Cathy Freeman

**Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman** OAM (born 16 February 1973) be an Australian former sprinter, wey specialise insyd de 400 metres event. Ein personal best of 48.63 seconds currently dey rank am as de ninth-fastest woman of all time, set while na she fini second to Marie-José Pérec ein number-four time at de 1996 Olympics. She cam be de Olympic champion for de women's 400&nbsp;metres at de 2000 Summer Olympics, at wich na she light de Olympic Flame.

Na Freeman be de first female Indigenous Australian make she cam be a Commonwealth Games gold medalist at age 16 insyd 1990. Na de year 1994 be ein breakthru season. At de 1994 Commonwealth Games insyd Canada, Freeman win gold insyd both de 200&nbsp;m den 400&nbsp;m. She sanso win de silver medal at de 1996 Olympics wey na she cam first at de 1997 World Championships insyd de 400&nbsp;m event. Insyd 1998, Freeman take a break from running secof injury. She return from injury in form plus a first-place finish insyd de 400&nbsp;m at de 1999 World Championships. She announce ein retirement from athletics insyd 2003.

Insyd 2007, she found de Cathy Freeman Foundation, wich change names twice (to Community Spirit Foundation den later to Murrup). She be of de Kuku-yalanji den Birri-gubba peoples.

## Career

### Prior to 1987
Na Cathy Freeman be successful insyd school athletics events. After 1987, na step poppie, Bruce Barber, coach am to various regional den national titles.

### 1987–1989
Insyd 1987, Freeman move go Kooralbyn International School wey na she coached professionally by Romanian Mike Danila, wey later cam be a key influence thru out ein career; he provide a strict training regime give de young athlete.

## Ein life matter
Na dem born Freeman insyd 1973 at Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland, to Norman Freeman den Cecelia Barber. Na dem born Norman insyd Woorabinda of de Birri Gubba people; na dem born Cecelia on Palm Island insyd Queensland, wey she be of Kuku Yalanji heritage. Moreover, Freeman sanso get Syrian ancestry. Na dem raise Freeman den ein bros Gavin, Garth, den insyd Mackay den insyd oda parts of Queensland. She sanso get an older sister, Anne-Marie, wey na dem born insyd 1966 wey she die insyd 1990. Anne-Marie get cerebral palsy wey na she spend much of ein life insyd de Birribi care facility insyd Rockhampton.

## Competition record

### International competitions

### National championships

### Circuit performances

## References


## Read further

* Freeman, Cathy (2007) *Born to Run* Melbourne, Penguin Books Australia.  ISBN&nbsp;
* 
* McGregor, A. (1998) *Cathy Freeman; A Journey Just Begun.* Milsons Point, Random House Australia.  ISBN&nbsp;
* White, L. (2013) "Cathy Freeman and Australia's Indigenous Heritage: A New Beginning for an Old Nation at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games", *International Journal of Heritage Studies*, Vol. 19, Issue 2, pp 153–170 ( ).
* White, L. (2010) "Gender, Race and Nation at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Mediated Images of Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman". In L. K. Fuller (ed.) *Sexual Sports Rhetoric: Global and Universal Contexts*. New York: Peter Lang, pp 185–200 ( ).
* White, L. (2008) "One Athlete, One Nation, Two Flags: Cathy Freeman and Australia's Search for Aboriginal Reconciliation", *Sporting Traditions*, Vol. 25, Issue 2, pp 1–19 ( ).

## External links

* Cathy Freeman at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame 
* Cathy Freeman at the Australian Olympic Committee 
* Cathy Freeman at Commonwealth Games Australia
* Cathy Freeman at World Athletics 
* Cathy Freeman at Olympedia 
* Cathy Freeman at Estrella Sports Management
* The Cathy Freeman Foundation - supports Indigenous students to experience their full potential in school