Born: 1937 (Balmain, New South Wales)
Biography:
Dawn Fraser AC MBE (born 4 September 1937) is an Australian freestyle champion swimmer and former politician. She is one of only four swimmers to have won the same Olympic individual event three times – in her case the women’s 100-metre freestyle.
Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, New South Wales, in 1937 into a poor working-class family, the youngest of eight children. Her father, Kenneth Fraser, was from Embo, Scotland. She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local sea baths.
Fraser’s swimming career was nothing short of extraordinary. She won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth Games gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100 metres freestyle record was hers for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972. She is the first of only four swimmers in Olympic history to have won individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics – 1956, 1960, and 1964.
In October 1962, Fraser achieved another milestone by becoming the first woman to swim 100 metres freestyle in less than one minute. Her time of 58.9 seconds stood as a record until 1972, eight years after she retired from competitive swimming.
However, Fraser’s success was not without its share of tragedy and controversy. Several weeks before the 1964 Olympics, she was involved in a car crash that unfortunately resulted in the death of her mother Rose. Although Fraser’s sister and a friend survived the accident, the loss of her mother added to the prior pain of losing her older brother to leukemia in 1950 and her father to cancer in 1960.
During the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Fraser found herself at the center of controversy. She angered swimming team sponsors and the Australian Swimming Union (ASU) by marching in the opening ceremony against their wishes and wearing an older swimming costume in competition, as she found it more comfortable than the one supplied by the sponsors. Additionally, she was accused of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s palace, the Kōkyo. Fraser was later arrested but released without charge, and given the flag as a souvenir.
Unfortunately, Fraser’s actions during the 1964 Olympics led to consequences. The Australian Amateur Swimming Association banned her from competitive swimming for 10 years. Despite this setback, Fraser remained determined and continued to be an influential figure in the world of sports.
After retiring from swimming, Fraser went on to have a successful career in politics. She served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1988 to 1995, representing the Australian Democrats party. Fraser’s commitment to both swimming and public service has made her an inspiration to many.
Awards:
– Order of Australia (1988)
– Member of the Order of the British Empire (1964)
– International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965)
– Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1985)
– Australian Sports Medal (2000)