She had been chosen to light the Olympic cauldron, the culminating moment of the Opening Ceremony, on 15 September.
She has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on February 16, 1973.
But it should also be a reminder of how much more Indigenous Australians have to fight to be accepted in Australia.
Shortly after moving to Melbourne, her manager Nic Bideau introduced Freeman to athletics coach Peter Fortune, who would become Freeman's coach for the rest of her career.
The couple announced their engagement in 2006 and got married in 2009.
Birth Name: Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman Occupation: Runner Born In: Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland Birthdate: February 16, 1973 Age: 49 years old as of 2022 Ethnicity: Multiracial Nationality: Australian Sexuality: Straight Cathy Freeman was born on the 16th of February, 1973.