TV star pays tribute to her 'amazing' personal trainer after his death

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EXCLUSIVE: Whitney Way Thore has paid tribute to her best friend’s late father, Will, who was also her personal trainer and mentor. He sadly died in early January after being diagnosed with cancer.

My Big Fat Fabulous Life has followed Whitney Way Thore’s journey with exercise for years. One person in particular, Will Powell, was there to coach and guide her in the gym, but he’s sadly passed away.

MBFFL’s Will Powell sadly passed away

Will Powell passed away on January 5, 2025, years after he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015, and prostate cancer. He was a father to Whitney Way Thore‘s best friend, Jessica Powell, and a fitness trainer.

Jessica, who often stars on MBFFL, wrote, “Still haven’t put actual thoughts or words together but I do want to say that if you’ve reached out to me, know that I’ve seen it and I appreciate it so much.”

She added of her father, who was passionate about natural bodybuilding, “It has been extremely comforting to know the insane magnitude of my fathers’ reach in this world.”

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He was known for his dedication to fitness, and competed at the CrossFit Games nine times in the Masters division. From 2013 to 2022, Will would always compete at the highest level.

Whitney Way Thore pays tribute to coach

Whitney exclusively told Reality Tidbit that losing Will had a “significant impact on her life.” She said that, just before her recent trip to London to teach classes at Pineapple Studios, he passed away.

She told us, “He’d been and impacted people on the show, and had a huge impact on so many lives as a trainer. He’s an amazing human being, so his death was very significant for me.”

When Whitney first started training in the gym, Will broke up with her as a client because he was done with her excuses. However, she came back fighting and he hired her to join his program again.

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