Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAMis an Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She would occasionally compete in other track events but 400m was her main event. Her personal best of 48.63 currently ranks her as the sixth fastest woman of all time, set while finishing second to Marie-Jose Perec's number three time at the 1996 Olympics. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionRunner
Date of Birth16 February 1973
CountryAustralia
Australians are a fantastic bunch of people but the attention can be overwhelming for someone like me.
I made my first Australian senior team when I was 16, first Olympics when I was 19, and I retired. I'm 32, I retired four years ago, so a good third of my life or nearly a third of my life has been all about running.
I was running since I was 10. Since grade one at school people looked at me and thought, oh gosh she can really run, she's a natural.
I have a friend who, if she has a bad hair day, it affects her whole mood because it is part of her sexuality, her confidence. I don't have that problem any more.
My last real race was at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000.
Between 1991 and 1997 I had really serious asthma.
I don't have a lot of regrets in my life.
I have time to breathe, time to be myself more often, I am a lot more relaxed and less guarded.
I feel like I've reached an age where I can relax a little bit with the knowledge of what I've been through, take all that experience and use it. I love the challenge of trying to get back to where I've been, and beyond it.
I quite clearly have made the right decision in my heart, retirement was the way.
I do not have any official responsibilities related to the Australian Olympic Committee or the Federation of Athletic Associations since I am too busy with my private business.
I definitely do things on my terms, it may not seem that way but I actually do.
When I'm in a bad mood, I don't listen.
I'm certainly not ready to go changing the world overnight right now. I'm completely uninformed about a lot of our issues, a lot of the nation's issues, not just Indigenous issues.