When Freeman called time on her illustrious sporting career in , she had collected a gold and silver Olympic medal, four Commonwealth Games gold medals and multiple World Championship titles. Now, two decades on, Freeman still inspires that same sense of hope, determination and self-belief, through her Cathy Freeman Foundation CFF. Freeman's vision for CFF, is to see an Australia where Indigenous and non-Indigenous children have equal access to education and the same opportunities for success in life.
The foundation was started almost 12 years ago in Palm Island, a community very close to Freeman's heart. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it is also the fourth most disadvantaged community in the country. Even as a year-old, Freeman knew that her dreams may not have seemed attainable to those that surrounded her, which is why she started CFF.
But it wasn't just her mum who inspired her to use her talents to make a difference in the world; it was also her older sister, Anne-Marie. Anne-Marie had severe cerebral palsy and passed away in but continues being Freeman's biggest inspiration.
She breathed a sense of purpose into my life that was above me. Freeman wants to instil the same sense of purpose, resilience and self-belief into the minds and hearts of today's Indigenous youth. Indigenous children were also noted as being twice as likely to be developmentally vulnerable as non-Indigenous children.
National Permit Meets. Sport Integrity. About Us. About Athletics Australia. Board of Directors. Senior Leadership Team. The Athletics Foundation. Contact Us. One Athletics. Copyright Athletics Australia. Cathy Freeman Palm Island. Athletics Australia acknowledges and pays respect to all traditional custodians of the lands of which we run, jump and throw throughout Australia. We pay respect to elders both past, present and emerging. Who can forget the moment that stopped our nation at the Sydney Summer Olympics.
Cathy Freeman, the hugely popular athlete, and favourite for the m championship, was cheered to victory by , spectators at Sydney Olympic Stadium, in what was a stunning performance. Coming from third place in the last metres to take out the Olympic title, Freeman dropped to her knees, overcome with relief and pride.
Her victory lap, draped in the Australian and Aboriginal flag is an image that has not lost any of it's potency and reminds us of the possibility of our nation coming together as one. Cathy Freeman walks a lap of honour, carrying the Australian and Aboriginal Flags, after winning Gold in the Women's meters Finals.
Source: AAP. Freeman's influence on the Indigenous community, through her successes touched young and old and especially inspired the next generation of athletes. Everyone was clued in during that race seeing her cross the line and how she handled herself, not only on the track, but before and after, because she had so much pressure.
Olympic champion athlete Sally Pearson remembers clearly being inspired by Freeman's run as a 13yr old. How do I do that?
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