| Dawn Fraser is an Australian swimming legend. Dawn
was born on the 4th September 1937. She loves swimming in lane 9. She
is the
only athlete in the world to win the same event at 3 Olympic Games in a
row. Dawn holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by an
Australian, 8 in total, 4 gold and 4 silver. Her family lived in Balmain, Sydney. In the 2000 Olympics Games, Dawn Fraser ran with the Olympic Torch at the Opening Ceremony in Sydney. |
|
|
|
At the 1956 Olympics Dawn became an Australian National
hero winning the100m freestyle gold medal in a world record time, as well
as taking gold in the100m freestyle relay and silver in the 400m
freestyle. Fraser won 2 more gold medals at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. She also won the 100m freestyle gold at the Rome Olympics in 1960. After winning 4 gold medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Fraser finished her International Swimming career at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, by winning a gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the age of 27. |
In 1984, Fraser returned to 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 a member of the Cerebral Palsy Sporting Association, a patron of the Wheelchair Association of Victoria and President of the Australia Sports Hall of Fame, while continuing to support sporting clubs across the country. In 1996 she was voted the person who best symbolizes Australia and in 1999 was named one of Australia's National Living Treasures. |
Courtesy ABC News on Line |
|
|
"I have beautiful memories of Balmain. I live in the
house, my parents lived in and I was born in. I suppose I feel quite safe
in it," said Dawn Fraser. With 3 brothers and 4 sisters, life in the Fraser house was pretty hectic. Dawn was the youngest. She had asthma and swimming helped her breathing. Dawn liked all sports. |
