Tragic death of Billy Ward shocks Olympic boxing family London Olympian Billy Ward, who took his own life this month. Picture: Toby Zerna Source: DailyTelegraph BILLY Ward smiles out from his Facebook page, a tiny 20-year-old with a mop of curly red hair and a cheeky grin that endeared him to all the other gutsy fighters on the Australian Olympic boxing team. A tiny 49kg of restless energy, Billy arrived home at Gladstone Airport from the London Games last August declaring he couldn't wait to have a lash at the best boxers in the world at Rio in four years. But last Sunday, this little champion did what six other Australians do every day. He took his own life. Funeral arrangements are still being organised. The Australian Olympic boxers, tough young men used to pain, are devastated. "I'm absolutely gutted," boxing team captain Luke Jackson, 28, told The Daily Telegraph from Hobart. Billy was a quiet, shy kid without a lot of confidence and in London I took him under my wing and tried to boost him up. I told him he was in a very privileged position fighting at the Olympics at such a young age. I wish he realised he had so many supporters. Olympic coach Don Abnett said: "Billy was a very talented boxer but he was such a nice kid you wondered how he could even punch someone. He was from a good country family, good people and always had manners. His coach in Gladstone, Mick Daly, was absolutely distraught when he called me with the news on Sunday. Mick has taken it very hard. Billy was always withdrawn but we put it down to him being a shy country boy. On the eve of the Games, the little Aussie battler fronted a local campaign in his city to support the life-saving work of the Red Cross and he arrived home from London after losing his only fight there on points with another message of support for his community. "People will put you down in life," Billy told reporters, "but if you really want something, go for it. You've got be a shepherd and not a sheep. Over the next 12 months, Billy used his Facebook page to chronicle both the joy and rage of a young man who, away from the gym, worked hard on his parents' farm at Mount Larcom, 40km from Gladstone. He laughed off a fine from the Gladstone Magistrates Court in January after an altercation with police in which no conviction was recorded and on March 18, wrote: "Life's short, forget your problems, be happy, and live your life because you never know if there will be another tomorrow." But on May 12 he posted: "sometimes you try so hard not to give up or give in but at the end off (sic) the day every battle small or big must come to an end. On May 17: "i am not afraid of dieing (sic) i am afraid of not living!" Billy had his 20th birthday on July 16 and eight days later changed his Facebook profile picture to a logo of the word "Life" made from other words such as Courage, Hope, Feeling, Love and Dream. On August 2 he died. Adjunct professor John Mendoza, the former chairman of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health, said six Australians took their own lives each day and the rate of rural and regional suicides for males was about three times that of city areas. "Isolation is a big problem in the country, along with poor access to help," Mendoza said. It takes more gumption to see a doctor about depression in a small town because you might play footy with the doctor or know his family. For Luke Jackson, Billy Ward's death is a harsh warning to other young Australians - and those who love them. "I just wish Billy had put his hand up and asked for help," Jackson said. Anyone who has these bad feelings, please go and see someone - a friend or a doctor. Tough times get better. Billy has shown us that you can't fight depression alone. To seek help call Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636