cathy freeman

  • Birth

    Cathering (Cathy) Freeman was born on the 16th Febuary in Mackay, Queensland.
  • earliest memories

    Cathy won her first gold medal at a school athletics championship when she was 8. Her stepfather, Bruce Barber was her first first coach. At a young age she loved to run around but she also realised at a young that she was good at it. Her family was quite poor and like many Aboriginals, she was discriminated aginst by white Australians.
  • obstacles

    Cathy had won many races in primary but she never recieved a trophy. She had watched all the white girls she had beaten recieve trophies. Her parents also got divorced.
  • School

    Cathy won a scholarship to Fairholme School
  • School

    Kathy recieved another scholarship and moved to Kooralbyn International School in Brisbane where she was now being professionally coached by Mike Danila. Her family also moved to Brisbane to be closer to Cathy.
  • Commonwealth Games

    Cathy moved to Melbourne after winning gold in the 4x100m relay at the Auckland Commonwealth Games. She became the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an international Athletics Event.
  • Young Australian of the Year

    Awarded young Australian of the year award.
  • Olympics

    First Australian Aboriginal to represent Australia at the olympics
  • Commonwealth Games

    Cathy wins gold in the 200m and 400m.
  • Olympics

    Cathy wins a silver medal with a personal best time of 48.63 seconds.
  • Australian of the year

    Cathy Freeman was awarded the Australian of the year award.
  • Sydney Olympics

    At the Sydney 2000 Olympics, she had the honour of lighting the Olympic Flame and was the first Aborigine to do so. She then won gold in the 400m (her dream come true).
  • Cathy Freeman Foundation

    She now concentrates on making a DIFFERENCE to others through the Cathy Freeman Foundation.