Natasha Lewis: Fiancé says he has 'lost the love of his life'

Dave Bowler "knew something was wrong" when Natasha did not return from her morning run

The fiancé of a Team GB athlete who died after being hit by a car while out running says he has lost the "love of his life".

Bobsleigh team member Natasha Lewis, from Bath, was struck near Peasedown St John, Somerset, earlier this month.

She was training to compete in the Commonwealth Games and had been due to marry Dave Bowler later this year.

"She'd come back from running to wake me up in the morning and she never came back one morning," he said.

"I woke and I knew something was wrong. I just jumped in the car and went across there to try and find her and find out what was going on.

Natasha Lewis was a personal trainer, massage therapist and co-owner of a gym

"I was stopped by the police and your heart sinks because you know what that means," added Mr Bowler.

Dave and Natasha also worked together and were co-owners of the personal training business Get Fit in Bath.

Their marriage was postponed until later this year due to Covid.

"She was the other side of my life. Everything that I was bad at she would be good at for me and anything she was bad at I'd be good at it for her," Mr Bowler said.

Smile 'lit up a room'

Ms Lewis trained and competed as a runner alongside her job. She had been involved in athletic competitions since she was a child and also represented Great Britain at bobsleigh.

• Athlete hit and killed by car while running

Her coach Tom Craggs said said it "incredibly tragic" news.

"I spoke to Tash most days so from a coach/athlete point of view it's been appalling," he said.

"To know that it's something that happened while she was out running is something that that I've really struggled to get my head around."

Natasha's coach said he was struggling to come to terms with her death

Friend Kim Barfoot-Brace described Ms Lewis as "incredibly positive and driven" with a smile that would "literally light up a room".

Avon and Somerset Police are appealing for information about the crash, which happened at about 06:00 BST on 7 April on the A367 at Clandown.

A 19-year-old man was arrested in connection with the crash and has been released under investigation.