Australian para-cyclist Paige Greco, a Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist whose grit and warmth endeared her to an entire sporting community, died on Sunday following a sudden medical episode at her home in Adelaide. She was just 28.
Greco’' family, devastated by the loss, remembered her as the heartbeat of their home.
"Paige meant everything to us,” her mother Natalie said in a statement. “Her kindness, her determination and her warmth touched our family every single day. She brought so much joy and pride into our lives, and the pain of her passing is something we will carry forever.”
Born with cerebral palsy, Greco became one of Australia’s most promising para-athletes. Her breakthrough came at the Tokyo Paralympics, where she claimed the first gold medal of the Games, smashing her own world record in the women’s C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit. She followed it up with two bronze medals in the road race and time trial.
Her rapid rise in the sport was nothing short of extraordinary. Greco switched from para-athletics to para-cycling only in 2018 and, within a year, stormed the 2019 Track World Championships with three world records, two golds and a silver. Multiple world titles and World Cup medals followed as she established herself among the most exciting talents in the para-cycling arena.
Her passing, Paralympics Australia said, has left a deep void.
"The sadness being felt across Paralympics Australia today is a reflection of the enormous regard in which she was held,” CEO Cameron Murray said. “Paige was an extraordinary athlete, but more importantly, a remarkable person."
"Her achievements were exceptional, but it was her quiet determination and her ability to uplift people that we will remember. She made people feel included and supported, and her influence will leave a lasting impression."
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