Olympian and former Australian women’s hockey captain Sandy Pisani has died aged 63.
Key points:
- Sandy Pisani died in an Adelaide hospital on Tuesday
- She was diagnosed with cancer in December 2019
- She was an Olympian and former captain of the Hockeyroos
Hockey SA announced that Pisani died yesterday at St Andrew’s Hospital in Adelaide, just over two years after being diagnosed with cancer.
Pisani was captain of the Hockeyroos national team from 1985 to 1986.
In 1988, she was part of the team that won Australia’s first Olympic hockey gold medal.
Pisani became Hockey Australia’s head national coach, filling the role from 1993 until 2000, a period in which the Hockeyroos won two more Olympic gold medals.
She was inducted into the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2015 and also received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her service to hockey.
Pisani’s partner Mike Turtur, a former track cyclist and Olympic gold medalist, and his daughter Elli released a statement saying she died “surrounded by her loving family”.
“Sandy fought tirelessly and in true competitive spirit for more than two years until her very last breath,” the statement read.
“She loved her family and friends with great passion and heart, fiercely loyal and feisty, compassionate and kind, we will all cherish our special memories and the moments shared in our hearts forever.
“We appreciate the love and support extended to us by our family, close friends and hockey and cycling fraternity during this incredibly difficult time.
“We ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of our partner, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend to many.”
