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ESPN Release
Australian track star Cathy Freeman, who burst into the international
spotlight at the Sydney Olympic Games in September as the embodiment of the
oppressed Aboriginal people, has been chosen as the recipient of the ESPY
Awards' Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award.
Cathy Freeman was named this year's Arthur Ashe Award recipient.
In using that worldwide stage to raise awareness of her people's plight -
comparable to American Indians - Freeman joined the ranks of Jessie Owens,
Cassius Clay, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, who made social statements at
Olympic venues. The ESPY Awards will be aired live from the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. (The one-hour
ESPY Red Carpet Special will begin at 8 p.m. and will include live arrivals.)
With the weight of an entire nation squarely upon her, Freeman lit the torch
at the Olympic Games' Opening Ceremony. Given her identification with
Aboriginal aims and ideals, the symbolism of her selection was not lost.
Choosing her was not merely a salute to an elite athlete, but to an entire
people. Freeman went on to win the gold medal in the 400-meter race, becoming
the first of her nation?s indigenous people to win an individual Olympic Gold
Medal.
"In taking up the cause of the Aboriginal people, while standing strong in
her beliefs and reaching the pinnacle of athletic achievement, Cathy Freeman
is a living legacy of Arthur Ashe's values, and we are proud to have her
accept the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the ESPY Awards,"
said Maureen Murray Quinn, executive director of the ESPY Awards. "Her spirit
and deeds serve powerfully to remind us that Arthur's ideals live on, and
that again one person's actions can boldly impact an entire population."
At the 1994 Commonwealth Games, Freeman carried the Aboriginal flag during
her victory lap, igniting much discussion and raising awareness of race
relations and the strained relationship between the native Aborigines and
other Australians. She again took up the Aboriginal colors following her
400-meter victory at the 1997 World Championships. In 1998, she was named the
Australian of the Year, one of the country?s highest civilian honors, for her
cultural and athletic accomplishments. The previous winners of the Arthur
Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award: Jim Valvano, Steve Palermo, Howard
Cosell, Loretta Claiborne, Muhammad Ali, Dean Smith, Billie Jean King and
Columbine High School teacher William "Dave" Sanders.
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