Cathy Freeman OAM

Retired sprinter, Gold medal Olympian and Australian sporting icon

Cathy Freeman OAM is a proud Kuku Yalanji woman, an Olympic champion and was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 1990 and Australian of the Year in 1998.

Cathy was a member of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, making her the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an international athletics event.

In 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Cathy achieved another first, becoming the first competing athlete to be invited to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony. She then went on to win the gold medal in the 400m.

Today, Cathy dedicates her time to supporting Indigenous children experience their potential in school and beyond through the Cathy Freeman Foundation. The Foundation which delivers four educational programs designed to inspire 1,600 children to realise their own gold medal journey.

Cathy Freeman OAM Book as a speaker/entertainer for your next event

Key Points for Cathy Freeman OAM

Cathy Freeman OAM is a proud Kuku Yalanji woman and an Olympic champion.
In 1990, she was awarded Young Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year in 1998.
In the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games she was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team, making her the first female Australian Aboriginal to win a gold medal at an international athletics event.
She was the first competing athlete to be invited to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics and went on to win the gold medal in the 400m.
In 2011 Cathy was elevated to Legend of Australian Sport in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
2015 Recipient of the IOC Women and Sport Award (Oceania), 2015.
Appointed as a Member of the IOC Sport and Active Society Committee, 2016.
She was awarded the Australian Olympic Committee Order of Merit in 2018.

Topics for Cathy Freeman OAM

Inspirational speaker
Indigenous speaker
Sports speaker
Motivational speaker

Testimonials for Cathy Freeman OAM

Cathy was amazing. She shared such amazing stories with our students and was highly engaged with our students during the entire assembly time.
Telopea Park School

Cathy was so engaging during her session and was an absolute pleasure to work with.
The Faculty