Alix Small, IFBB Pro Who Spoke Openly About Anorexia, Dies at 26
Alix Small, a two-time IFBB Pro League Fitness champion, has died at 26. Her mother shared the news with Beyond the Stage TV, which announced it on social media, according to TMZ.
News of her death emerged on Sunday, November 8, according to Generation Iron, which reported that her mother and best friend made it public. Her cause of death has not been disclosed, and the circumstances remain unclear.
Tributes have come in from across the bodybuilding world. IFBB pro Phoebe Goodwin remembered Small as funny and caring, and said she was there for her after she earned her own pro card, per TMZ.
Small earned her pro card at 19
Originally from Forfar, Scotland, Small got her IFBB Pro card at 19. She made her pro debut in 2021 in the Fitness division, according to Generation Iron.
She won her first pro show that same year at the Europa Pro Championships in Spain. That win qualified her for the 2021 Olympia, where she placed 12th in Fitness.
In 2022, she won the Mr. Big Evolution Pro in Portugal, her second pro title. It earned her another Olympia invite, but TMZ reports she had to pull out because of health issues. She never competed as a pro again.
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She spoke openly about anorexia
Small was open about her history with anorexia, which she said began when she was 15. She credited bodybuilding with helping her recover by shifting her focus to getting strong, TMZ reports.
According to Generation Iron, she discussed the illness in a 2021 interview with STV News. She later described her recovery on a podcast recorded when she was 22.
Generation Iron noted that there is no established connection between her history with anorexia and her death.
Her death follows a run of other young athletes in the sport who have died this year. Fitness Volt also covered her passing, noting she made two Olympia appearances and held wins at the Europa Pro and Mr. Big Evolution Pro.
A cause of death has not been made public.
