The former Paralympic wheelchair basketball squad member Natalie Curtis has suddenly passed away.
The 34-year-old athlete was a member of Australia's wheelchair basketball squad ahead of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Paralympics - where the team missed out on a medal.
The basketballer - who was renowned for raising awareness of disability sports and athletes - suddenly died on February 5 but the cause of death has not been disclosed.
The tragic news was confirmed on social media by her sister Emma, who posted: "If you knew Natalie, you would know she was the most beautiful, kind, and talented person."
Read Curtis' sister's tribute below:"She was a daughter, a sister, an auntie, and a mother to a beautiful little boy," her sister continued. "Everyone who knew her loved her instantly, she had such a kind soul and would do anything for the people she cared for most."
"With such a heavy heart I’m writing this because unfortunately, Natalie left us Sunday night. We will update with the funeral arrangements once everything is sorted so everyone who loved and cared for Natalie can say one last goodbye," Emma concluded.
Despite being born with spina bifida, the courageous athlete was heavily involved in sports from a young age. She was a swimmer before she discovered basketball, but gave it up for a while after her younger sister tragically drowned in the family pool.
Curtis then took up wheelchair basketball again at the age of 14 and successfully went on to win silver at the 2013 Japan Oceania Championships.
The basketballer founded Vital Supports and Supplies - a disability care services company - and coached the sport. She worked closely with the not-for-profit organization Sporting Dreams.
The charity commemorated Curtis with an emotional statement, writing: "A young soul taken too soon. She was so much more than an athlete. A vibrant human being, wife, mother to a small boy, business founder, and manager of her own company supporting people with disabilities. Someone who leads by example. RIP Natalie."
The mother-of-one made headlines last year when she had to crawl off a Jetstar flight because the airline failed to provide her with an aisle wheelchair on landing.
During the last leg of her trip from Townsville to Bangkok, Curtis said the attendants asked her to pay to use the wheelchair so she refused and instead decided to crawl off the plane.
The aircraft spoke out after the video went viral on social media and denied that the aisle wheelchair was withheld due to a request for payment.
"We unreservedly apologize to Ms. Curtis for her recent experience while traveling with us,” the spokesperson said, per The New York Post. "We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all our customers, including those requiring specific assistance."
"Regrettably, this was not the case for Ms. Curtis following a miscommunication that resulted in the delay of an aisle chair being made available at the gate on arrival and we are looking into what happened as a matter of urgency," they added.
Our thoughts are with Curtis' family, friends, and fans at this time.
