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Cathy Freeman

Cathy Freeman
 

Catherine Astrid Salome well known as Cathy Freeman is a former Australian sprinter, who specialized in the 400 meters event was born on 16 February 1973 at Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland. In 2000 Summer Olympics she became the Olympic winner for the 400 meters event and also lit the Olympic Flame.

Cathy Freeman won the gold medal at the age of 16 in Aboriginal Commonwealth Games which was held in the year 1990. She got the first breakthrough at Commonwealth Games 1994 in Canada, as she won gold medal in both the 200 m and 400 m event.

In 1996 Olympics, she got silver medal in 400 m event and won gold medal in the World Championships which was held in 1997. In 1998, due to injury to her leg she has to stop participating running competitions. In 2003, she declared her retirement.

Personal life

Freeman was born to Norman Freeman and Cecelia. She has brothers Gavin, Garth and one sister named Anne-Marie were raised at Queensland. Freeman had done her schooling at several schools and mostly educated at Fairholme College, in Toowoomba.

Her parents divorced in 1978. She explained how those early experiences showed impact on her life. Her grandfather, Frank Fisher was an excellent Australian professional Rugby league player. Freeman had a long-time affair with her manager Nick Bideau, atlast broken-up because of antagonism and legal arguements over Freeman's endorsement earnings.

In 1999 she married to 49-year-old Alexander Bodecker, a Nike executive. In 2003, she divorced from her husband. In 2006, she engaged with Melbourne stockbroker James Murch and they got married on 11 April 2009 and gave birth to a daughter Susie Murch on 8 July 2011.

Awards

  • Australian of the Year 1998
  • Australian Sports Medal 2000
  • Centenary Medal 2001
  • Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 2001
  • Olympic Order in 2001
  • In 2004 Freeman named as sportswomen of the year
  • Arthur Ashe Courage Award 2001
  • Deadly Awards 2003 – Female Sportsperson of the Year
  • Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction in 2005

Types Of Visas

Immigration Info

Australian History

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