Paige Greco, Australia’s Paralympic gold medalist, dies at 28 leaving sporting community in grief

Australian Paralympic champion Paige Greco has died at the age of 28 following a sudden medical episode at her Adelaide home on Sunday. Greco, a para-cyclist born with cerebral palsy, rose to prominence after winning Australia’s first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Her triumph in the women’s C1–3 3,000-metre individual pursuit set a world record, while she also secured bronze medals in the road race and time trial, cementing her status as a versatile and world-class athlete.Greco claimed multiple World Championship titles and World Cup medals, proving herself on both track and road. She had recently returned to elite competition after sitting out last year’s Paris Paralympics selection rounds due to health issues, earning a bronze at the 2025 Para-cycling World Championships in Belgium in August.

Her sudden passing has sent shockwaves through Australia’s sporting community and beyond.

Paige Greco’s legacy on and off the track

“Paige meant everything to us,” her mother Natalie Greco said in a statement released via AusCycling and Paralympics Australia. “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.

While we’re devastated by her loss, we’re incredibly proud of the person she was and the way she represented Australia.

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Beyond her athletic achievements, Greco was known for her positive spirit and courage. AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner described her as “an extraordinary athlete who achieved outstanding accomplishments at the highest levels of our sport. Much more than that, she touched the lives of everyone around her with her positive spirit and courageous outlook.”

Tributes pour in from Australia’s sporting community

Paralympics Australia chief executive Cameron Murray added: “Paige’s achievements on the international stage were exceptional, but it was her kindness, her quiet determination and the way she uplifted people around her that will stay with us all. She had a rare ability to make people feel included and supported, and her influence will no doubt leave a lasting impression on so many.”Fellow athletes, including retired Olympic gold-medalist Anna Meares, expressed shock and sorrow over Greco’s passing. “Sending love to all her family and friends and all in the cycling, para, and sport communities,” Meares wrote. Her family also requested privacy to grieve and process the loss of one of Australia’s brightest para-sport stars, whose legacy will continue to inspire generations of athletes worldwide.Also Read: How did Cody Beef Franke die? Inside the tragic end of the Barstool Sports star