Former Olympic figure skater and Canadian sports star Alexandra Paul died Tuesday in a multi-vehicle crash that left several injured, including the former athlete's baby who was in the back of the vehicle and was injured.

Paul, 31, died instantly. Canadian Public Radio (CBC) reported.

“She was not only a prodigious athlete, but also a true example for future skaters, demonstrating the values ​​of resilience, perseverance and sportsmanship,” said Skate Canada, the governing body for figure skating in Canada. in a tribute posted Friday.

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Paul and his skating partner, Mitchell Islam, whom he married in 2021, “won several international medals”, including “three medals at the Canadian Championships, and competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics”, detailed Skating Canada.

“His commitment to excellence was matched only by his warmth and kindness,” the institution said.

The collision, which involved at least seven vehicles, was caused by a truck crashing into a row of parked cars on a road in Melanchthon Township, nearly two hours from Toronto. » indicated local media.

Paul had retired from skating in 2016 and became a lawyer in 2021, specializing in “corporate law, real estate law, wills and estates”, according to her. Biography on the website of the Barriston law firm, where he worked.

“We will miss his cheerful personality and intense passion for his work and his family. “She was kind, curious and determined in everything she did.”the company declared to local media Barrie Today.

Friends and family started a Bell fundraising on the GoFundMe platform to ease “Mitch’s financial burden, giving him the space he needs to process his grief without the added pressure of returning to work soon.” Islam works as a coach at a local academy.

The couple's son, born in 2022, was taken to a children's hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to local media.

“Alex will be remembered as a passionate and determined young woman, capable of lighting up any room she entered,” reads the campaign which, on Sunday afternoon, had raised almost $200,000.

“Not only was she kind, polite, witty and determined, but Alex was also a leading figure in international figure skating,” we can read on the donation platform.