Fitness Influencer Alessandro Antonicelli Dead at 26 After Cancer Battle

Alessandro Antonicelli, a famous fitness influencer from Italy, is dead after a two-year battle with cancer.

The fitness influencer's official Instagram page, where he had more than 193K followers, announced his death over the weekend ... "Today, the world feels a little emptier: Ale has flown away, free from pain, finding the peace he deserved."

The statement continues ... "We know how much you loved and supported him, but now we ask you to protect his family, girlfriend, and friends during this painful time."

Ale rose to fame posting workout videos on social media, and in August 2023 he revealed his cancer diagnosis ... chondroblastic osteosarcoma, a rare form of malignant bone cancer.

According to a GoFundMe started after Ale's death, he died last Thursday.

Doctors found a bone tumor, and Ale did several rounds of chemotherapy before undergoing major surgery in December 2023 ... the procedure removed his femur, knee and hip joints, and part of his quadriceps muscle.

Ale did more chemo and immunotherapy ... and in August 2024, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to Ale's clavicle and lower back. He tried radiotherapy, but it was ineffective, and the cancer kept spreading.

In March this past year, Ale traveled to Los Angeles and trained at Gold's Gym, where he met Arnold Schwarzenegger. He competed in his first national Paralympic weightlifting competition in May ... but in July his health "rapidly worsened" and by November he struggled to walk. He was admitted to a hospital, where he ultimately died.

Ale designed hats with slogans like "F*** Cancer" and "You're Not Alone" after losing his hair and eyebrows during chemo. The GoFundMe says donations will be given to the National Cancer Institute of Milan for cancer research and treatment, and proceeds from hat sales will also be donated there. So far, over $215K has been raised.

He was only 26.