Gladiators Star Gold Dies at 60 After Cancer Battle

Lize van der Walt, the athlete known as Gold on the 1990s British television series Gladiators, has died at age 60 after a long battle with cancer. She passed away on April 19 in South Africa, where she had returned following her time on the show.

The news was announced on Tuesday via the official Gladiators social media pages. An emotional statement from the show's organizers read, "We're deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Gladiators golden girl, Gold. Chosen from thousands of applicants to become one of the show's new Gladiators, she quickly made her mark. Although injury limited her appearances, she showed incredible resilience and when she did compete, she proved that all that glistens truly was Gold."

Born in South Africa and raised in Switzerland, van der Walt was a accomplished runner before joining Gladiators. At age 21, she won a gold medal in the 400 meters in 1987 and excelled in relay events. A keen adventurer, she climbed Table Mountain in Cape Town prior to relocating to the United Kingdom in the 1990s. There, she worked as a personal trainer, and friends encouraged her to apply for the Gladiators casting call, recognizing her fitness prowess.