Dwayne Quamina told his followers he "felt like d****." Two days later, he was gone.

New details have surfaced about the final days of the IFBB Pro League bodybuilder, who passed away suddenly on Sunday, Aug. 16, at just 40 years old. A video Quamina posted two days before his passing reveals he had been dealing with respiratory symptoms, mostly shortness of breath and cough.

“So I haven’t been super active on here, and it’s because I’ve been sick,” Quamina said. “I got back from the flight, and it was chaos, just felt like d****,” said Quamina in an Instagram video. “We’re feeling better; it’s been a rough two days,” he said. “We made it through it, and yeah we’ll start building again.”

Despite the concerning symptoms, Quamina sounded optimistic about his recovery.

As per Generation Iron, two days after posting that message, he passed away. His wife, Leah Jerez, confirmed the news on Instagram, writing simply, "We will never forget you."

No official cause has been released, and there's been no confirmation that the illness Quamina described is connected to his sudden passing.

One of his messages from the weeks before his passing now reads differently in hindsight. 

"Stop taking life for granted," Quamina wrote, urging followers to chase their goals and live with "zero regrets when it's all over."

The bodybuilding community continues to mourn Quamina as more information about his passing is awaited.

From Mr. Olympia stage to comeback glory: Quamina's career arc

Before his sudden passing, Dwayne Quamina, known throughout the sport as "King Q," built a career spanning nearly a decade at the professional level of bodybuilding.

The Trinidad and Tobago-born athlete earned his IFBB Pro card in the Men's 212 Division after entering the sport in 2016, transitioning from amateur competitor to professional status.

His biggest career milestone came in 2018, when he reached the sport's biggest stage, finishing 10th at the Mr. Olympia in the Men's 212 division.

Quamina stepped away from competition for several years before returning in 2025. That comeback delivered some of his strongest results yet, capped by a third-place finish in the Men's 212 division at the 2026 Chicago Pro. He followed that with a sixth-place finish at the 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Supershow, his final competition before his passing.

Outside the sport, Quamina spent 10 years serving in the U.S. Navy before committing to bodybuilding full-time in 2016, according to a Times of India article.

He also built a significant platform beyond competition, working as an online fitness coach and motivational figure who inspired more than 114,000 followers across social media.

What do you think Quamina's legacy will be in the bodybuilding world? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Zaid Quraishi

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi