A rising gymnast poised to become a star in the community has tragically died after falling near a popular tourist spot. Daily Mail reported.
Czech gymnast Natálie Štíchová, 23, was visiting Sleeping Beauty Castle in Bavaria, Germany, on August 15. The structure is named after the castle that inspired Disney's 1959 film. Witnesses say Štíchová suddenly lost her balance and fell 262 feet down Tegelberg Mountain.
Štíchová was accompanied on the hike by two friends and her boyfriend David. One of Štíchová’s friends, who asked to remain anonymous, told the gym that the gymnast had been standing too close to the edge of the cliff when one of her feet fell off the edge. “We will never know if she slipped or if a piece of the cliff edge broke off,” her friend added.
Štíchová was airlifted to a local hospital. Six days later, her family decided to take her off life support after doctors determined she had irreversible brain damage.
Štíchová was a well-known athlete in the Czech Republic and had recently started training young athletes. She often shared photos of herself and her friends hiking and doing other physical activities on Instagram. Two weeks ago, Štíchová shared a photo of herself and David at a friend's wedding with the caption “You are what I want.”
“Natalia spread smiles throughout her short life and that's how we will remember her forever,” Štíchová's gym, Sokol Pribram Sports Gymnastics, said in a statement. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and close friends and send them strength and support.”