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'It was all about running': How Cathy Freeman's mindset made her a champion

At her core, Cathy Freeman is a shy Murri kid from regional Queensland but she honed her mind and body to achieve both Olympian and Australian icon status.

Published 23 September 2025 11:43am

By Michael Rennie, Rachael Knowles

Source: NITV

Image: Cathy Freeman refused to let Olympic Fever infect her. For her, it was "all about running". (AAP Images/NITV)

Cathy Freeman still remembers waking up in her Brisbane home to the news she had made the Australian squad for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

"That was a huge excitement in my household," she told NITV.

"My parents were standing there with a newspaper reading my name in the list and I was just beaming the biggest smile."

Becoming a champion: Cathy Freeman reflects on what made her an Olympic gold medallist

Freeman made a promise to herself long before the Sydney Olympics, to focus her attention solely on running. Credit: AP Photo/Bridget Jones

So began a rigorous regime for the young Kuku Yalanji woman - a regime built on curiosity, not confidence.

"[It's] that air of curiosity, the curiosity to lean into something new and a little bit unfamiliar, and to just at least give things a try," she explained.

"I don't think I was confident!"

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Keeping her Olympic promise

Drowning out the expectation of others was key to focusing on what she expected of herself on the Olympic track.

"I've never felt stopped by what other people have tried to project onto me. I just haven't and that's where self-determination comes in," she explained.

Since she was 16-years-old, Freeman trained and competed in track and field, taking on some of the greatest female runners worldwide. Credit: AP Photo/Eric Draper

"Who do I want to be? I want to be someone who feels free. I want to feel free, and I want to feel happy, and I want to be who I truly am," she said.

"I don't need to rely on others for any kind of permission. That is not who I am.

That drive was modelled for Freeman early on by her family.

"I've got a pretty amazing role model in my mother, and a lot of family members who are just so self determined," she said.

"Despite what they've been through, there is this continued self-determination to just experience joy and freedom."

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Just a 'shy Murry kid'

Freeman quickly secured icon status in the eyes of Australia.

She was the centrepiece of the Opening Ceremony on September 15, carrying the Olympic torch and lighting the Cauldron.

Nine days later, she qualified for the women's 400m final.

Cathy Freeman and Nova Perris trained alongside each other ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Credit: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Even though she was accustomed to the corporate world of sports, media and sponsorships, the hype was hard to navigate.

"It was interesting challenge for me because at the heart of who I am, I'm actually a really shy Murri kid," she said

I was that kid who often wore caps, even through high school, over my face, and didn't make a lot of eye contact.

But when Sydney was declared the 2000 Olympics host city in 1993, it was a promise Freeman made to herself that grounded her.

"I decided I was going to take it and use it to my advantage," she said.

"I had to cherry pick because I sure wasn't willing to give up on my Olympic dream. I wasn't going to let the attention take away from that once in a lifetime opportunity."

Cathy Freeman became a household name globally after she lit the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Credit: Billy Stickland /Allsport/Getty Images

"It was all about the running, and it was all about preparing smartly. I had to not be attached to whatever was going on around me," she said.

"You've got to find yourself a place within yourself at all times to navigate [that]. Because it can get quite heavy, it can be tumultuous, it can get loud.

"It can drain you if you're not really careful."

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Staying on track

One of the largest stories at the time was the media-fuelled rivalry between her and French track and field sprinter and Olympic gold medallist Marie-José Pérec.

Pérec spent only 13 days in Sydney, before pulling out of the 400m final, citing continued harassment by the public and media.

While her departure meant Cathy had a greater chance at gold, she felt the loss.

"I will always defend that woman," said Cathy.

"I remember I was on the warm up track and my heart dropped ... I love and thrived on competition ... There was no other competitor of her class, she was in a class of her own.

"She earned the right to do whatever she pleased. She was consistently the best in the world for multiple years, multiple world titles, Olympic titles!"

Cathy Freeman took a lap of honour after winning Gold in the Women's 400m Finals - an achievement built from a rigorous regime. Source: AAP

With Pérec out of the race, Freeman took number one spot. However, the soon-to-be champion didn't let it faze her focus - which remained on the track.

"There are uncontrollables. But there's no point giving them an iota of a moment of your thoughts because it just takes away from your energy," she said.

"When you're on the brink of something you've waited so long for ... you have to accept pretty quickly the things you can't change.

"That was obviously the way it was going to be, and I had to accept it ... it's just the nature of life and sport."

For Cathy Freeman, much of her confidence was built from those around her investing in and encouraging her. Credit: AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau

Cathy Freeman stand unveiled at the site of her iconic victory

'It was all about running': How Cathy Freeman's mindset made her a champion