Catherine Freeman OAM, Olympic Athlete
Catherine (Cathy) Freeman is one of Australia’s most successful female athletes. At 16 years of age, Freeman won gold at the Commonwealth Games as part of the 4 x 100m relay team. In 1990 she was awarded Young Australian of the Year, and Aboriginal Athlete of the Year in 1991. In 1992, Freeman became the first Aboriginal track and field athlete to represent Australia at an Olympic Games. She became one of Australia's best known figures with double gold at the Commonwealth Games in 1994 in the 200m and 400m. Catherine also became the first Australian women to run under 50 seconds for 400m in Melbourne in 1996.
At the '96 Olympic Games, she became the sixth fastest women ever over 400m, running a Commonwealth record and winning the silver medal behind Marie-Jose Perec in arguably the greatest one lap race of all time. Catherine won back-to-back World Championships in 400m in 1997 and 1999. Freeman took the 200m/400m National title double in 2000 at Stadium Australia.
Catherine took the prestigious honour of lighting the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. What followed was the realisation of a dream winning the 400m and claiming Australia's 100th Olympic Gold medal. This was backed up by a seventh placing in the final of the 200m, and running a great anchor leg for the Australian 4 x 400m relay team finishing fifth in a new Australian record time.
Catherine retired from athletics in 2003 and has taken up community ventures. In 2006, a biographical documentary Cos I'm Free (AKA Cathy Freeman), was shown on Australian television. Catherine featured in two series of the Lonely Planet special Going Bush, where she ventured to remote areas of Australia and has released an autobiography, Born to Run - Cathy: Her Own Story.
Awards and honours bestowed on Catherine include World Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards (2001), the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards (2001), The Don Award - Sport Australia Hall of Fame award given to the sportsperson who has most inspired the nation (2000) and being voted Australian of the Year (1998).
Catherine has a real desire to give back to the Australian community and has just established her foundation, the Catherine Freeman Foundation. The Foundation provides pathways to a brighter future and opportunity for people to achieve their dreams by using education and sport as a conduit for social change; the focus being on indigenous girls.
More information on the Foundation can be found at www.catherinefreemanfoundation.com
Biography adapted from http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Sports_Olympic/Cathy_Freeman/Biography