Australian tourist dies in motorcycle crash on Thailand's Koh Samui island

Jemma Stapleton, an Australian sprinter who finished third at the 2025 Stawell Gift, died Wednesday in a motorcycle crash on Thailand’s Koh Samui island. She was 25. Authorities identified rainy weather as a key factor in the crash.

Her family was traveling behind her on the motorcycle. Stapleton’s death occurred during a family vacation one week after her 25th birthday. She had returned to the Stawell Gift final in 2026 after her third-place finish the previous year.

“I’m so lucky to have had her guiding me through my first 21 years,” her brother Joel Stapleton told the Australian Broadcasting Company. “For those that knew her, you know how lucky you were to have her in your life. Her smile was so bright that wherever she went, you knew she was there.

Her partner, Tyler Gray, posted on social media: “I can’t put into words the hurt I am feeling. You are the single greatest thing to happen to me and I am so grateful for the love we shared. ” A GoFundMe page was created to help the Stapleton family with financial pressure following her death.

“It is with great sadness that our beautiful friends the Stapleton family are facing the unmeasurable grief while on a family holiday with the passing of their beautiful daughter, sister and partner Jemma,” the page stated.