- Announced divorce in August
- Has rarely been seen in public since then
- Was seen in Melbourne with a telling health problem
Australian Olympic champion Cathy Freeman has made her first public appearance since announcing her divorce from husband James Murch, and she once again needs a walking stick to get around.
The couple announced their separation in August after 15 years of marriage. A statement said: “After 15 years of marriage, we have sadly separated. We will continue to co-parent and that is our top priority.”
They also confirmed that they would continue their professional collaboration through Estrella Sports Management and requested privacy.
Freeman, 51, who values her privacy, has not been seen much since the announcement.
However, she was photographed on a cold Melbourne afternoon, wearing a large, bulky coat and walking along a running track with a friend.
Although she was spotted without a walking stick in July, she is now using it again to move around.
Freeman was spotted at a racecourse in Melbourne with a friend last weekend
The Olympic superstar used a cane to walk again after previously being able to move freely without one
The Olympic champion tore her Achilles tendon at home last year, for which she had to undergo surgery.
Freeman’s personal life has undergone many changes over the years.
She previously had a long-term relationship with her athletics coach, Nic Bideau, who played a crucial role in her success at the 2000 Olympics.
Her first marriage was to Alexander “Sandy” Bodecker from 1999 to 2003, followed by a relationship with actor Joel Edgerton, which ended in 2005.
Freeman married Murch in 2009 and they had their daughter Ruby in 2011.
It comes after Freeman announced her split from husband James Murch in August
Her sports career, which she ended in 2003, remains a highlight of her life.
Winning the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was a huge achievement, although she later expressed regret that she had not competed in the 800 metres.
“Now that I’ve retired, I realize that I really had a big interest in the 800 meters, so I made the switch from a one-lap event to a two-lap event,” she said.
‘I would really have liked to try the 800m.’
After his retirement, Freeman founded the Cathy Freeman Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting Indigenous students.
Until 2012, she was also an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.