Donna Fraser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Donna Fraser

Fraser competing in a UK Women's League match at Birmingham
Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	7 November 1972 Thornton Heath, Croydon, England
Height	180 cm
Weight	64 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Sprints/400m
Club	Croydon Harriers
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Athletics World Championships Bronze 2005 Helsinki 4x400 m relay Bronze 2007 Osaka 4x400 m relay Commonwealth Games Bronze 1998 Kuala Lumpur 400 m Bronze 1998 Kuala Lumpur 4x100 m relay European Championships Bronze 1998 Budapest 4x400 m relay European Indoor Championships Silver 2009 Torino 4x400 m relay Bronze 2005 Madrid 4x400 m relay World Junior Championships Silver 1990 Plovdiv 4x100 m relay European Junior Championships Gold 1991 Thessaloniki 400 m Silver 1991 Thessaloniki 4x100 m relay

Donna Karen Fraser, born on November 7, 1972, is a famous English athlete. She grew up in Thornton Heath, Croydon. Donna was known for running fast in races, especially the 200 and 400-meter sprints. She was also awarded the OBE, which is a special honor from the British King or Queen for her great work.

Donna's Early Career

Donna was a super talented young athlete. She won six English Schools 200-meter titles. At the 1990 World Junior Championships in Athletics, she earned a silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay race.

In 1991, Donna started focusing on the 400-meter race. That same year, she became the European Junior Champion in that event. She also won another silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay.

Becoming a Champion

Donna's performance really took off in 1996 when she focused on the 400 meters. In 1997, she won the British 400-meter title. She also came in second in the 100-meter race at the AAA Championships. Because she was the top British athlete in that race, she was also considered the British 100-meter champion.

In 1998, Donna continued to shine. She reached the individual final at the 1998 European Athletics Championships. She also helped her team win a bronze medal in the 4 × 400-meter relay. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, she won two more bronze medals.

Olympic Dreams and Success

Donna truly showed her amazing potential at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. After winning the AAA title, she ran her fastest time ever. She finished fourth in the Olympic final with a time of 49.79 seconds. This incredible achievement was partly because she trained with Olympic champion Cathy Freeman that season.

Facing Challenges and Comebacks

After 2000, Donna faced many injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon. These injuries made it hard for her to compete. But she didn't give up! She made a strong comeback in 2005.

She won the 400-meter title at the 2005 AAA Championships. She also received the BBC London Athlete of the Year Award for 2005. At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, Donna was part of the 4 × 400-meter relay team. Even though she didn't run in the final race, she earned a bronze medal because she competed in the earlier heats.

Life After Professional Running

In September 2009, Donna announced she was leaving professional athletics. She decided to work full-time at EDF Energy. Her last big race was the 400 meters at the British Grand Prix in Gateshead. She finished 7th in that race.

However, Donna continued to run for the Croydon Harriers. This is an athletics club based at the Croydon Sports Arena.

Recognition and New Roles

In 2021, Donna Fraser was given a special honor. She was appointed an OBE. This was for her important work in promoting equality, inclusion, and diversity in workplaces.

Donna also worked for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. She was the Head of Inclusion and Engagement. In 2022, World Athletics named her their Woman of the Year.

Major Achievements

Representing  Great Britain and  England

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
1990	World Junior Championships	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	13th (sf)	200 m	24.19 (wind: +0.5 m/s)
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	44.16
1991	European Junior Championships	Thessaloniki, Greece	1st	400 m	53.54
			2nd	4 x 100 m relay	44.57
1998	European Championships	Budapest, Hungary	6th	400 m	51.54
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:25.66
	Commonwealth Games	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	3rd	400 m	51.01
			3rd	4 x 100 m relay	3:29.28
2000	Olympics	Sydney, Australia	4th	400 m	49.79
2005	European Indoor Championships	Madrid, Spain	3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:29.81
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:24.44
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:25.451
2009	European Indoor Championships	Turin, Italy	2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:30.42

¹Time from the heats; Fraser was replaced in the final.

See also

In Spanish: Donna Fraser para niños