Tributes pour in for the one-time winner of the wrestling giant’s Tough Enough reality series.
Image source, @Saraann_leeWrestling stars have been paying tribute to the winner of a WWE reality show who has died at the age of 30.
Sara Lee won the 2015 edition of Tough Enough – an elimination-style programme launched to find new talent to join the company.
According to local media, Sara was a track star and powerlifter in high school before she embarked on her wrestling career.
Her mother Terri Lee announced the death in a statement posted online.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our Sarah Weston has gone to be with Jesus,” she wrote. “We are all in shock.”
Lee, from the US state of Michigan, was awarded a $250,000 contract after her winning appearance on Tough Enough, but was released the following year.
She was married to former WWE wrestler Cory James Weston, known as Westin Blake.
Wrestling star Saraya, formerly known as Paige, was among those to pay tribute to Sara, describing her as a “very sweet human who I got the pleasure to know and work with”.
This is heartbreakingly tragic. Sending love to her family. Very sweet human who I got the pleasure to know and work with. 💔 RIP Sara Lee pic.twitter.com/bGZ9FZNnXj
— SARAYA (@Saraya)
Impact star Chelsea Green said she would remember her friend as “laughing, smiling” and “carefree”.
No tweet or amount of words can bring back this beautiful human, but all of my heart goes out to @TheWestinBlake & their family. Sara Lee will be missed greatly. ♥️The photo on the left is how I will always remember her – laughing, smiling, carefree. pic.twitter.com/XLlLFXDOcF
— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen)
Fellow wrestler Bull James launched a GoFundMe campaign in aid of Sara’s family, which quickly smashed its $20,000 target – raising almost three times that amount in 10 hours.
Tough Enough, which ran until 2015, followed the fortunes of 13 WWE hopefuls as they competed to win a spot on the company’s roster.
A male and female winner chosen at the end of each season was awarded a WWE contract.
