Hayley McNeff, a nationally ranked bodybuilder , nutritionist and life coach, has died, according to an obituary published Tuesday. She was 37.

McNeff’s death was reported by Boston.com , which described her death as "unexpected but peaceful."

She was a Massachusetts native who graduated from UMass Amherst and became a champion bodybuilder.

McNeff’s family released a statement to People Magazine Thursday as word of her death became public.

"Hayley was like a beam of light in this world. She had boundless energy and was very determined to achieve whatever she set out to do," her father Dave told the magazine . "She set her sights on bodybuilding and fitness and achieved the highest success that sector offered. She loved us and we love Hayley very much, we miss her madly."

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