The 51-year-old Canadian won the women's downhill title at the Albertville Winter Games in 1992.

Her brain will now be donated to the Canadian Concussion Centre after her death with Lee-Gartner suffering "multiple" concussions throughout her career.

She is said to still be feeling the effects now with symptoms including migraines, vision problems and vertigo.

According to CBC News, most research on concussion has been carried out on male brains.

Ice hockey players Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Fran Rider, along with rugby player Jen Kish, have also donated their brains to the Centre.

"Shared knowledge is power and if something that I've experienced can help someone else, then that would be a blessing," said Lee-Gartner to CBC News.

"You can't fall at 120km/h without hurting your brain. 

"But they were never diagnosed, and at the time, the concern was more about knee reconstruction and how long until I got back on skis."

A scientific link has already been established between degenerative brain disease CTE and multiple concussions, but it can only be diagnosed after death.