The fitness community has been left shattered after a female bodybuilder and mother-of-one was brutally murdered inside a suburban home early Sunday morning.
Amanda Wakut, 33, was shot dead at her Lakewood, Ohio property in the early hours of Sunday – shortly after competing in what would prove to be her final event.
Officers were called to a property on Chesterland Avenue at around 4:30am, where they found Wakut and a second victim, 35-year-old Richard Eastin of Cleveland, dead in the kitchen. Police say a 45-year-old Fairview Park man had called his ex-wife to say he had shot two people at the home and intended to shoot himself.
When officers arrived, they saw a pick-up truck speeding away from the scene and gave chase. The suspect stopped on Warren Road, stepped out of the vehicle with a handgun and shot himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wakut had spent Saturday competing at the Battle At The Bridge Regional Competition, in what friends and family now know was the last time she would take to the stage. She leaves behind a seven-year-old son, Landyn.
A GoFundMe campaign for Wakut reads: ‘Amanda loved her son Landyn more than anything. She not only taught him how to be strong, but all of her clients, friends, and loved ones. She always had a smile on her face and had a sense of humor that we will all grieve the loss of.
Amanda Wakut was shot dead at her Lakewood, Ohio property in the early hours of Sunday
Wakut had spent Saturday competing at the Battle At The Bridge Regional Competition
‘She helped the people around her be better. Whether that was in perfecting their form, demonstrating dedication, determination, and excellence, or simply showing up when you needed a friend. She was a true friend that always had a helping hand or funny joke when you needed it most.’
According to an obituary posted online, Waku was also a powerlifting coach who trained with Full Send Powerlifting and had built a devoted following among clients and fellow athletes in the Cleveland area.
In a post on their Instagram, Full Send Powerlifting wrote: ‘I’ve been staring at this screen for a long time, trying to find the right words. There are none.
‘I wish with everything I have that I didn’t have to write this post. But, I know she deserves my words and my love and your support. We lost Amanda.
‘Amanda; our coach, our friend, our beckon. A woman who showed up for everyone around her with so much love, energy, and heart. She was one of a kind, and the world is a dimmer place without her in it.’
A GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral costs and provide financial stability for her son
The gym is collecting photos, videos and memories of Wakut to preserve for Landyn as he grows up.
A GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral costs and provide financial stability for her son has raised more than $24,000.
She was also a former standout basketball player at Normandy High School, where her playing career ended before she turned her focus to bodybuilding and powerlift.
Tributes have since poured in from friends, family and fans of Wakut.
