Brittany George was found dead at age 24 on Friday February 4, a week after she went missing, per 7 News AU. The Australian aerial skier had been a competitive athlete throughout her life, and was hoping to go to the Olympics for the sport one day. Since the skier’s death, tributes have poured in for the Olympic hopeful, including one from fellow skier Abbey Wilcox. “You were such a big part of the aerials world, and our lives. We did so many firsts together – first competition, first doubles on snow, first World Cup. We literally travelled the world together. I am so sorry,” she wrote in part in the tribute. Find out more about Brittany here.
1. Brittany was an aerial skier
Brittany opened up about being a lifelong athlete during an October 2021 interview on the Couching the Mind podcast. She had been aerial skiing for Australia in the international competitions from 2017 to 2020, according to 7 News. She’d hoped to ski for her home country during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but the dreams were shattered when she suffered a back injury. She’d also worked at the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia. She’d been a gymnast before that.
2. She was reported missing in January
Brittany was first reported missing in her hometown of Ascot, which is a suburb of Brisbane, on January 21. “Family have concerns for her welfare as her disappearance is out of character and she suffers from a medical condition,” local police said in a statement at the time.
3. She was found dead in Brisbane
Almost a week after being reported missing, Brittany’s body was found in the Albion area of Brisbane. Police reported that she’d died by suicide six days after she’d gone missing. “On Thursday, 27th of January 2022, our world stopped as we heard the devastating news that our beloved Brittany had passed away,” her loved ones said in a statement on her GoFundMe.
4. She opened up with mental health issues on a podcast
Brittany spoke about some of her struggles with mental health during an October 2021 appearance on the Couching the Mind podcast, especially after her injury. She said that hurting herself made her feel like she’d lost her “identity,” and she’d put so much of her mental health into sports. “I will admit I do have a lot of mental health issues and mental illnesses, diagnosed myself, quite at an early age,” she said in the interview. “I was four [or] five-years-old when my brain kinda tipped over and was like. Okay, so the plan is you’ll be an athlete until you’re good, and when you’re done, then you’ll die.”
5. Her family started a GoFundMe
After Brittany’s death, her loved ones started a GoFundMe page to raise money for her family. The $10,000 goal was quickly met. “This fundraiser has been organised on behalf of the family. All money raised will go directly towards funeral costs and arrangements to celebrate Brittany’s life. Any remaining funds will be donated to Lifeline, a non-profit organisation providing 24/7 crisis support,” the description said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.