Dawn Fraser AO MBE Travels from QLD
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Dawn Fraser AO MBE's Biography
In
November 1999, Dawn was awarded “World Athlete of the Century” at the World
Sport Awards in Vienna. In the same year was also awarded “Athlete of the
Century” by the Australian Sports Hall of Fame. She was voted the person who
best symbolises Australia and in 1998 was included as one of Australia’s
National Living Treasures.
Dawn
Fraser’s sporting accomplishments are unlikely to be repeated - in swimming or
any other sport. She is an international phenomenon: a multi-Olympic and
Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winner whose success stretched over fifteen
magnificent years. During her career she broke and held 41 World records and
was undefeated over 100 metres freestyle. Dawn has also gone onto publish her
Autobiography ‘Dawn One Hell of a Life’.
Born
in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, Dawn is the youngest of eight children from a
working-class family. In 1952, her awesome swimming ability was noted by Coach
Harry Gallagher, who took over the training of the broad-shouldered teenager
and set the 1956 Olympics in her sights.
In
1955 Dawn won her first Australian title in the 220 yards freestyle and, during
that summer season, went on to re-write the record books: setting new
Australian records in all freestyle events up to 880 yards. At the 1956
Melbourne Olympics she became an Australian national hero and world swimming
star, winning the 100 metres freestyle gold medal in world record time as well
as taking gold in the 100 metres freestyle relay and silver in the 400 metres
freestyle.
Dawn
won two more gold medals at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, and
another gold at the Rome Olympics in 1960 for the 100 metres freestyle. After
winning four gold medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Dawn finished
her international swimming career at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 silencing her
critics by winning a gold medal in the 100 metres freestyle at the age of 27.
She
has continued to give back to her sport and other sports by being mentor for
Able and Disable Australian Olympic Teams since 1988.
Twenty
years later Dawn returned to the public life as an independent member of the
New South Wales Parliament. She has since maintained an active role in the
sporting and wider community as Patron of the Cerebral Palsy Sports
Association, the Wheelchair Sports Association of Victoria and of the Ladies
Professional Golf Association. Is a Founding Member of the Laureus Sports
Academy, a member of the Sport for Good Foundation and Vice President of the
World Association of Olympic Winners, while continuing to support sporting
clubs across the country. She is also a member of the NSW Sports Advisory Board
and is a Director of the Wests Tigers Football Club, Balmain Leagues Club and
Balmain Football Club.
At
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Dawn was honoured by the
Atlanta Olympic Organising Committee as one of seven greatest athletes of all
time and also carried the Olympic torch on its way to the main stadium.
At
the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the
International Olympic Committee made Dawn, First Lady of the Olympic games
partnering him to the Opening Ceremony in which she was one of seven Australian
women to run with the Torch in the main Stadium. She also was the Attaché to
the Australian Olympic Team in 2000. She remains one of Australia’s best-loved
identities.
Speaking Topics Include
·
Olympic
Speaker
·
Inducted
into Australian Sports Hall of Fame for 15 years of Swimming
·
Held
& broken 41 records
·
Olympic
torch bearer