Cathy Freeman
- Cathy Freeman was born in Queensland on 16 February, 1973.
- 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 did Cathy Freeman carry an Aboriginal flag at the Commonwealth Games?
The morning of her 400m final at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Cathy Freeman pulled a carefully folded Aboriginal flag from her kit bag and handed it to her coach. She wanted it waiting at the finish line, just in case. Freeman wanted to carry her people and her culture with her through each success.
What is Cathy Freeman famous for?
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. Freeman began competitive running on the advice of her stepfather.
What has Sarah Freeman done for Aboriginal people?
Although she failed to win a medal at the Barcelona Games, Freeman’s profile continued to grow, and she brought new attention to Aboriginal people, who had historically encountered discrimination.
What happened to Cathy Freeman at the 1994 Commonwealth Games?
Cathy Freeman at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Image: Getty. By the following morning, a debate had swelled back home in Australia, after Australia's Chef de Mission for the games, Arthur Tunstall, issued a statement publicly reprimanding the star athlete over her use of the Aboriginal flag.
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Who was the woman who pulled the Aboriginal flag from her kit bag?
The morning of her 400m final at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Cathy Freeman pulled a carefully folded Aboriginal flag from her kit bag and handed it to her coach. She wanted it waiting at the finish line, just in case. Freeman wanted to carry her people and her culture with her through each success.
What are the symbols of freedom that Freeman wrapped her shoulders in?
With her shoulders free of the weight of expectation, Freeman wrapped them in two symbols of pride: the national flag of Australia and the Aboriginal flag, gently twisted together.
What does the Aboriginal flag represent?
As explored in a new documentary, Freeman, which airs on the ABC tonight (Sunday, September 13), the Aboriginal flag represented pride to the sprinter, but also the struggles and hardships of her ancestors. People like her grandmother who was a member of the Stolen Generations.
What did Beaming do?
Beaming, she jogged around the track, the flags of both her country and her people held proudly over her head.
Do Aboriginal people hold the Olympic flag?
The Olympics themselves celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture throughout, showing the rich history to the world. Yet under the International Olympic Committee's rules no Indigenous athletes are allowed to hold the flag aloft.
Who was the woman who played in the 1994 Commonwealth Games?
Cathy Freeman at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Image: Getty.
Did Cathy Freeman carry the Aboriginal flag?
Cathy Freeman was war ned not to carry the Aboriginal flag at the Olympics. She did it anyway. On the evening of September 25, 2000, Australia stopped for 49.11 seconds. We, along with the billions who tuned in from around the world, watched as one of our greatest-ever athletes, clad in a head-to-toe body suit, strode across the 400m finish line, ...
Who is Cathy Freeman?
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. Britannica Quiz. Everything Track and Field Quiz.
When did Cathy Freeman retire?
She retired from professional competition in 2003. Cathy Freeman. Cathy Freeman preparing to light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremonies of the 2000 Games in Sydney. Jamie Squire/Getty Images. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.
What is Catherine Freeman Foundation?
In 2007 Freeman established the Catherine Freeman Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on Indigenous children in Australia. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. History at your fingertips.
When did Cathy appear on the cover of Australian Women's Weekly?
Cathy appeared on the cover of the October 2000 Australian Women's Weekly. And 20 years on from that iconic moment, and Cathy is still coming to terms with what her symbol has meant in Australia's continued path towards reconciling its Indigenous relations.
Who is the Indigenous woman who won gold in the 1994 Commonwealth Games?
EXCLUSIVE: Four prominent Indigenous media personalities address the state of Australia. Australian Women's Weekly. In 1994, Cathy , an Indigenous Australian, also won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Canada. At the time, she decided to wrap the Aboriginal flag around herself whilst doing her victory lap.
What is the symbolism of Cathy?
The world watched as Cathy, a woman whose journey was in no way straightforward, became not only a symbol of success, but a symbol of hope for a new page in Australia as attitudes finally, finally began to shift towards its relationship with Indigenous people.
Is Cathy's road to gold smooth sailing?
While her success is indisputable now, Cathy's road to gold was in no way smooth sailing.
How old was Cathy Freeman when she was an Aboriginal woman?
Twenty years ago, Australia was reckoning with its treatment of its First Peoples. At the same time, 27-year-old Aboriginal woman Cathy Freeman prepared for the race of a lifetime. On IWD, we're revisiting Freeman's watershed moment.
Where does Cathy Freeman live?
From Melbourne, where she lives with her husband and son, Freeman oversees the Cathy Freeman Foundation (CFF) which delivers educational programs to 1,600 Indigenous children across four remote communities: Palm Island, Woorabinda, Wurrumiyanga and Galiwin’ku.
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Who won the 400m gold medal?
Credit: Tony Feder /Allsport. 23 Aug 1994: Cathy Freeman of Australia celebrates with both Australian and Aboriginal flags after winning the 400 metres final during the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. Freeman won the gold medal with a time of 50.38 seconds. In September 2020, to mark the 20-year anniversary of her win, ...
When was the Freeman documentary released?
In September 2020, to mark the 20-year anniversary of her win, a documentary titled Freeman was released, detailing Freeman’s childhood, her personal reflections as an elite athlete and the broader impact of her journey on Australia as a whole.
Where was the Freeman tournament held?
Not only was the tournament being held in Freeman’s home country—set in Sydney, Australia—but her story was one that was uniting the nation. Just months prior, in May 2020, hundreds of thousands of Australians marched for a more reconciled country and for the recognition of the immense ill-treatment of its First People.
How many people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2000?
That was truly on show just months before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when more than 250 000 Australians marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to call for reconciliation. It remains the largest political demonstration in the history of this country.
What is the rule for wearing a flag other than the national flag?
Any athlete who carries or wears a flag other than their national flag risks falling foul of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which states, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”.
What does the Aboriginal flag represent?
As explored in a new documentary, Freeman, which airs on the ABC tonight (Sunday, September 13), the Aboriginal flag represented pride to the sprinter, but also the struggles and hardships of her ancestors. People like her grandmother who was a member of the Stolen Generations.
When did Australia stop?
ON the evening of September 25, 2000, Australia stopped for 49.11 seconds. We, along with the billions who tuned in from around the world, watched as one of our greatest-ever athletes, clad in a head-to-toe body suit, strode across the 400m finish line, metres ahead of her competitors.
Where was the Aboriginal flag at the 1994 Commonwealth Games?
THE VICTORIA CONTROVERSY. The morning of her 400m final at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Cathy Freeman pulled a carefully folded Aboriginal flag from her kit bag and handed it to her coach. She wanted it waiting at the finish line, just in case.
Do Aboriginal people hold the Olympic flag?
The Olympics themselves celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture throughout, showing the rich history to the world. Yet under the International Olympic Committee’s rules no Indigenous athletes are allowed to hold the flag aloft.
Who was the person who was banished to Palm Island?
People like her grandmother who was a member of the Stolen Generations. People like her great-grandfather, George Sibley, who refused to hand control of his wages over to police, and so was banished to the Palm Island penal settlement along with his wife and their five children.
