Featured Image Credit: INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Australia
Helena Pantsis
Beloved Australian sports icon Cathy Freeman soared to fame in the year 2000 at 27 years old.
She was chosen to light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Sydney Games, and won a gold medal for her 400m run 10 days later.
Her win, and subsequent victory lap, have been voted as one of the most iconic moments in Australian sporting history.
Speaking to SBS, Freeman said: "I'm very proud of the fact that when I lit the cauldron all those years ago it was a symbol of hope for all young Australians.
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"It's at times like these that I reflect and wonder the power of sport and the difference that sport can make in all of our lives."
Now at 49 years old, this national treasure enjoys retirement as co-founder and director of the Cathy Freeman Foundation to aid Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.
Residing as a mother and wife in Melbourne, Freeman continues to act as a role model for her Indigenous successors while also enjoying domestic life.
As of 2022, Cathy Freeman has an estimated net worth of $4 million (£3.3 million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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This likely comes as no surprise to many who remain aware of her lengthy accomplishments.
Starting her stellar career at only age 16, Freeman won her first gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in a 4x100m relay.
As a proud Kuku Yalanji woman, she was the first First Nations individual to compete at the Olympics, win a gold medal at an international athletics event, and boast the win of both Young Australian and Australian of the Year in the span of a decade.
The documentary FREEMAN was released in 2020, which chronicled Cathy’s 49 second run in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
It emphasised the significant impact of her legacy on the progression of sports in Australia.
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Following an outstanding response to the film, the now-retired athlete has highlighted her priorities as a mentor for young people eager to follow in her path.
“I represent a possibility for all kids, but certainly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids in particular,” Freeman said in an interview with Who.
In 2019, Cathy sold her Kew home for approximately $3.7 million.
This large sum of money will no doubt help the sports star dedicate more time to her non-profit and the children she hopes to mentor.