Reigning Miss Austria Lucia Sisic dies aged 22 following lifelong heart battle

Reigning Miss Austria Lucia Sisic has died at the age of 22 following a lifelong battle with a congenital heart defect. The national pageant organisation Mission Austria confirmed her passing in a statement issued by founders Kerstin and Joerg Rigger, who expressed profound sadness over the loss of the titleholder.

Born with a severe heart valve defect, Sisic had undergone seven major cardiac operations throughout her life, including her most recent procedure towards the end of last year.

She originally rose to prominence after being named Miss Vienna in early 2024, subsequently earning the national crown of Miss Austria in September 2024. Due to the suspension of subsequent annual pageants, she remained the reigning national titleholder at the time of her death.

During her competition run, Sisic intentionally kept her medical background private from the judging panel, stating that she wished to be evaluated solely on her performance and platform rather than her health challenges.

In her personal life and public outreach, she frequently expressed immense gratitude to her medical team and offered encouragement to others living with chronic cardiac conditions.

Tributes from across the global pageant community and Austria have continued to pour in, remembering her resilience, dedication to advocacy, and lasting impact as Miss Austria.