Cathy Freeman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cathy Freeman
OAM

Freeman in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman
Born	(1973-02-16) 16 February 1973 (age 52) Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Education	Kooralbyn International school Fairholme College
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Australian sprinter/runner
Height	164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	56 kg (8 st 11 lb; 123 lb)
Spouse(s)	Sandy Bodecker ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2003)​ James Murch ​ ​ (m. 2009; sep 2024)​
Sport
Country	Australia
Sport	Sprint
University team	University of Melbourne
Coached by	Step-father Bruce Barber, Mike Danila, Peter Fortune
Retired	1 July 2003
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Australia Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 400 m Silver 1996 Atlanta 400 m World Championships Gold 1997 Athens 400 m Gold 1999 Seville 400 m Bronze 1995 Gothenburg 4 × 400 m relay Commonwealth Games Gold 1990 Auckland 4 × 100 m Gold 1994 Victoria 200 m Gold 1994 Victoria 400 m Gold 2002 Manchester 4 × 400 m Silver 1994 Victoria 4 × 100 m

Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born 16 February 1973), known as Cathy Freeman, is a famous Australian former sprinter. She was best known for running the 400 metres race. Her fastest time in the 400m is 48.63 seconds. This makes her one of the fastest women ever in that event. She won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics and became an Olympic champion at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She also had the special honor of lighting the Olympic Flame at those Games.

Cathy Freeman was the first female Indigenous Australian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She was only 16 years old when she achieved this in 1990. In 1994, she won gold medals in both the 200m and 400m at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. She also won gold at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics and the 1999 World Championships in Athletics in the 400m. Cathy stopped running professionally in 2003. In 2007, she started the Cathy Freeman Foundation to help Indigenous children. She belongs to the Kuku-yalanji and Birri-gubba peoples.

Cathy Freeman's Running Career

Early Years and Training

Cathy Freeman was a very good athlete in school. Her stepfather, Bruce Barber, helped coach her to win many local and national titles. In 1987, Cathy moved to Kooralbyn International School. There, she was coached by Mike Danila, who taught her a strict training plan. This helped her become a top athlete.

In 1988, Cathy received a scholarship to Fairholme College, a special school for girls. By 1989, she was running very fast, which made her coaches think about her joining bigger competitions.

Becoming a Champion (1990–1995)

In 1990, Cathy was chosen for Australia's 4 × 100m relay team for the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. Her team won the gold medal. This made Cathy the first Aboriginal person to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. She was also one of the youngest winners at just 16 years old.

After the Games, Cathy moved to Melbourne. There, she met Peter Fortune, who became her coach for the rest of her career. She also competed in the World Junior Championships, showing her talent on the world stage.

In 1992, Cathy went to her first 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She competed in the 400m and the 4 × 400m relay. The year 1994 was a huge year for Cathy. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada, she won gold medals in both the 200m and 400m races. She also set her fastest times in the 100m, 200m, and 400m that year.

Olympic Glory and Retirement (1996–2003)

Cathy continued to improve in 1996. She set new personal bests and Australian records. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she won a silver medal in the 400m. Her time of 48.63 seconds was an Australian record.

In 1997, Cathy won the 400m at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Greece. She took a break from running in 1998 because of an injury. But she came back strong in 1999, winning every 400m race she entered, including another gold at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.

Freeman preparing to race in the Olympic 400 m final, Sydney 2000.

The year 2000 was very special for Cathy. She was chosen to light the Olympic torch at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. This was a huge honor. She then won the gold medal in the 400m race, making her an Olympic champion. After her win, she famously took a victory lap carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags. This was a powerful moment for many people. She also competed in the 200m final, finishing sixth.

After her amazing Olympic win, Cathy carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. She continued to compete in some races, including winning gold with Australia's 4 × 400m relay team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Cathy Freeman officially retired from athletics in 2003.

Life After Running

After retiring from running, Cathy Freeman has spent her time helping others. She has been involved in many community and charity projects.

Cathy Freeman Foundation

In 2007, Cathy started the Cathy Freeman Foundation. This foundation works with Indigenous communities to help children get a better education. It encourages kids to go to school by offering them support and incentives. The foundation works with other groups to help close the education gap for Indigenous Australian children.

Personal Life and Background

Cathy Freeman was born in 1973 in Mackay, Queensland. Her father, Norman, was from the Birri Gubba people, and her mother, Cecelia, was from the Kuku Yalanji people. Cathy also has some Syrian and English family background. She grew up in Queensland with her brothers, Gavin, Garth, and Norman. She also had an older sister, Anne-Marie, who passed away in 1990.

Cathy went to several schools, including Fairholme College, where she lived and studied after getting a scholarship. Her parents separated in 1978. Cathy has shared that she was affected by racism when she was younger. She has also been influenced by the Baháʼí Faith, which teaches about the equality of all people. She was raised Catholic and values the prayers and beliefs about human equality.

Cathy Freeman married Alexander "Sandy" Bodecker in 1999. After her Olympic success, she took a break from running to support Sandy through a health challenge. They separated in 2003. Later that year, Cathy started dating Australian actor Joel Edgerton. Their relationship ended in 2005. In 2006, Cathy announced her engagement to James Murch, a stockbroker. They married in 2009, and Cathy had her first child in 2011. In August 2024, Cathy and James announced their separation.

Cathy is a fan of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks rugby league team and the Carlton Blues Australian rules football team. In October 2023, Cathy was one of 25 famous Australians who signed a letter supporting the "Yes" vote in the Indigenous Voice referendum. This referendum was about changing Australia's constitution to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and create a body to advise the government on issues affecting them.

Media and Public Appearances

In 2006, Cathy joined actress Deborah Mailman for a TV show called Going Bush. In the show, they traveled through Indigenous communities in Australia. In 2008, Cathy appeared on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, she learned more about her family history, including that her great-grandfather served in World War I. Cathy has a tattoo on her right arm that says "Cos I'm free."

Awards and Recognition

• Young Australian of the Year 1990
• Australian of the Year 1998
• Australian Sports Medal 2000
• Centenary Medal 2001
• Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 2001
• Received the Olympic Order from Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001
• Named Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus in 2001
• Arthur Ashe Courage Award 2001
• Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2001
• Deadly Awards 2003 – Female Sportsperson of the Year
• Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2005
• Inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame in 2009
• Named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland in 2009 for her role as a "sports legend"

See also

In Spanish: Cathy Freeman para niños