Dwayne Quamina ‘Felt Like Death,’ Had Shortness of Breath and a Cough Just Two Days Before He Died.
New details have emerged about the final days of IFBB Pro League bodybuilder Dwayne Quamina, who died suddenly at just 40 years old on Sunday, Aug. 16. Two days before his passing, Quamina posted on Instagram saying he “felt like death.”
Generation Iron previously reported on Quamina’s shocking death, which came only one week after he competed at the 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Supershow. At the time, no recent health problems had been publicly reported and a cause of death had not been disclosed.
However, a video Quamina posted just two days before his death revealed that the former Olympia competitor had recently become sick and was experiencing respiratory symptoms.
According to People, Quamina told his followers on Friday, Aug. 14 that he had been dealing with shortness of breath and a cough after returning home from a flight. He could also be heard wheezing while speaking in the video.
Dwayne Quamina Revealed He Had Been Sick
Quamina explained his recent absence from social media by telling followers that he had been ill.
“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 death.”
Quamina went on to say that he had experienced shortness of breath and a cough. He said he had been prescribed antibiotics and received a steroid shot at a med spa in an effort to help open his lungs.
Despite the concerning symptoms, Quamina sounded optimistic about his recovery.
“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.”
Two days later, Quamina died at the age of 40.
His wife, Leah Jerez, subsequently confirmed his passing on Instagram, writing, “We will never forget you.”
It is important to note that no official cause of death has been publicly announced, and there has been no confirmation that the illness Quamina described was connected to his passing.
Quamina Competed Just Days Before Becoming Sick
The timing makes the news particularly shocking for the bodybuilding community.
Quamina had competed in the Men’s 212 division at the 2026 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Supershow just days earlier, finishing sixth. It was the latest appearance in a comeback that began in 2025 after several years away from competitive bodybuilding.
Known throughout the bodybuilding community as “King Q,” Quamina had previously reached the sport’s biggest stage, finishing 10th at the 2018 Mr. Olympia. He stepped away from competition in 2020 before returning in 2025, when he finished third at the Chicago Pro.
Before his bodybuilding career, Quamina served in the U.S. Navy for approximately a decade. He later became an IFBB Pro, online coach and motivational figure with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Another message shared by Quamina in the weeks before his death has taken on additional meaning following his passing.
“Stop taking life for granted,” Quamina wrote, encouraging his followers to pursue their goals and have “zero regrets when it’s all over.”
The bodybuilding world continues to mourn Quamina while awaiting additional information surrounding his death. For now, the newly surfaced video provides more context about what he was experiencing during his final days, but without an official cause of death, any connection between those symptoms and his sudden passing would be speculation.
Image embed via Instagram @kingq_ifbbpro
