AN OLYMPIC gymnast has paid heartbreaking tribute to her cricketer brother after he died suddenly during a match. Josh Downie, 24, from Nottingham , suffered a sudden cardiac arrest whilst playing cricket at a ground in Liverpool in May 2021 after struggling with an undiagnosed condition. Despite CPR attempts and being taken to hospital, Josh could not be saved after falling victim to an inherited heart condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM).
Three years on from his passing, however, and a mural has been unveiled in Nottingham as part of a new campaign by the British Heart Foundation. Erected to help raise awareness of sudden cardiac death, the touching piece of street art in Sneinton Market has left its mark on his closest friends and family. Josh's sister, Olympic gymnast Becky Downie, said she hopes the mural will "keep his legacy alive".
Speaking to the Nottingham Post , she said: "You hear about things like this happening – but you never, ever think it’s going to happen to your family. “Josh was just a happy, bubbly person and his personality really shone through. "Since his passing, everyone who knew him has been saying he was just one of those people who made a big impact everywhere he went.
"He was also really caring and wanted to help people wherever he could. "It was a massive shock losing Josh and I remember just feeling really confused. It was so completely out of the blue.
" A keen footballer and avid Chelsea supporter when he was younger, Josh.
