'A true warrior'
Georgia O’Connor dead aged 25: Tributes pour in as Brit boxer dies following cancer battle 2 weeks after getting married
Boxing community rallied around the inspirational fighter
BOXER Georgia O'Connor has sadly lost her brave fight against cancer.
The former Team GB star - who won Commonwealth Youth gold in 2017 - revealed her cancer news in January.
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She was also previously diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) - a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
O'Connor had the whole of the boxing world backing her but devastatingly, she has passed away aged 25 from the rare and aggressive cancer.
In her last Instagram post - two weeks before her death - O'Connor revealed she had married her partner Adriano.
She posted a picture of her ring and wrote: "The day I married the love of my life."
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Inspirational O'Connor was filled with well-wishes in the comments as the boxing community rallied behind the Durham hero.
In February, O'Connor paid a beautiful tribute to her "superhero" Adriano.
She posted: "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.
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"Not just by my side, but leading the charge, doing everything in his power to save me...
"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."
Tributes poured in for the heroic fighter, who went 3-0 as a professional after debuting in 2021.
Boxxer, who promoted her, posted: "We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O’Connor.
"A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon.
"Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends here at BOXXER. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time."
Reg flags of cancer you must look for and act upon
THERE are more than 200 types of cancer, each with its own set of symptoms.
A cough lasting three weeks or more is a key sign of lung cancer – the most common cancer in the UK.
Changes to bowel habits lasting more than three weeks, such as diarrhoea, constipation, blood when you poo, or needing to go more often, are signs of bowel cancer, the second most common form of the disease.
There are also common symptoms that can be “red flags” of many forms of cancer, and should always be checked.
They include:
- Weight loss for no obvious reason.
- Pain that is persistent and unexplained, whether it be dull and consistent, or sharp and brief.
- Any lumps, bumps or swellings, such as in the neck, armpit, stomach, groin, chest, breast or testicle.
- Fatigue that makes you feel tired all the time and generally lacking in energy.
- Night sweats that are very heavy or a fever that can’t be explained.
- Changes to the skin, such as puckering on the breast, moles that have changed, very itchy or yellow skin.
- Unexplained bleeding from the bottom or vagina, or blood in urine, semen, stool, vomit or when coughing.
Promoter Ben Shalom added: "It’s hard to make sense of this… a lot goes on in life but nothing else matters other than your family and your health.
"My heart goes out to Georgia’s parents and partner, who I know did everything they could tirelessly and are going through so much right now.
"Georgia was an inspirational person and one I’ll never forget. So sorry for her family and all her friends. Truly heartbreaking."
Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions wrote: "Everyone at Queensberry Promotions are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Georgia O’Connor.
"All of our thoughts are with her friends and family during this difficult time. Rest in peace Georgia."
England Boxing said: "We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Georgia O’Connor.
"A gifted boxer and beloved member of the amateur boxing community, she won medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Youth Worlds & European Championships.
"Our thoughts are with her loved ones."
Promoters Kalle and Nisse Sauerland replied: "Awful news, incredibly saddened to hear.
"Thoughts are with Georgia’s family and friends at this impossibly difficult time."
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YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul posted: "F*** cancer. RIP Georgia. Condolences to all her family and friends."
Super-middleweight Joe Laws posted a picture of the pair and wrote: "Fighter till the end rest easy bro."
Not only was she a talented boxer, O'Connor also a three-time national taekwondo champion and undefeated kickboxer.
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Away from sports, she played guitar and enjoyed singing - posting videos on social media.
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WHAT IS ULCERATIVE COLITIS?
Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed.
The colon is the large intestine (bowel) and the rectum is the end of the bowel where poo is stored.
Small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, and can bleed and produce pus.
The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are:
- recurring diarrhoea, which may contain blood, mucus or pus
- tummy pain
- needing to poo frequently
- You may also experience extreme tiredness (fatigue), loss of appetite and weight loss.
The severity of the symptoms varies, depending on how much of the rectum and colon is inflamed and how severe the inflammation is.
For some people, the condition has a significant impact on their everyday lives.
Courtesy of the NHS website
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