competition, has died at 37. https://t.co/srivIYdQHk
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 31, 2022
From TMZ:
Poloczek was last seen at the NPC Worldwide Championships in Germany on May 28, according to Generation Iron.
Paul, originally a soccer player, fell in love with weightlifting as a teenager … and ultimately decided he wanted to turn pro. At 17, Poloczek won his first Junior Championship bodybuilding competition. From there, PP went on to win or place in several other competitions. Then, in 2017, Paul earned his pro card after he placed first in the Arnold Classic Amateur bodybuilding competition … a prestigious event for any bodybuilding competitor. Shortly after, Paul took a break from the sport … before returning in 2021 at the Europa Pro where he placed 16th.
The New York Post noted:
Poloczek is the second prominent bodybuilder to die young in recent months.
In April, world-class bodybuilder Cedric McMillan died of a heart attack at age 44.
Champion Bodybuilder Cedric McMillan, 44, Passes Away After ‘Having a Heart Attack on the Treadmill’
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