Georgia O’Connor, a talented young boxer who previously represented Team GB, has passed away after a brave battle with cancer.
The former Team GB boxer had enjoyed a promising boxing career, having won the Commonwealth Youth gold in 2017. However, her life took a devastating turn when she revealed in January that she had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
The boxing community rallied around her, but sadly, she lost her fight at the tender age of 25 – just two weeks after getting married.
Tributes have poured in for the brave fighter, including from super-middleweight Joe Laws, who posted a heartfelt message alongside a photo of the two: “Fighter till the end rest easy bro.”
O’Connor had turned pro in 2021 and had an impressive 3-0 record.
In a poignant Instagram post just two weeks ago, O’Connor revealed that she had married her partner Adriano, sharing a photo of her ring and the caption: “The day I married the love of my life.”
The couple’s love and devotion to each other was evident in O’Connor’s emotional tribute to Adriano in February.
She wrote: “If you have a man who loves you more than anything, who would burn the whole world down before he’d let it take you, hold onto him, because that kind of love is rare.
“From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, Adriano didn’t hesitate. He quit his job without a second thought and made it his mission to fight this battle alongside me. Not just by my side, but leading the charge, doing everything in his power to save me.
“Whilst the doctors who neglected me are stuck in their ways, he’s out there driving across Europe, finding treatments they don’t even know exist.
“Researching day and night, chasing down every option, making sure I have every single chance to beat this. I have never known love like this. A love that doesn’t flinch, doesn’t break, doesn’t even hesitate.
“A love that says ‘we do this together, no matter what.’ No matter how dark the nights get, no matter how hard the days are, I have him, and he has me. Adriano, you are my superhero. My warrior, my protector, my soulmate.
“I have no words strong enough to explain what you mean to me; how much I love you, how much I thank you, how much I need you. You are my safe place. My home. I could search the world a thousand times over and never find another man like you.
“Everything we’ve been through, we go through together. Every fight, every battle, every victory. We take it all, hand in hand. And we will win. My real-life prince. My reason. My forever.”
Not just talented in the boxing ring, O’Connor boasted a hat-trick of national taekwondo titles and an untarnished record in kickboxing. She harboured a passion for the guitar and enjoyed singing, often sharing this side of herself on social media.
