Why is Cathy Freeman an important Australian athlete?

Why is Cathy Freeman an important Australian athlete?

She became the Olympic champion for the women’s 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame. Freeman was the first Australian Indigenous person to become a Commonwealth Games gold medallist at age 16 in 1990.

How did Cathy Freeman influence Australia?

Cathy became involved in athletics at a very young age and won her first race at eight years old. During her 2000 Olympic Games victory lap in the 400 metre sprint she carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags — a symbol of reconciliation and pride in her Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Why is Cathy Freeman so important?

Cathy Freeman, byname of Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, (born February 16, 1973, Mackay, Queensland, Australia), Australian sprinter who excelled in the 400-metre dash and who in 2000 became the first Australian Aboriginal person to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

What did Cathy Freeman want?

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.

When did Cathy Freeman become young Australian of the year?

Cathy Freeman was named Young Australian of the Year in 1990. In 2001 she received the Medal of the Order of Australia and was named the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. Freeman retired from running in 2003.

Why was Cathy Freeman chosen for the Olympics?

The organisers chose Freeman because she was young, female, Indigenous and very popular in Australia. They saw her as a symbol of a new Australia and wanted to celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal people.

Why was Cathy Freeman important to the Aboriginal community?

Cathy Freeman walks a lap of honour, carrying the Australian and Aboriginal Flags, after winning Gold in the Women’s 400 meters Finals. Freeman’s influence on the Indigenous community, through her successes touched young and old and especially inspired the next generation of athletes.

Why did Cathy Freeman carry the Australian flag?

Freeman carried the Australian and Aboriginal flags after winning gold in the 400 metres at the Sydney Olympics At the 1994 Commonwealth Games, after winning the gold medal for the 400 metres, she had worn both the Aboriginal and the Australian flags around her shoulders. She wanted to shout, ‘Look at me, look at my skin.