South African fitness coach dies after collapsing during HYROX Bangkok competition
Leroy Saunders, a 41-year-old South African fitness coach and CrossFit coach in Thailand, has died after collapsing during the BYD HYROX Bangkok 2026 competition last week. Saunders lost consciousness while competing at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on 13 August. Event staff provided emergency assistance and CPR before taking him to hospital, […] The post South African…
South African fitness coach Leroy Saunders, a CrossFit coach in Thailand, passed away after collapsing during the BYD HYROX Bangkok 2026 competition on August 13th. The incident occurred at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok when Saunders lost consciousness during the event. Despite emergency assistance and CPR from event staff, Saunders succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
His family confirmed his death on August 18th via his Instagram account. Saunders, who owned IAOT CrossFit in Bangkok, was renowned for his work with combat athletes and founded Fight by Design, a training program for Muay Thai fighters, MMA athletes, and boxers. His family expressed their shock and stated that they were seeking to understand the circumstances of his death, requesting media outlets to hold off on comment until additional information was available.
The family praised Saunders, emphasizing his positive impact on hundreds of people throughout his career and pledged to share more details about his life and legacy in due course. BYD HYROX Bangkok 2026 took place from August 13th to 16th at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
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