Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Just weeks after the death of a rising sprinter sent shockwaves across the country, Australia’s athletic community is once again in mourning.
Tributes have poured in across the nation after the sudden passing of 21-year-old Natasha Ward on Thursday.
Ms Ward was a rising middle-distance runner from New South Wales who has been remembered for her contributions to athletics — with the young runner having most recently won bronze in the UniSport National 800m race in April.
News of the 21-year-old’s passing was announced by NSW Athletics in conjunction with her local club, the Sutherland District Athletics Club.
“It is with deep sadness that we inform the NSW and Australian community of the passing of beloved athlete Natasha Ward,” their online tribute read.
The touching post went on to praise the late runner for her previous wins, before addressing her impacts on the athletic community outside of the track.
“Beyond her achievements on the track, Natasha was a greatly loved member of our community.
“Her kindness and joy touched everyone fortunate enough to know her, and her magnetic smile and warm personality has left a permanent mark on Australian athletics.”
Ward’s cause of death has not been revealed.
According to Ward’s now-deleted LinkedIn, she was enrolled at Sydney’s Macquarie University where she studied exercise and sports science.
Fellow athletes across the nation were quick to pay tribute to the late 21-year-old.
“Devastating news, thoughts are with Natasha’s family and friends,” Australian runner Nathan Breen wrote.
One mum in the NSW athletics community shared her memory of Ward assisting her son in finding the right pair of running shoes, saying that “her warmth and kindness were unforgettable”.
“This news has come as a complete shock. There are simply no words,” another Aussie shared.
Ms Ward’s passing marks the second tragic death the Australian athletics community has faced in as many months.
In early June, former Stawell Gift finalist Jemma Stapleton died while on an overseas family holiday.
The promising sprinter had suffered severe head injuries after her motorcycle crashed into two vehicles on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand on June 10.
The Victorian Athletic League remembered Stapleton as a rising star “whose presence, character and contribution left a lasting impact on those around her”.
Knox Little Athletics said it was “deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Jemma Stapleton while overseas on a family holiday”.
Athletics coach Scott Rowsell paid tribute after learning of the 25-year-old’s “tragic and sudden passing”, calling Stapleton a “beautiful and bright personality”.
A GoFundMe set up for the Stapleton family after the Thailand tragedy quickly raised $103,000 within a week.
