Dawn FraserACMBE (born 4 September 1937) is an Australian freestyle champion swimmer, eight-time olympic medallist, a 15-year world record holder in the 100-metre freestyle, and former politician. Controversial, yet the winner of countless honours, she has enjoyed national prominence and sparked national pride in Australia. 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.[1]
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.[2] Her father, Kenneth Fraser, was from Embo, Scotland.[3] She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local harbourside baths.
Swimming career
Fraser in 1958
As a highlight of her swimming career, Fraser held 39 records and won eight Olympic medals for Australia, including four gold. Adding to her popularity in her native country and the British Commonwealth, she captured six Commonwealth Games gold medals. She dominated the high profile 100 metres freestyle event, holding the record for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.[4]
In October 1962, she became the first woman to swim the 100 metres freestyle in less than one minute setting the record of 59.9, a feat that elevated her to national prominence and made her a hero in Australia where swimming was a popular sport.[5][6][4] It was not until 1972, eight years after Fraser retired, that her 100 m record of 58.9 secs was broken.[7]
Several weeks before the 1964 Olympics, Fraser was injured in a car crash that injured a vertebra and resulted in the death of her mother Rose. Her sister and a friend were also travelling in Fraser's car during the accident, but survived.[8] This was a fresh tragedy for Fraser and her family following her older brother's death from leukemia in 1950, and her father's death from cancer in 1960.
1964 Summer Olympics incidents and ban from swimming
During the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Fraser 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. She was also accused of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito's palace, the Kōkyo. She was arrested but released without charge. In the end she was given the flag as a souvenir.[9]
Fraser later denied having swum the moat to steal the flag, telling The Times in 1991: "There's no way I would have swum that moat. I was terrified of dirty water and that moat was filthy. There's no way I'd have dipped my toe in it."[10] The Australian Amateur Swimming Association banned Fraser from competitive swimming for 10 years.[11]
Fraser married Gary Ware on 30 January 1965 at St Stephen’s Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney.[13] The marriage was short-lived. She has one daughter from the marriage, who has a son. She and her family live in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This move north from Sydney to the warmer, subtropical climate of Noosa was intended to reduce the breathing problems caused by Fraser's asthma, as the warmer air and increased vitamin D from sunlight are beneficial for the condition.[14][15]
In 1997, Fraser told the ABC: "I mean I wish I could be as outspoken, I suppose, as Pauline Hanson and say, 'look, I'm sick and tired of the immigrants that are coming into my country.'" Fraser also stated her interest in joining Hanson's One Nation Party.[17]
In 2015, during an interview on the Today program, Fraser was asked about recent behaviour of Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon and Bernard Tomic’s comments about Tennis Australia, which resulted in Tomic being removed from the Davis Cup team. Fraser said, "They should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this country ... If they don’t like it, go back to where their fathers or their parents came from". (Kyrgios is of Malay and Greek ancestry, while Tomic is of Croat extraction.) Kyrgios responded by describing her as a "blatant racist", and Fraser's comments were criticised by Australia’s Race Discrimination CommissionerTim Soutphommasane.[18][19][20][21] Fraser "unreservedly" apologised for her comments.[18]
In popular culture
In 1979, a movie called Dawn! was made about Fraser's life and career. It starred Bronwyn Mackay-Payne as Fraser.
Fraser was played by Melissa Thomas in the 2003 film Swimming Upstream. Fraser herself is credited in the film as Dawn Fraser's coach. On 1 September 2015, Dawn Fraser featured on Season 7, Episode 5, of the SBS genealogy television series Who Do You Think You Are?, which traced her heritage back to South America.
↑ Fraser, Dawn (15 April 2007). "Dawn Fraser: still kicking". Sunday Profile www.abc.net.a (Interview). Interviewed by Attard, Monica. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
↑ Hardy, Karen (15 December 2013). "Dawn Fraser still smiling". The Sydney Morining Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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