NZ Fitness Influencer’s Tragic Death: Daughter Steps Up to Care for Siblings

Anna, now 25, has taken on the role of a parent for her siblings, juggling the responsibilities of a mother and a sister. Losing their mother wasn’t how things were supposed to be.

Raechelle Chase’s death was unexpected. A fit and healthy woman with no known underlying health issues, she was found dead in her Auckland home on October 6. Her death left Anna to take care of her siblings Kingston, 18, Dior-Rose, 17, Carlos, 7, Jax, 8, as well as her own four-year-old daughter, Savannah.

Known to the public as a fitness guru and model, Raechelle Chase had a strong social media presence with 1.4 million followers on Facebook, where she inspired single mothers to stay fit. She was the first Kiwi female to compete in The Olympia, a prestigious bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas. But her true passion was her family.

But Raechelle’s sudden death without an obvious cause has been hard for Anna to comprehend. The cause of her death remains a mystery, with police providing no indication of what might have caused it.

Following her mother’s death, Anna and her family experienced social media abuse. She has since tried to shield her siblings from such online bullying.

Anna now dedicates her time to her siblings. It’s a role she has committed herself to, with the hope that her mother would be proud of her efforts. But dealing with her grief is still an ongoing battle, one that she manages privately.