Extreme Weight Loss star Brandi Mallory has died at the age of 40, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to People.
The former reality star passed away on Nov. 9 in Stone Mountain, Ga. and her memorial service is being held on Nov. 19 in Lithonia, Ga, according to her obituary.
Brandi Mallory who worked as a makeup artist, per her Instagram was a contestant on the ABC series in 2014, during which she lost 151 pounds.
Four years later, she reflected on what led to her decision to join season four of the reality show.
“I was literally waking up every day like, ‘This may be my last day waking up. I don’t know what’s going to happen for me,'” she told Atlanta journalist Kirby Carroll. “When it’s playing on your mind that I might need to do something about my weight because I’m afraid I might die too, then you might need to pay attention to something like that.”
Brandi Mallory recalled that she first applied to The Biggest Loser but didn’t end up being picked before the producers told her about Extreme Weight Loss.
“Literally every footstep since then has been God,” she shared. “I prayed over that application before I sent it off. I prayed every step of the way.”
And since her time on the show, Brandi has kept up with her fitness, frequently sharing videos of herself working out on social media.
She captioned a September Instagram post of herself mid-sweat in the gym, “Just go with it…”
Following her passing, Extreme Weight Loss season five contestant Kim Williams Maxile took a moment to honor her late friend in a sweet social media tribute.
“Rest in Love sis,” she wrote on Nov 11. “To my fellow Extreme Weight Loss @extweightloss sis, @brandimallory you will be missed. I’ll never forget while I was at boot camp for season 5 we watched your season and it inspired us to keep going.”
She concluded her post in part, “You truly made an impact on this world with your zest and your passion for body positivity.
I’m blessed to have gotten to experience you in this world. Love you so much, sis.”