Olympic gold medalist Australian athlete of Aboriginal origin: Who is Cathy Freeman?

In October 2015, Bridie Smith, science editor of “The Sydney Morning Herald” newspaper, was preparing to add a new one to her interesting content. She loved hit headlines. She was going to meet with a spacesuit designer for her final move, which would be worthy of content such as “5 Zombies / Creatures Living Among Us” or “Feminist, Vegan Dinosaur”.

During the interview, Dr. James Waldie said that he was inspired by an athlete he watched in the Olympics while designing this special body-hugging suit.

“When I first saw her, I thought we could help astronauts if we put the suit she was wearing through an engineering and design phase. When astronauts go into space, their weight suddenly disappears and their bodies immediately adapt to this situation. This outfit deceives the body with the physical pressure it applies and convinces it that it is on earth.”

Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born 16 February 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. Her personal best of 48.63 seconds currently ranks her as the eighth-fastest woman of all time, set while finishing second to Marie-José Pérec's number-four time at the 1996 Olympics. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.

Bridie was smiling after this interview. Both the content was interesting and the title was now ready:

“Cathy Freeman's Olympic Suit Inspired the Space Suit.”

The phrase “Stolen Generation” is one of the deepest wounds in the hearts of Australian Aborigines. From the early 1900s until the late seventies, Aboriginal children were separated from their families by the state and given up for adoption to "Australian" families. This practice, undertaken under the pretext of protecting children from poverty and disease, left behind a fragmented culture and families that are on the brink of extinction.

A little girl who was a member of the stolen generation first grew up, had children, and years later had a grandchild. One of those grandchildren was named Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman. When she was just a little child, "Cathy" for short, she found a hobby that she would love throughout her life: running.

“I had a God-given talent and I built my life on it. When I was five years old, I participated in a race and won. “I really liked that.”

Cathy's speed clearly differentiated her from other children. As she grew older, the number of races she won began to increase. However, there was another feature that "separated" her from other children: her race. In those years when the traces of racial discrimination were not erased, she was not given any awards even when she came first in the races. Although Cathy says that she was a child at that time and was very happy just because she won, she also remembers that her family members often rebelled against this situation.

Cathy's mother, Cecilia, who was one of the most important people in her life, believed that her daughter was talented and always supported her in this cause. Likewise, her stepfather Bruce Barber was always by Cathy's side. In fact, Bruce had put it into Cathy's mind that if she worked hard and dedicated herself, she could win an Olympic medal one day.

When Cathy turned 15, she participated in the National Interscholastic Championship. Her performance there made Cathy think that she might have a chance in the national team selection for the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Of course, she would not be wrong in this thought and would be selected for the team.

Appearing on the track at the Commonwealth Games, Cathy was one of the members of the team competing in the 4x100 meters. At the end of the race, Australia won the gold medal, and 16-year-old Cathy won her first medal and became the youngest athlete to achieve this. This medal was also the first medal won by an athlete of Aboriginal origin. But the target was much higher.

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where she competed in the 200-meter race, were nothing more than a good experience for him. However, the most important thing that Barcelona gave her was that she had the opportunity to test himself in the 400-meter race. Because, at the Commonwealth Games two years later, she would win the gold medal in the 400 meters as well as the 200 meters. She continued to improve herself day by day. Next was the Olympics again.

Cathy came to Atlanta in 1996 very strong, but she did not have enough breath to pass French Marie-Jose Perec and had to settle for the silver medal in the 400-meter race. Of course, this was a great honor. But it wasn't enough for Cathy. She was preparing herself for the best. The world championships she won consecutively in 1997 and 1999 were also a harbinger of the coming storm. Moreover, the next Olympics would be held in her country, namely Australia.

The company that was Cathy's clothing sponsor had designed a special outfit for her to use in the races. Cathy tried on the outfit at a hotel in Brussels. She stood in front of the mirror to see this "costume" that resembled a diving suit. To be honest, she had no idea how to run in this disguise. Because she didn't seem like a very comfortable invention. However, months later, when she entered the 400-meter final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she would wear this "special" outfit. To those who asked why she wore such an outfit, her answer was quite clear:

“Because this is a special day. A big day…”

Cathy was ready, she closed her hood. The signal was given and she started running. She was running both for Australia and for the Aboriginal roots that made her who she was. As if trying to catch up with a lost generation, as if reaching for the freedom it carries in its surname... When the final stretch was entered, there were two athletes in front of Cathy. Maybe running wouldn't be enough anymore, she would have to defy gravity and fly. She rushed forward with a great sprint. The crowd was chanting wildly for Cathy. As she crossed the finish line, the announcer presenting the race said these words:

“This is a legendary victory! A magnificent performance!”

After Cathy crossed the finish line, she did not react for a while. No smile, no show of joy... Maybe her body had not yet realized that she was on earth because of the extraordinary pressure accumulated on her. Maybe she was just trying to feel more seriously what it felt like to be an Olympic champion.

After some time, that familiar smile took its place on Cathy's face. She hung the Australian and Aboriginal flags around her neck and began to take a victory lap around the stadium. Previously, she was often criticized for touring with the Aboriginal flag after winning races. But this time no one could stand against him.

Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman... The inspiration of countless people... Inspired by her, songs were written (Christine Anu, 'Coz I'm Free) and space suits were designed. Today, NBA player Patty Mills, Olympic champion athlete Sally Pearson, women's football player Kyah Simon, and many others watched her victory in Sydney 2000 and wrote their own stories. The announcer has the right:

“This is a legendary victory! A magnificent performance!”