The influencer who drowned while competing in an Ironman competition in Texas last week battled the flu in the days leading up to the event and ignored those telling her not to compete.

“She was ill before the trip, she wasn’t okay,” said Luis Taveira, a friend of Mara Flávia, 38, the competitor who died during the Ironman swimming event.

“My wife and I spoke with her to say she was too weak for this race, although a couple of days ago, when we talked to her, she insisted she was okay,” Taveira said of the Brazil-born influencer, according to The Spun.

Taveira added, “I still cannot believe what’s happened. She was ill because of the flu.”

The late swimmer’s friend went on to add that he believes the swimmer endured a grueling training regimen in preparation for the race while sick, weakening his friend and contributing to her death.

Flávia, a Brazilian, used her Instagram page to show her training process and to uplift her followers with inspirational messages. In one such message posted to her Story, she wrote, “Not every victory is photogenic, not every growth is pretty to watch. Sometimes evolving is being silent, stepping back, saying no, crying in the background, and coming back the next day more aware.”

The Ironman Texas presents competitors with three grueling events: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run.

Flávia’s body was discovered by race officials just over two hours after the women’s competition began.

The Brazilian influencer’s sister, Melissa Araújo, wrote a touching tribute on social media.

“You were always synonymous with determination, with courage — with a strength that seemed too vast to be contained within you,” she wrote.

“You never did anything halfway; perhaps that is why you left such a profound mark on the lives of everyone who crossed your path.