Latest news with #GeorgiaO'Connor
Extra.ie
27-05-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Boxer Georgia O'Connor said doctors 'refused to listen' in heartbreaking post before her death
Tributes are pouring in for professional boxer Georgia O'Connor, who tragically passed away on Thursday at the age of 25. O'Connor, a rising star in British boxing, revealed earlier this year that she had been diagnosed with cancer – an illness she claimed was repeatedly dismissed by doctors despite her worsening symptoms. In a powerful and heartbreaking message shared on social media in January, the undefeated fighter detailed her battle with the disease and the frustration she faced trying to get help. She alleged that for over four months, doctors overlooked clear warning signs, leaving her in agony and without answers. 'There's really no easy way to say this, but I have cancer,' she wrote on January 31. 'Now that's out the way, it's time to expose the absolute incompetent RATS that have allowed this to happen.' O'Connor, who had previously been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis – two conditions that significantly increase cancer risk – said she repeatedly expressed her concern that something was seriously wrong. Despite this, she said her pleas were ignored. 'For 17 weeks since the start of October, I've been in constant pain,' she wrote. 'I said from the start I felt it was cancer. I KNEW the risks. Not one doctor took me seriously… 'They refused to scan me. They refused to investigate. They REFUSED to listen. One even told me it was 'all in my head.' She went on to describe how her cancer had spread by the time she was finally diagnosed. In the same post, she revealed she also had multiple blood clots in her lungs, any one of which could have been fatal. Georgia O'Connor. Pic: Instagram O'Connor didn't hold back in her criticism of the NHS, calling it a 'broken system' that failed her when she needed it most. 'They can say it's terminal all they want,' she said. 'But after taking 17 weeks to figure out what was wrong with me, why the f**k should I believe them?' Despite her grim prognosis, O'Connor ended her message with defiance and hope: 'I'm young, I'm fit, and I am stronger than they'll ever understand. I'm still smiling and that smile will NEVER fade.' O'Connor had an accomplished amateur career, including a gold medal at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. She turned professional with Ben Shalom's BOXXER promotion and remained unbeaten in her three professional bouts. Following the news of her passing, BOXXER released an emotional statement: '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.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Georgia O'Connor, beloved and unbeaten British boxer, dies at 25
On Jan. 31, British boxer Georgia O'Connor revealed on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with cancer. (Owen Humphreys / PA Images via Getty Images) Georgia O'Connor, a British boxer who was unbeaten in her young professional career, has died at age 25. The promotion company BOXXER said in a statement Thursday that it was "heartbroken by the passing" of a fighter it had represented for all three of her professional bouts. Advertisement "A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon," the company wrote. "Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends here at BOXXER. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time." No cause of death has been given, but O'Connor had revealed on Jan. 31 on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with cancer. "I'm still smiling and that smile will NEVER fade, no matter what," she wrote. "We've already got an amazing oncologist on my case and we've made sure I'm going to have the best treatment and healing possible. Starting NOW." Read more: Colts owner Jim Irsay, a music lover and philanthropist, dies at 65 Advertisement A GoFundMe page, which O'Connor had said was set up by her parents to help cover her medical bills, described the cancer as "rare and aggressive." "Doctors are calling it 'incurable,'" the fundraiser's description states. "But Georgia does not accept this." O'Connor is survived by her husband Adriano Cardinali, whom she married May 9. Georgia O Connor attends an event at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7 in London. (Jordan Peck / Getty Images) "From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, Adriano didn't hesitate," O'Connor wrote Feb. 3 on Instagram. "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." Advertisement O'Connor was born Feb 18. 2000, in County Durham, England. Her father introduced her to boxing very soon afterward, she told SkySports in 2021. "My dad put a pair of gloves on me before I could walk," she said. "He always wanted me to be able to look after me. He never wanted me to be a superstar, my family aren't like that. He just wanted me to defend myself because the world isn't a nice place." She added: "I was a three-time national taekwondo champion, undefeated in kickboxing, but my heart has always been with boxing." As a youth boxer, O'Connor won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2017 and a silver and bronze at the Youth World Championships in 2017 and 2018. She won all three of her professional fights, between October 2021 and October 2022, later revealing she did so while suffering from what was eventually diagnosed as ulcerative colitis. Advertisement "I was going to the toilet between 15 and 20 times per day," O'Connor wrote Feb. 9, 2024, on Instagram. "... I had pain in my joints and unbearable bowel cramps almost every day. I had 3 professional boxing fights during this time, all of which I somehow managed to win without any form of medication or treatment." O'Connor also revealed in February on Instagram that she had suffered a miscarriage within "the last few months." Read more: Sabu, a.k.a. hardcore wrestling pioneer Terry Brunk, dies at 60 England Boxing paid tribute on Thursday to one of its rising stars in a statement . Advertisement "A hugely talented boxer and much-loved member of the boxing community, Georgia inspired many with her achievements in the ring and her spirit outside of it," the sport's governing body in England wrote. "Her dedication, passion, and talent made her a role model for young athletes across the country. Georgia's legacy will live on in the hearts of those she inspired, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her." International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney addresssed her late friend on Instagram. "Being a pure soul and a good person gets thrown around so much, but you my friend are the definition of every word of that and so much more," Scotney wrote. "I still can picture that timid shy but larger than life young girl walking on her tip toes a few steps in front of me, little did I know that very same girl was going to show not just me but the whole world how special life is and mostly how to live by every second. "Even when life was on a timer, you never let anything dim that light of yours. A smile that never ever fades, and a heart that will forever live on in so many ways. There was nothing you couldn't do, the world at your very feet no matter what room you entered. I was so blessed with not just a friend for 10 years, but a sister for life." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Georgia O'Connor, U.K. boxer, dies at 25 after saying doctors 'gaslit' her on cancer concerns for months
British professional boxer Georgia O'Connor has died aged 25, her promotion company BOXXER said on Thursday. "We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O'Connor," BOXXER said in a statement on X. "A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon." O'Connor's death comes months after the British boxer shared with fans that she was suffering from cancer. "For 17 weeks since the start of October, I've been in constant pain, going back and forth between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E knowing deep down something was seriously wrong,' O'Connor wrote. "I said from the start I felt it was cancer. I KNEW the risks. I have colitis and PSC, two diseases that dramatically increase the chances of getting it. I KNOW how high my risk is and they do too. They always did." O'Connor, who was from Durham, England, did not share what type of cancer she was suffering from. In the same January Instagram post, she also accused doctors of taking her concerns seriously. "Not one doctor did the scans or blood tests I begged for whilst crying on the floor in they dismissed me. They gaslit me, told me it was nothing, made me feel like I was overreacting," she wrote. "They refused to scan me. They refused to investigate. They REFUSED to listen." In February, the 25 year old also shared on Instagram that she suffered from a miscarriage. 'The last few months have been a rollercoaster,' O'Connor wrote. 'I've been pregnant with a beautiful baby, suffered a miscarriage, then got diagnosed with 'incurable' cancer. But I still feel on top of the world!' Last week, the boxer shared with 40,000 Instagram followers that she got married earlier this month. She posted an image of her holding her husband's hand and wrote: '09.05.2025. The day I married the love of my life." In a separate Instagram post from February, O'Connor said that her then-boyfriend quit his job to support her through cancer. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British boxer Georgia O'Connor dies aged 25 after battle with cancer
British boxer Georgia O'Connor has died aged 25 after a battle with cancer, her promotion company, BOXXER, said on Thursday. 'We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O'Connor,' BOXXER wrote on Instagram. '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.' O'Connor said on social media last year that she had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is defined as 'a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation and ulcers on the inner lining of your large intestine' by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. She described needing to go to the toilet 15 to 20 times a day, as well as suffering 'unbearable bowel cramps.' She also wrote that she had become pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. In January, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she was diagnosed with cancer after being in 'constant pain.' A fundraising page was set up in O'Connor's honor by her mother in which she wrote that the cancer was 'rare and aggressive' which doctors called 'incurable.' On May 12, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she had married her partner Adriano and changed her last name to Cardinali. Ellie Scotney, the super-bantamweight world champion, paid tribute to her long-time friend on Instagram, calling her the 'most beautiful human I've ever met.' 'I've probably rewritten this a hundred times, still not with the right words. Because there just isn't any,' Scotney said. 'Life can be so, so cruel. And it seems to be the best of us that are at the end of that. 'Being a pure soul and a good person gets thrown around so much, but you my friend are the definition of every word of that and so much more. I still can picture that timid shy but larger than life young girl walking on her tip toes a few steps in front of me, little did I know that very same girl was going to show not just me but the whole world how special life is and mostly how to live by every second. 'Even when life was on a timer, you never let anything dim that light of yours. A smile that never ever fades, and a heart that will forever live on in so many ways. There was nothing you couldn't do, the world at your very feet no matter what room you entered. I was so blessed with not just a friend for 10 years, but a sister for life.' During her boxing career, O'Connor won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. She turned professional in 2021 and won all three of her professional bouts. Her last fight came in October 2022. England Boxing called O'Connor a 'hugely talented boxer and much-loved member of the boxing community.' 'Georgia inspired many with her achievements in the ring and her spirit outside of it,' it said in a statement. 'Her dedication, passion, and talent made her a role model for young athletes across the country. Georgia's legacy will live on in the hearts of those she inspired, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
British boxer Georgia O'Connor dies at 25, days after getting married: reports
Just days after being married, British Boxer Georgia O'Connor has died from a bout of rare aggressive cancer, according to multiple reports. She was 25. "We're deeply saddened by the passing of Georgia O'Connor,' England Boxing wrote on X. '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.' In January, the decorated boxer publicly revealed she suffered from colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, separate diseases that "dramatically increase the chances" of cancer. In a Feb. 3 Instagram post, O'Connor revealed the diagnosis and praised her partner Adriano Cardinali. 'From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, Adriano didn't hesitate," O'Connor wrote. "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." "Adriano, you are my superhero," the post continues. "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." USA TODAY has reached out to O'Connor's loved ones. O'Connor's early death sparked tributes across the global boxing community. The World Boxing Association (WBA) expressed condolences for what it called "a gifted British boxer whose dedication and fighting spirit left an indelible mark on the sport." "O'Connor, who rose to prominence with a standout performance at the Commonwealth Youth Games, showcased extraordinary talent every time she stepped between the ropes," WBA wrote. BOXXER, a British professional boxing promotional company based in Manchester, England, wrote social media its employees were heartbroken at the loss. "A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon," the company posted on X. "Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends." "It's hard to make sense of this," BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom posted on X, calling O'Connor an inspirational human. 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." Sky Sports wrote on X, 'The thoughts of everyone at Sky Sports Boxing are with Joe Gallagher and Georgia O'Connor.' Gallagher, a British's former amateur boxer turned boxing coach, was being treated for stage 4 bowl and liver cancer, The Guardian reported. His most recent social media posts took place last week. Remembering our friend Georgia O'Connor and her fearless fighting spirit. Rest in peace, Geo 🤍🕊️ — BOXXER (@boxxer) May 22, 2025 O'Connor married Cardinali on May 9, according post on her Instagram page, showing a pair of hands with wedding bands. 'The day I married the love of my life,' O'Connor wrote in the caption, which appears be her last on the social media platform. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Georgia Cardinali (@georgiaoconnor_1) Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia O'Connor, 'gifted British boxer,' dies of cancer at 25
