‘BANG, Cathy Freemans away, with a good start, a mighty roar fills the stadium, and she’s in the middle and going strongly. Almost halfway and Cathy’s coming third, she’s got work to do here. There’s about 150m to go and it’s going to be a big finish, coming into the 100m mark, Graham is in the lead, but Cathy is running up to her and taking the lead and running away from Graham to the finish line. What a magnificent performance from Cathy, what a legend, what a champion.’ (Bruce McAvaney)
Cathy Astrid Freeman was born in Mackay, Queensland on the 16th of February 1973 to Cecilia and Norman Freeman. Cathy is an aboriginal. When she was growing up her family was poor and, like many other Australian aboriginals they suffered discrimination from white Australians. When Cathy was five her parents separated, a year later her mum married Bruce Barber who became her coach and helped her become who she is today.
Cathy’s mum always encouraged her to believe in herself and soon she was winning, even though life was hard for an aboriginal girl growing up in Queensland. Cathy recalls that at one athletic competition in primary school, she had won several races but was never given a trophy. The trophies were given to the white girls who hadn’t won, but that didn’t stop Cathy, it made her more determined. Cathy won a scholarship to Kooralbyn International Boarding School in Brisbane at age fifteen, where she received professional coaching for the first time. Cathy trained hard every day and focused on the 100, 200 and 400 metre sprints.
In 1990, Cathy was selected for the Australian Athletic team where she became the first Aboriginal person to represent Australia at both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Also, in 1990, Cathy won young Australian of the year, when she was only 16 years old and incredibly in 1998 she was the recipient of The Australian of the year award. Cathy’s outstanding running career spanned over 13 years from the age of 13 to 28 where she went on to win 6 gold and 2 silver in both the Olympic and Commonwealth games breaking 2 world records.
Cathy retired from running in 2003 then, four years later, at the age of 33, Cathy started up her own business called The Cathy Freeman Foundation (CFF). The CFF focuses on helping a small aboriginal community on Palm Island off the coast of Queensland. The foundation helps to create greater opportunities and a brighter future for aboriginal children, it also helps to close the education gap between indigenous and non-indigenous children.
Cathy Freeman is such an important leader to me and a great role model for all Australians. Cathy continually demonstrates leadership qualities in her persistence and commitment. Cathy is a stunning Australian Olympian who constantly tries her hardest. She is a great role model for others to follow.
Cathy is an Australian hero that inspires me every day to keep on trying at what I love and am passionate about. I believe Cathy is an achiever, who is respectful, confident, caring, dedicated and kind natured. She has done a lot in her life and continues to do so now with the CFF. I identify with her and realise in becoming a great leader you need to give your absolute best in everything you do.
She was the star for the opening ceremony in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and carried the weight of the nation’s expectations on her shoulders but when she took to the tracks in the 400m final for Cathy Freeman this was a case of unfinished business after her silver in Atlanta.
‘Here she goes with the Australian and Aboriginal flags together. This is something she’s dreamt about since Atlanta. It is something that this whole nation has been looking forward to experiencing and she’s dancing on her toes. Tonight, well, she’s simply run the greatest race of her life. Cathy Freeman the gold medallist of the women’s 400.’ (Bruce McAvaney)
Cathy’s highlights in the 13 years of her running career were selection in the 1990 Commonwealth Games team as a 16 year old/ where she competed in the 4x100m relay and won a gold medal. In the 1994 Commonwealth games, she won gold for the 200m and the 400m and silver in the 4x400m relay and carried the aboriginal flag in her victory lap. In 1996 she won Olympic silver in the 400m and set a new Australian record. Incredibly in 1998 she was the recipient of The Australian of the Year award. At the 1999 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships Cathy won gold in the 400m and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics she light the Olympic flame in the opening ceremony and won gold in the 400m. In 2002 at the Commonwealth games she won another gold medal for the 4x400m relay and again broke the record.