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The 33-year-old English football player took her own life a few days before Christmas

Former England international and British Olympian Gemma Wiseman took her own life last December, a coroner has ruled – as her wife paid her touching tribute

Gemma (right) won an Olympic medal with her teammate and wife Laura

Former English player and Olympic participant for the British team Gemma Wiseman took her own life, a coroner ruled.

Her body was discovered by a member of the public in a park on the outskirts of Rackheath, Norfolk, on December 16. Norfolk Coroner's Court has now opened an inquest into the 33-year-old's death and will take place on July 29, 2024.

The coroner said Ms Wiseman had been given medication for depression and anxiety and that a therapeutic dose of an antidepressant had been detected in her blood.

Wiseman was part of the British team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 FIFA World Deaf Championships in Italy. She had won other medals with England and the Great Britain team, including a bronze medal at the 2013 Deaflympics in Bulgaria.

She was a mother of a three-year-old child and married to Laura Wiseman, who was also part of the 2016 team. Outside of football, Wiseman was a teaching assistant in Norwich, supported the Norfolk FA's first inclusive festival for girls and played for local clubs.

Her wife Laura said in a statement read out by the coroner that they “had planned to go to Cornwall for Christmas”, adding: “I did not know what Gemma was up to.” She said she had last seen her alive earlier that day.

A family statement read to the court said: “Gemma was a loving wife and a wonderful mum who always put others first.”

The 33-year-old was found dead in a forest a few days before Christmas

Chloe Callaghan commented in a statement read to the inquest that her friend had been “very quiet” and “not herself” on December 14, 2023. She said that in “all the years I knew Gemma, her mental health had been very changeable.”

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