"Running was my silence" An interview with Catherine (Cathy) Freeman

Recently, Munda Wines owner and founder Pauly Vandenbergh had the great honour of interviewing Catherine Freeman, OAM, AC in Naarm / Melbourne.

I haven’t stopped thinking about those words since having the honour of interviewing the great Catherine Freeman this week.

Something many people don’t know is that she actually prefers Catherine, not Cathy. I asked what it was like running in front of more than 100,000 people at Stadium Australia, with all that noise, pressure and expectation. Her response: “You may not believe me, but running was my silence.” I then asked if she used meditation or yoga to deal with the pressure or block out the noise. She screwed her face up and said, “We didn’t have those options back then.”

She also shared that at just 10 years old, she wrote on a piece of paper that she wanted to be the greatest. That blew our mind and those words stayed with her throughout her journey, and she spoke about how losing only drove her to work harder and get better. But the most emotional moments were about family. She spoke about losing her sister just three days after winning Commonwealth Games gold, and then while watching footage of her Sydney race together, becoming emotional seeing her Mum and brother cheering in the crowd. Her brother would sadly pass away later too.

We all know Catherine Freeman the athlete, but listening to Catherine the person gave us an incredible insight into what drove her, what she carried and what mattered most. So much we all took away from simply sitting and listening. What an absolute privilege.

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You can learn more about the work and legacy of the Murrup Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (previously the Cathy Freeman Foundation) via this link.