A friend tried convincing Tori Bowie to eat more in the days before the Olympian died eight months pregnant and weighing only 96 pounds.
Bowie, a 32-year-old gold-medal sprinter, was found dead in her Florida home on May 2 following complications related to childbirth — the autopsy report said that she was roughly eight months pregnant and was “undergoing labor” when she died, according to TMZ.
A new NBC News interview from Bowie’s longtime agent and confidant, Kimberly Holland, revealed that the former runner’s health had been declining rapidly before her death.
“As an adult, you make your own decisions,” Holland told the website. “We probably would have handled everything differently to make sure everything was done properly.”
Holland, who knew that Bowie had never been a “really big eater,” reminded the Olympian that she was eating for two during their final conversation.
Bowie brushed her off, Holland said.
“I started to come off, I think, a little preachy, because she started to shut me down and she was like, ‘Miss Kim, the baby is fine.’ So that was my cue to leave it alone,” she said.
Authorities found Bowie deceased when they were conducting a wellness check on her, following family and friends’ concerns after not hearing from Bowie for several days.
The medical examiner’s report listed respiratory distress and eclampsia as two possible complications that could have led to her death.
Eclampsia is a rare, severe, pregnancy-related condition that could involve seizures or coma.
Her autopsy also listed bipolar disorder as part of her medical history, but Holland said she was “just so happy” during their final conversation.
Holland, who signed Bowie 10 years ago and immediately felt connected to her, said their bond transcended standard athlete-manager relationships.
“She was like, you know, my daughter,” Holland said.
Bowie, who was a three-time Olympic medal winner at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, became the fastest woman in the world in 2017 when she won the 100-meter dash at the IAAF Championships in London.
