British boxer Georgia O’Connor, a multiple international medalist, died at the age of only 25 from a rare and aggressive cancer. Before she left her family and the sports world, she had recounted, with pain and anger, that she was not taken seriously by doctors: the diagnosis came only after 17 weeks of continuous pain.
“No doctor paid the slightest attention to me. No one took me seriously. They are incompetent rats,” she had complained publicly.
Georgia had been denied basic tests such as an ultrasound, despite her constant requests. The health workers, she recounted, had repeatedly reassured her by telling her it was nothing serious.
“They made me feel like I was exaggerating. They refused to investigate, refused to listen. They could have intervened earlier, but they didn’t. Because this is our national health care system: a corrupt system that keeps failing young people like me,” she had said bitterly.
Her career had started at a very young age in amateur boxing. In 2017 she had won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games and, in the same year, silver at the World Youth Championships. In 2018 she had also won a bronze medal. Turning professional in 2021, before the disease came to light, Georgia boasted an undefeated record at super welterweight: three wins and no losses.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Georgia O’Connor,” England Boxing, the English amateur boxing federation, wrote in an official note.
In her last Instagram post, Georgia had announced that she had married her Italian partner, Adriano, who stood by her side until the end. She had shared a photo of the wedding ring, writing, “The day I married the love of my life.”
