Colombian Bodybuilder Zunilda Hoyos Méndez Was Killed With a Hammer Days Before Filing for Divorce
Zunilda Hoyos Méndez—known to her fans as Amy and dubbed “She Hulk” in the bodybuilding world—was found dead on June 19 at a luxury home in Spain’s Costa del Sol. She was 43.
Local Spanish outlets report that Méndez, a champion Colombian bodybuilder, died from blunt-force trauma after being struck repeatedly with a hammer. Her husband, 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling, was found nearby with self-inflicted stab wounds. Police believe it was a murder-suicide.
According to People, authorities discovered the couple’s bodies after a friend filed a missing persons report, noting that no one had heard from Méndez in five days. Méndez’s family told SUR that she had recently made the decision to divorce Gelling due to his increasingly aggressive behavior.
“For my aunt, it was her last trip with him—a farewell”
The couple had been together for four years and reportedly lived much of the past year in Dubai. Méndez was in Spain to care for Gelling following a knee surgery before heading to a bodybuilding competition in Portugal. It was supposed to be a professional milestone. Instead, it became a tragic final chapter.
“For my aunt, it was her last trip with him—a farewell,” Méndez’s niece, Yuleydis, told SUR. “She had taken the decision to divorce him because of his aggressive behavior.”
Family members said Méndez had kept in close contact and would regularly update them on her plans. When she stopped answering messages, both relatives and gym friends in Fuengirola raised the alarm.
A rising star in bodybuilding—and a victim of domestic violence
Méndez was preparing to compete again when her life was cut short. Her coach, Branden Ray, shared a tribute on Instagram:
“We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world, my friend. I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year, and I meant it. Rest in paradise, Amy.”
In another post, Ray wrote:
“We were so close to the end, but the closest person to you ended it too soon. Domestic violence should never be taken lightly, because it can leave many with a heavy heart.”
Fellow bodybuilder Behnaz Azar also honored Méndez online, calling her “the most powerful woman I knew in the world of bodybuilding, yet with the gentlest heart.”
“She was being abused and wanted a divorce”
The Spanish National Police are still investigating the incident. But Méndez’s family has made it clear: this wasn’t sudden or random. “She was being abused and wanted a divorce,” they told SUR. According to the New York Post, the couple had previously broken up due to Gelling’s behavior but had reconciled in hopes of improving their relationship.
Reports confirm that Méndez had no children and was preparing to leave her husband permanently after the Portugal competition. Instead, she became one of far too many women killed by an intimate partner.
A heartbreaking reminder
Méndez’s story echoes the painful truth that domestic violence doesn’t discriminate—it can happen to anyone, including the strongest among us. She was a rising star, a loved coach, a niece, and a friend. Her life, like so many others, was stolen in silence.
As Branden Ray wrote, “Domestic violence should never be taken lightly.”
May her memory be a call to action—and a reminder that behind every headline is a woman who deserved to live.
