Australian swimming icon Dawn Fraser has been rushed to hospital after suffering multiple injuries in a fall on the Sunshine Coast.
The 87-year-old legend, who lives in Noosa, is reportedly doing better after undergoing surgery yesterday.
A Legendary Career
Fraser is one of the greatest athletes Australia has ever produced. She was the face of the Melbourne 1956 Olympics, where she won two gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle. She went on to win the 100m freestyle gold at the Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964 Olympics.
During her career, Fraser broke and held 27 world records, including lowering the 100m women’s freestyle world record from 1:04.5 to 58.9 seconds. She was the first female athlete elevated to Legend status by the Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 1993.
The Dawn Award
In 2021, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame named an award after Fraser, recognizing an individual, team, or organization that has changed sport for the better. The award has been given to tennis legend Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, athletics icon Peter Norman, the 2000 Olympic women’s water polo team, and basketball superstar Lauren Jackson.
A Controversial Figure
Fraser was also known for her larrikin behavior and defiance. After the 1964 Olympics, she was banned from competitive swimming for 10 years after she defied a ban from the Australian Swimming Union on marching in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games.
She was also accused of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s palace and arrested, but was released without charge. In a 2007 interview, Fraser revealed that she and the Australian men’s hockey team had taken the flag as a prank, but things got out of hand when they were chased by police.
A Life of Achievement
Fraser’s achievements go beyond her swimming career. She was named Australian of the Year in 1964 and was elected to NSW parliament for Balmain between 1988 and 1991. She was also made a member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1967, an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1998, and Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2018.
Wishing Dawn a Speedy Recovery
As Fraser recovers from her injuries, we wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back to her usual self soon.