Olympian and former Australian women's hockey captain Sandy Pisani has died aged 63.
Hockey SA announced Pisani died yesterday at St Andrew's Hospital in Adelaide, a little more than two years after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Pisani was the captain of the national Hockeyroos team from 1985 to 1986.
In 1988, she was part of the team that won Australia's first hockey Olympic gold medal.
Pisani became the national head selector with Hockey Australia, filling the role from 1993 to 2000, during which time 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 Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to hockey.
Pisani's partner Mike Turtur, a former track cyclist and Olympic gold medallist, and daughter Elli issued a statement saying she died "surrounded by her loving family".
"Sandy has fought tirelessly and in true competitive spirit for more than two years until her very last breath," the statement said.
"She loved her family and friends with great passion and heart, fiercely loyal and feisty, compassionate and kind, we will cherish all of our special memories and times shared in our hearts forever.
"We appreciate the love and support bestowed upon us by our family, close friends and both the hockey and cycling fraternity at this incredibly difficult time.
"We ask for privacy as we grieve the loss of our partner, mother, sister, aunty, cousin, and friend to many."
