Local bodybuilder was one victim of Randalstown crash

Michelle McStravick died along with another woman travelling in the same car following the incident on the Church Road near Randalstown shortly before 8am.

They had been in a grey-coloured Citroen C1 car which was in collision with a silver-coloured Ford Focus at the Moneyrod Road junction.

A man and woman travelling in the second car sustained non-life threatening injuries.

The Northern Ireland representative of the National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association paid a glowing tribute to Ms McStravick as someone who always had a kind word of encouragement – and a broad smile – for anyone she encountered in the bodybuilding community.

Dave Warner said: She was such a lovely girl, and I cannot ever remember a time I met her that she didn’t have a smile on her face.

“She was such smiley, happy girl who was always having fun.”

Mr Warner said Ms McStravick worked hard and was an enthusiastic competitor, but said she had as much interest in helping others achieve success.

“She competed in the figure class of bodybuilding, and has done quite well.

“But even in the shows she didn’t compete in, you would always see her in the audience and she was always supporting her friends.

“Some people in the bodybuilding world get a reputation as being a bit selfish and a bit single-minded about themselves, but she wasn’t like that at all.”