MUMBAI: The most refreshing aspect about Cathy Freeman is her gracious self. “Be grateful for what He has given you. Life is meant to be enjoyed, to be lived to the full.” She continues, “I feel it’s too negative to have any regrets in life. I never look back, or think about what could have been. What if I hadn’t won in Sydney? It’s what you are today that matters.”
The Australian athletics legend - more famous for her two-flag victory lap after her 400m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - is here as the brand ambassador of the 8th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. This is her first visit to the city.
The first Aboriginal track-and-field athlete to represent Australia at the Olympics, Freeman ran around the stadium carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags. This, despite the fact that unofficial flags are banned at Olympic Games. It was one of the most powerful public proclamations of aboriginal rights and a forceful political statement.
“When I was a little girl I had made a big promise to myself - that every time I won a gold, I would share my pride with our indigenous flag. I wanted to show I am proud of who I am and where I come from. I am happy I have been able to keep that promise,” Cathy says.
There’s also this thought that Cathy won the gold in Sydney because her main rival, triple Olympic champion Marie-Jose Perec of France, left the Games after clashing with an Australian photographer. Again, Cathy is her usual gracious self: “I love competition, so her departure definitely took some sheen off my win. I also must admit I was selfish for a moment, but the very moment realized my folly. It was sad the way she left.”
Cathy surprised many when she announced her retirement in 2003. “I just lost the way to win. I tried, but something within me told me it was time to move on. I am happy with what I achieved, I am even more happy with what I am doing now.”
Read more: What you are today matters: Cathy Freeman - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/What-you-are-today-matters-Cathy-Freeman/articleshow/7280155.cms#ixzz1AyTKfXI9
