gill was born in sydney, australia, in 1974 and first started skiing at the age of four. when she was 10 years old she began freestyle skiing training at thredbo, and when she was 14 she started competing internationally. days before her appearance at the 1998 nagano olympics in japan, she fractured her back and skied in her events with a back brace, plaster casts on her shins, knee braces and shoulder taping. her injury was severe, however, and she retired from skiing.