Tragic: Her family had only 15 minutes to decide whether to save her.

Fifteen minutes.

What could you accomplish in fifteen minutes?

Order a coffee, walk to the train station, bath your newborn, put the kids to bed.

On Tuesday this young woman’s family had fifteen minutes to make the most heartbreaking decision of their lives – whether to save her or let her die.

She was part of a group of cyclists last Saturday morning in Sydney training for a triathlon in the Royal National Park.

A group of determined, hard working, dedicated men and women.

The chief rider in the group was 35-year old Casey Kinniard.

She was training for her second triathlon, having competed in her first New Zealand Taupo Ironman event last year.

Her father told the ABC that his daughter was going down a hill when she swerved onto the other side of the road.

“Casey was coming down that hill, and we know that it’s a big hill, it’s quite a steep hill.

“There are some dangerous curves, and we know that people come off.

“She knew that road, she’d biked over that road, she just pushed it a little too far and she lost her control, went across the road, and she hit the car.

“The car did not hit her.”

It was a head on collision.

Casey suffered a stroke. She had multiple broken bones and severe abdominal trauma.

The young businesswoman was placed in an induced coma at St George Hospital.

Her younger sister, Jevada Kinnaird, spoke to Fairfax Media telling of the agonizing decision her family then faced on Monday.

“We had 15 minutes to make a decision as to whether we would operate to save her life. If we saved her life then she would be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life.”

It is a decision no family could imagine making.

Fifteen minutes to in which to contemplate thirty-five years worth of living and determine the path to take.

Fifteen minutes to make the hardest decision anyone could ever face – whether or not to let doctors operate on her swelling brain.

Bravely her sister spoke of their ordeal.

“If anyone knew Casey, everything happens for a reason and we know she would not have wanted to be in a vegetative state.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Casey’s life support was turned off.

In a move indicative of the woman that she was her organs were donated, including her heart valves which will be transplanted into sick children.

Originally from New Zealand, the young businesswoman lived in the beachside suburb of Cronulla with her husband. She founded her own financial services company, Bespoke Advisory Services and had recently been named the NSW Crusader for the entrepreneurial support group League of Extraordinary Women.

Her father told the ABC that she was loved by everyone she met.

“That was just her, she was so giving, so caring – she didn’t have enough of her to go around.”

Tributes to Casey on social media yesterday told of her generosity, of her time spent in Cambodia building homes, of her business acumen and of her generosity.

The League of Extraordinary Women’s general manager, Chiquita Searle told the ABC

“Casey’s one of those people that you speak to and just her energy and spirit comes through the phone.”

Her father, a cyclist himself said that the family felt sympathy for the driver of the vehicle and he issued a plea for cyclists to take care on the road.

“As a cyclist myself – we do come into contact with bad drivers but there are also good drivers out there.

“Cyclists out there also need to take responsibility.

Inspector Chris Hill from the Sutherland Local Area Command said, “We’ve been able to rule out alcohol being a factor,”

“It would appear that unfortunately the bicycle rider has made an error at this time, and unfortunately paid the ultimate price.”

Her family will take her back to New Zealand for cremation.

They will return to Cronulla to scatter her ashes in a memorial service on February 6.

The League of Extraordinary Women have set up a fundraiser for Casey’s favourite charity.

Details can be accessed here.