Sorrow as community pays tribute to ‘shining light’ Lily Hooper after NSW hiking tragedy

The 18-year-old remembered as a talented athlete with an infectious smile and ‘one of those people who everyone simply liked’

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Tributes have flowed for 18-year-old Lily Hooper, remembered as an adventurous, multitalented athlete with an infectious smile, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/lily-hooper-missing-hiker-found-dead-nsw-national-park">after her body was found on Thursday afternoon, eight days after she disappeared while hiking in the New South Wales southern highlands.

The teenager was a fixture across local sporting and community groups in the Wollondilly region, training in martial arts, alongside her job as a Sydney BridgeClimb guide.