Alix Small Dies At 26: Bodybuilding Star Who Defied Anorexia To Reach The Olympia Stage

Alix Small overcame anorexia to compete on the Olympia stage© Instagram/ alixsmallll

Alix Small, a two-time IFBB Pro League Fitness champion and Olympia competitor, has died at 26. Beyond The Stage TV announced the news on Instagram on Sunday, November 8, 2026, after hearing from her mother and best friend. No cause of death has been made public, and the circumstances are unclear. The Scottish athlete earned her pro card at 19 and won her first professional show in 2021. Tributes from across the sport have followed. Small was also open about a long fight with anorexia, and how lifting helped her find a way forward.

Who Was Alix Small And What Was Her Fight With Anorexia?

Alix Small grew up in Forfar, Scotland, and moved fast once she turned pro. She won the 2021 Europa Pro Championships in Spain, then placed 12th at the Fitness Olympia that same year. In 2022 she took the Mr. Big Evolution Pro in Portugal, which earned another Olympia invite. She appeared at the event but pulled out because of health issues, and she never competed as a pro again.

Her bigger story started earlier. Anorexia took hold when she was 15. Small said bodybuilding shifted her focus from how she looked to how strong she could get, and she credited the sport with helping her recover. Later, she spent months building size on purpose. For someone with her history, that was a hard task, and she talked about it without hiding the difficulty.

Beyond The Stage TV broke the news with a short post. “Shocked to hear to the terrible news of the passing of 2 x Fitness Pro winner and Olympian @alixsmallll,” it read. The post added, “I was passed this information by her best friend and mother earlier today.” It closed with a plain line: “My thoughts are with her friends and family.”

Nothing has been confirmed about how Small died. No link has been established between her past illness and her death.

Bodybuilding Figures Pay Tribute To Small

Fellow IFBB pro Phoebe Goodwin described the Scottish Fitness star as funny, caring and thoughtful. Goodwin recalled Small being there for her after she earned her own pro card. Photos and messages have filled bodybuilding pages since Sunday.

Small's career was short, but the results are clear. She reached the biggest stage in her division and won two pro titles before she turned 23. Fans have also pointed to her honesty about eating disorders. Many say it reached people facing the same struggle and showed them a path built around strength instead of appearance.