22-05-2025
Georgia O'Connor: The life of County Durham's boxing superstar who was taken too soon
Tributes have been paid to County Durham's brightest boxing star Georgia O'Connor - who has this week tragically died following a brave battle with cancer. Kayleigh Fraser takes a look back at how a young athlete who dared to dream took gold for her country and made a distinctive mark in the boxing world.
"My hope is to one day fight at the Olympics for Great Britain", confessed hopeful 12-year-old Georgia O'Connor during an interview with The Northern Echo in 2012. Just two years after taking up boxing, she was already tipped to be a future Olympian.
Stood in the ring at West Durham Boxing Academy, the pre-teen from Waterhouses, who was looking to take part in her first fight - as she and her coaches was pushing for more female representation in boxing.
Georgia O'Connor pictured in 2012. But, this was not the first time we had heard of this budding young athlete who would just years later join Team GB, take commonwealth gold. Her journey was still just beginning.
John O'Connor, Georgia's father, started her boxing - sparring with pads in the garage of their home - when she was just five.
"The way society is going, I thought she ought to be able to look after herself and it snowballed from there," says John, who had three fights as an amateur boxer.
"She still has her dolls but she'd rather be out training three or four times a week, or out on the streets with the other kids. She's a little national treasure."
Georgia O'Connor in 2007. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) By 2007, Georgia was nicknamed the Little Battleaxe - in a sport a little different to boxing.
In fact, Georgia was making a name for herself in Chungdokwan, a full-contact Olympic sport affiliated to the British Taekwondo Council. At that point, she had won all but four of her 28 fights.
"For a kid that age she's amazing," said Graham Thompson, one of her instructors. "You meet her and she's a bonny little girl who's really nice and polite but believe me she can be pretty mean."
In 2008, Georgia won the Most promising new talent accolade at The Northern Echo's Local Heroes awards. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) In 2008, Georgia won the "Most promising new talent" accolade at The Northern Echo's Local Heroes awards - and by 2009, she had won her second successive British taekwondo championship.
At the British championships in Manchester, 2009, her gold medal in the pee-wee class - 11 and under - was presented by Sarah Stephenson, who won taekwondo bronze in the Beijing Olympics.
In 2010, Georgia, who was very quickly climbing the ranks, took home a third title. But, this is where she took a different path.
Her love for sport remained, but little did she know, her journey into boxing would see her soar to new heights she only could have dreamed of.
Georgia O'Connor pictured in 2016. Having won the National Championships in 2015, she was invited for a trial with England Boxing and won a place on the national elite junior squad, based in Sheffield.
In 2016, she defended her National Championship title, became Junior 70kg National champion, and was promoted to England Boxing's Excel Talent Squad, as one of only six females on the team.
She then became a silver medallist at the Junior and Youth European Championships in Turkey, and by 2017 was preparing to represent Team GB at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.
Georgia O'Connor pictured with her gold medal in 2017. Thanks to her hard work, dedication and pride for boxing, she took gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and silver at the 2017 Youth World Championships.
By 2021, Georgia had turned pro - and ended up winning all three of her fights in the ring, but in 2024, her life changed forever.
At just 24, in October 2024, she was handed her biggest fight yet - she was diagnosed with cancer branded "incurable" by doctors.
Georgia receiving treatment in hospital. (Image: VICKI WILLIAMS) To help fund alternative treatment not on the NHS, a GoFundMe page was set up by Georgia's mum Vicki Williams in February who wrote her "beautiful and brave" daughter is a "fighter". Thousands was raised thanks to the fundraiser.
Vicki wrote: "Our beautiful, brave, and determined daughter, Georgia, has just been given the fight of her life. At only 24, she has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. But Georgia does not accept this.
"If you know Georgia, you know she is a fighter—always has been, always will be. As a boxer, she has spent many years pushing herself beyond limits, proving that strength isn't just physical—it's in the heart, in the mind, in the refusal to give up. This is just another fight, and she is determined to win."
In an emotional message to her thousands of followers on Instagram in February, she vowed "to kick the absolute sh*t out of this cancer".
Georgia O'Connor in hospital. (Image: VICKI WILLIAMS) "Then, I will do everything in my power to go on to help as many people as I can who have been in this same awful position where your entire life is at stake, before you've even had a chance to live it. I promise that," she added.
"She wants to use this battle not just to save her own life but to inspire others, to raise awareness, and to show the world that 'incurable' does not mean impossible."
In the months that followed, branded a "rollercoaster", Georgia went through treatment, was diagnosed with sepsis and married the "love of her life" Adriano on May 9.
Just under two weeks later, on May 22, she passed away - and her death has brought on tributes from across the sport world and from family and friends.
Georgia's former club, Brandon Boxing Club, have also issued an emotional tribute.
They wrote: "Everyone at the club is absolutely gutted to hear the sad news that Georgia has lost her battle.
"Social media is flooded with tributes to an extremely talented and popular young lady who touched so many lives.
"Our thoughts are with John, Vicky and all her family, R.I.P Georgia."
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Fellow boxer Joe Laws took to social media and said she was the "strongest person he knew".
He wrote: "Heartbroken G, I love you man bro. Strongest person I know, always put a smile on my face.
"Listen life is short kids - rest easy Georgia you beautiful soul."
