Freeman was awarded Australia’s highest civilian honor on Monday in the annual honors list commemorating the national holiday Australia Day. The honor, he said, means that at age 53, it’s time to start taking things more seriously.
Freeman has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in recognition of her services to athletics, her social impact across Australia and as a role model for youth. She was one of ten people to receive the honor, including five women.
In addition to being one of Australia’s leading female athletes, Freeman has also been a long-time advocate on issues affecting Australia’s indigenous people.
She was the first Indigenous Australian to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games when, at the age of 16 in 1990, she was part of the winning Australian 4x100m relay team. He went on to win four Commonwealth golds and world championships in the 400 in 1997 and 1999.
In 2007, she founded the Cathy Freeman Foundation, later renamed the Community Spirit Foundation, which supports educational opportunities for Indigenous children in remote communities.
Freeman told the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday: “I wanted to be the best athlete I could be for myself and suddenly this whole world unfolded before my eyes, and it just keeps expanding, and it’s still a wild ride, let me tell you!”
He said the honor means he will have to “take the things I’m going to pursue now a little more seriously.”
“It’s so mature, so formal, so serious. The responsibility that comes with it… this is a serious honor. So damn, I have to be serious. I’m 53 years old, so I think I have to act a little more serious.”
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