Personal Life
Freeman was born in 1973 at Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland to Norman Freeman and Cecelia. She and her brothers Gavin, Garth and Norman (who died after a motor vehicle accident on 16 September 2008) were raised there and in other parts of Queensland. She also had a sister named Anne-Marie (1966–1990) who suffered from cerebral palsy and spent much of her life in a home for the disabled. Freeman attended several schools, but was mostly educated at Fairholme College, in Toowoomba. Her parents divorced in 1978. Freeman has described how she has been influenced by early experiences with racism and also by her Bahá'í faith. Freeman was raised a Baha'i, and says of her faith, "I'm not a devout Baha'i but I like the prayers and I appreciate their values about the equality of all human kind".
Freeman's mother Cecelia (née Sibley) was born in the Aboriginal community on Palm Island. Freeman's father Norman's father was Frank Fisher; Norman was raised by his mother Geraldine Roy and his stepfather Claude Freeman. Freeman's late grandfather, Frank Fisher was an outstanding rugby player.
Freeman had a long-term romantic relationship with Nic Bideau, her manager, that ended in acrimony and legal wranglings over Freeman's endorsement earnings. Freeman married Sandy Bodecker, a Nike executive and 20 years her senior, in 1999. After her success in Sydney she took an extended break from the track to nurse Bodecker through a bout of throat cancer between May–October 2002. She announced their separation in February 2003.
Later that year, Freeman began dating Australian actor Joel Edgerton whom she had initially met at the 2002 TV Week Logies. Their relationship ended in early 2005.
In October 2006 Freeman announced her engagement to Melbourne stockbroker James Murch. They married at Spray Farm on the Bellarine Peninsula on 11 April 2009. Freeman gave birth to Ruby Anne Susie Murch on 8 July 2011.
In 2008, Freeman participated in Who Do You Think You Are? and discovered that her mother was of Chinese and English heritage. As a result of a 1917 Queensland policy that Aborigines could serve in the military if they had a European parent, her paternal great grandfather, Frank Fisher served in the 11th Light Horse Regiment during WWI.
On her right arm, the side closest to the spectators on an athletics track, she had the words "Cos I'm Free" tattooed mid-way between her shoulder and elbow.
Read more about this topic: Cathy Freeman
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