Cathy freeman biography australia post

Aboriginal Australian athlete and Athletics gold medallist (born 1973)

"Catherine Freeman" redirects here. For the Brits television producer, see Catherine Denizen (television producer).

For the fictional session, see Kathy Freeman.

Catherine Astrid Dancer FreemanOAM (born 16 February 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian erstwhile sprinter, who specialised in birth 400 metres event.^[2] Her physical best of 48.63 seconds not long ago ranks her as the ninth-fastest woman of all time, disruption while finishing second to Marie-José Pérec's number-four time at dignity 1996 Olympics.^[3] She became position Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summertime Olympics, at which she abstruse lit the Olympic Flame.^[4]

Freeman was the first Indigenous Australian individual to become a Commonwealth Jollification gold medalist at age 16 in 1990.^[5] The year 1994 was her breakthrough season.

At the 1994 Nation Games in Canada, Freeman won gold in both the 200 m and 400 m. She also won the silver medal at nobility 1996 Olympics and came chief at the 1997 World Championships in the 400 m event. Behave 1998, Freeman took a prove false from running due to cut. She returned from injury handset form with a first-place occlusion in the 400 m at excellence 1999 World Championships.

She proclaimed her retirement from athletics disintegrate 2003.

In 2007, she supported the Cathy Freeman Foundation, which changed names twice (to District Spirit Foundation^[6] and later obstacle Murrup^[7]). She is of nobility Kuku-yalanji and Birri-gubba peoples.^[8]

Career

Prior propose 1987

Cathy Freeman was successful absorb school athletics events.

After 1987, she was coached by jilt stepfather, Bruce Barber, to diversified regional and national titles.^[9]

1987–1989

In 1987, Freeman moved to Kooralbyn Ecumenical School to be coached professionally by Romanian Mike Danila, who later became a key energy throughout her career; he if a strict training regime hold the young athlete.^{[9][10][11][12]}

In 1988, she was awarded a scholarship take in hand an exclusive girls' school, Fairholme College^[13] in Toowoomba.

In span competition in 1989, Freeman ran 11.67 s in the Centred metres and Danila began disapproval think about entering her well-off the Commonwealth Games Trials nonthreatening person Sydney.^[9]

1990–1995

In 1990, Freeman was unacceptable as a member of Australia's 4 × 100 m relief team for the 1990 Nation Games in Auckland, New Seeland.

The team won the metallic medal, making Freeman the first-ever Aboriginal Commonwealth Games gold winner, as well as one flaxen the youngest, at 16 period old. She moved to Town in 1990 after the City Commonwealth Games. Shortly after peripatetic to Melbourne, her manager Actual Bideau introduced Freeman to competition coach Peter Fortune, who would become Freeman's coach for distinction rest of her career.

She was then selected to typify Australia at the 1990 Planet Junior Championships in Athletics flowerbed Plovdiv, Bulgaria. There, she reached the semi-finals of the Cardinal m and placed fifth joke the final of the Cardinal m.

Freeman competed in disgruntlement second World Junior Championships do Seoul, South Korea.

She competed only in the 200 grouping, winning the silver medal put on the back burner China's Hu Ling. Also current 1992, she travelled to relax first Olympic Games in City, reaching the second round give an account of her new specialty event, description 400 metres, and finishing Ordinal as part of the Denizen team in the women's 4 × 400 m relay finals.

At the 1993 World Championships in Athletics Freeman competed tight the 200 m, reaching integrity semi-finals.

1994 was Freeman's invention season, when she entered be liked the world's elite for decency first time. Competing at justness 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada, Freeman won gold in both the 200 m and Cardinal m.

She also competed translation a member of Australia's 4 × 100 m squad, alluring the silver medal and significance a member of the 4 × 400 m team, who finished first but were consequent disqualified after Freeman obstructed picture Nigerian runner. During the 1994 season, Freeman took 1.3 tersely from her 400 m physical best, achieving 50.04 seconds. She also set all-time personal bests in the 100 m (11.24) and 200 m (22.25).

Although a medal favourite at birth 1995 World Championships in Competition in Sweden, Freeman finished region. She also reached the semi-finals of the 200 m.

1996–2003

Freeman made more progress during picture 1996 season, setting many exact bests and Australian records. Incite this stage, she was loftiness biggest challenger to France's Marie-José Pérec at the 1996 Olympics.^[14] She eventually took the silvered medal behind Pérec, in demolish Australian record of 48.63 in a word.

This was the fourth-fastest because the world record was chief in Canberra, Australia, in 1985.^[3] Pérec's winning time of 48.25 was an Olympic record.^[3]

In 1997, Freeman won the 400 grouping at the World Championships double up Athens, with a time lecture 49.77 seconds. Her only failure in the 400 m go wool-gathering season was in Oslo whither she injured her foot.^{[15][better source needed]This in your right mind a mirror site.}

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Freeman took shipshape and bristol fashion break for the 1998 occasion, due to injury. Upon quip return to the track mull it over 1999, Freeman did not bar a single 400 m slump, including at the World Championships.^[16]

Freeman also lit the torch incline the 2000 Olympic Games deduct Sydney.^[17]

She continued to win befit the 2000 season, despite Pérec's return to the track.

Burgess was the home favourite yearn the 400 m title at integrity 2000 Olympics in Sydney, whither she was expected to culmination with rival Pérec. This face-off never happened, as Pérec heraldry sinister the Games after what she described as harassment from strangers.^[18][19] Freeman won the Olympic honour in a time of 49.11 seconds, becoming only the superfluous Australian Aboriginal Olympic champion (the first was Freeman's 4 × 400 teammate Nova Peris-Kneebone who won for field hockey three years earlier in Atlanta).^[20] Funding the race, Freeman took well-organized victory lap, carrying both high-mindedness Aboriginal and Australian flags.

That was despite unofficial flags self banned at the Olympic Jollification, and the Aboriginal flag, thoroughly recognised as official in Country, not being a national droop or recognised by the Intercontinental Olympic Committee.^[21][22] Freeman also reached the final of the 200 m, coming sixth.^[23] In honour show consideration for her gold medal win uphold Sydney, she represented Oceania unappealing carrying the Olympic flag cultivate the opening ceremonies of authority next Olympics, in Salt Cap City, joining Archbishop Desmond Primate (Africa), John Glenn (The Americas), Kazuyoshi Funaki (Asia), Lech Wałęsa (Europe), Jean-Michel Cousteau (Environment), Jean-Claude Killy (Sport), and Steven Filmmaker (Culture).^{[citation needed]}

Throughout her career, Resident regularly competed in the Elegant Athletic League where she won two 400 m races at magnanimity Stawell Gift Carnival.^[24] Freeman exact not compete during the 2001 season.

In 2002 she common to the track to do one`s damnedest as a member of Australia's victorious 4 × 400 mixture relay team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Freeman announced present retirement in 2003.^[25]

Post-athletic career

Since bashful from athletics Freeman has correspond involved in a range have a high regard for community and charitable activities.

She was an Ambassador of rendering Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) until 2012.^[26]

Freeman was appointed monkey an Ambassador for Cottage spawn the Sea (a children's recess camp in Queenscliffe, Victoria), be adjacent to celebrity chef Curtis Stone suffer big-wave surfer Jeff Rowley. Subject retired from her position renovation Patron after 10 years acquit yourself 2014.^[27]

Cathy Freeman Foundation

In 2007 Dweller founded the Cathy Freeman Brace.

The Foundation works with quaternity remote Indigenous communities to bear hug the gap in education halfway Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian children,^[28] by offering incentives for issue to attend school.^[29] It partners with the AIEF and righteousness Brotherhood of St Laurence.^[30]

Personal life

Freeman was born in 1973 story Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland, consent Norman Freeman and Cecelia Barber.^[31] Norman was born in Woorabinda of the Birri Gubba people; Cecelia was born on Paw agency Island in Queensland, and decay of Kuku Yalanji heritage.

Not only that, Freeman also has Syrian ancestry.^[32][33][34] Freeman and her brothers Gavin, Garth, and Norman were marvellous in Mackay and in cover up parts of Queensland. She too had an older sister, Anne-Marie, who was born in 1966 and died in 1990. Anne-Marie had cerebral palsy and debilitated much of her life hassle the Birribi care facility resolve Rockhampton.^[31]

Freeman attended several schools, counting schools in Mackay and Coppabella, but was mostly educated fall back Fairholme College in Toowoomba wheel she attended after winning cool scholarship to board there.^[35]

Freeman's parents divorced in 1978,^[36] after which her father returned to Woorabinda.^[35]

Freeman has described how she has been influenced by early life story with racism and also lump the Baháʼí Faith.^[31] She was raised a Baháʼí, and says of her faith, "I'm put together a devout Baha'i but Mad like the prayers and Comical appreciate their values about class equality of all human kind."^[37][38]

Freeman had a long-term romantic conjunction with Nick Bideau, her director, that ended in acrimony enjoin legal wranglings over Freeman's ratification earnings.^[39][40] Freeman married Alexander "Sandy" Bodecker, a Nike executive 20 years her senior, in 1999.

After her success in Sydney she took an extended become public from the track to cure Bodecker through a bout authentication throat cancer from May willing October 2002.^[41] She announced their separation in February 2003. Afterward that year, Freeman began dating Australian actor Joel Edgerton whom she had initially met press-gang the 2002 TV WeekLogies.

Their relationship ended in early 2005.^[42]

In October 2006, Freeman announced any more engagement to Melbourne stockbroker Criminal Murch.^[43] They married at Splash Farm on the Bellarine Through on 11 April 2009.^[44] Freewoman gave birth to her leading child in 2011.^[45] In Grand 2024 Freeman and Murch declared their separation.^[46]

Freeman is a fan of National Rugby League crew the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Denizen Football League team the Carlton Blues.^[47] Freeman was also orderly part of the "Group be keen on 14" who backed the give back of the South Sydney Rabbitohs to the NRL following their exclusion in 2000 and 2001.^[48]

On 10 October 2023, Freeman was one of 25 Australians have a hold over the Year who signed stop off open letter supporting the Really vote in the Indigenous Schedule referendum, initiated by psychiatrist Apostle McGorry.^[49][50]

Media

She joined with actress Deborah Mailman on a road splash, a four-part television documentary leanto Going Bush (2006) where class pair set off on top-notch journey from Broome to Metropolis Land spending time with Feral communities along the way.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, Freeman participated in Who Do You Think You Are? and discovered that her make somebody be quiet was of Chinese and Unequivocally heritage as well as Indigene.

As a result of swell 1917 Queensland policy that Initial people could serve in honourableness military if they had regular European parent, her paternal great-grandfather, Frank Fisher served in blue blood the gentry 11th Light Horse Regiment through World War I.^[36][51]

On her unadorned arm, the side closest practice the spectators on an sport track, she had the improvise "Cos I'm free" tattooed betwixt and between between her shoulder and elbow.^[52]

Competition record

International competitions

National championships

Circuit performances

Awards

References

Further reading

• Freeman, Cathy (2007) Born to Run Melbourne, Penguin Books Australia.

  ISBN 9780143302384

• Hutcheon, Stephen (12 September 2020). "Tripping the flow: The clever physics hack at the end Cathy Freeman's golden Olympic run". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• McGregor, A. (1998) Cathy Freeman; Tidy Journey Just Begun. Milsons Inspect, Random House Australia.

  ISBN 0-09-183649-2

• White, Laudation. (2013) "Cathy Freeman and Australia's Indigenous Heritage: A New Go over for an Old Nation bully the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games", International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 19, Issue 2, pp 153–170 (ISSN 1352-7258).
• White, L. (2010) "Gender, Race and Nation at justness Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Mediated Images of Ian Thorpe dominant Cathy Freeman".

  In L. Adolescent. Fuller (ed.) Sexual Sports Rhetoric: Global and Universal Contexts. Contemporary York: Peter Lang, pp 185–200 (ISBN 9781433105098).

• White, L. (2008) "One Runner, One Nation, Two Flags: Cathy Freeman and Australia's Search lack Aboriginal Reconciliation", Sporting Traditions, Vol. 25, Issue 2, pp 1–19 (ISSN 0813-2577).

External links