Cathy Freeman

Date

1973–

Description

City of birth: Slade Point
Country of birth: Australia
Field of activity: Culture — sports

More detail coming ...

Quotes

And my will to even try to compete just was not there. That’s a hard lesson to learn when all your life that’s been everything to you — your will to succeed and your will to try to succeed, that’s all of who you are. That’s the only person you know when you look in the mirror. All of a sudden, I no longer had the fire and the drive ... and it was just very confusing at the time looking at myself and not recognising myself.

Author

Cathy Freeman

Speaker

Cathy Freeman

Title of the publication

Living Black Conversations

Other contributors

Karla Grant, interviewer

Publisher (or journal name with vol. and number)

SBS TV

City of publication

Sydney

Country of publication (modern nation-state equivalent)

Australia

Publication date

20 October 2014

Location [pp. or web]

Season 21, Episode 6

Other location

www.sbs.com.au/guide/video/338354755601/Living-Black-Conversations-Cathy-Freeman-S21-Ep6

Original language

English

Genre

Interview

Context

Two years after her victory in the 400m final at the Sydney Olympic Games, Cathy Freeman lost the will to compete.

I wanted to be an Olympic champion and [in the lead up to the 2000 Sydney Games] I didn’t care about the goings-on around me. In my heart and with all of my soul I was ready, willing and I was very able ... I had a deadly sense of self-belief. I’d go to another level and say I had a deadly sense of self-conviction, where you can say whatever you want, you can do whatever you want but you’re not going to touch me ... I felt the pressure but in a good way ... [On the morning of the race] I was relaxed ... [In the stadium on the warm-up track and through the hour-and-a-half warm up] It was the most natural space for me to be in and move through ... [However, in the moment just before the call to the race] ‘the emotions become sharper and more powerful than ever ... hushed ... calm ... I felt scared — not in the scared feeling of where everything's falling apart — it's a feeling of, “Alright, this is it; there’s no turning back feeling” ... [Previously when I had been sick for a period] I had a little panic attack that lasted for three or four seconds — a very private moment — where I thought, “F*** this, I can't do this, why am I doing this?” ... [Walking towards the stadium, five metres from the track] I felt like everything turned into ... [focus].

Author

Cathy Freeman

Speaker

Cathy Freeman

Title of the publication

Episode 25: Cathy Freeman

Other contributors

Mark Howard, interviewer

Publisher (or journal name with vol. and number)

The Howie Games

City of publication

Melbourne

Country of publication (modern nation-state equivalent)

Australia

Publication date

23 July 2017

Location [pp. or web]

www.podcastoneaustralia.com.au/podcasts/the-howie-games/episode-25-cathy-freeman

Other location

n/a

Original language

English

Genre

Interview

Context

Cathy Freeman reflects on her state of mind going into the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games when she became 400-metre champion and gold medalist.