It’s been confirmed that Dawn Fraser, the legendary Australian swimmer, is in hospital after suffering a serious fall last week.
What has happened to Dawn Fraser?
The Olympian’s family recently shared with 9News that on December 4, 2024, Dawn fell at her Queensland home and was immediately admitted to intensive care.
Dawn broke four ribs and fractured her hip, and, as a result, had to undergo an emergency hip replacement on December 5, 2024.
Thankfully, the 87-year-old has since been taken out of intensive care and is recovering well.
“Mum has scared the daylights out of us. But to see her up and about today is the best Christmas present we could have asked for,” Dawn-Lorraine Ware, Dawn’s daughter, said in a statement.
“She is one tough lady. Huge thanks to the doctors and nursing staff who have been amazing. I can’t thank them enough. They could not be happier with Mum’s progress.”
Why is Dawn Fraser significant?
Dawn has had an illustrious career, to say the least.
For starters, she won gold at three consecutive Olympics: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, and Tokyo 1964.
Dawn remains one of only three swimmers to achieve this feat.
She also set 23 individual world records during her career, including swimming the 100-metre freestyle in 58.9 seconds.
Achieved in 1964, Dawn was the first woman to swim the event in under a minute.
Of course, Dawn’s career wasn’t without controversy.
In one of the most infamous episodes in Australian sporting history, the Australian Swimming Union (ASU) imposed a 10-year suspension on Fraser after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Thus, effectively ending her competitive swimming career at the age of 27.
The suspension stemmed from “misconduct” during the Games. Dawn marched in the opening ceremony against the ASU’s wishes, wore an older swimming costume in competition (she found it more comfortable than the sponsor-supplied one), and allegedly took an Olympic flag from outside the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo.
Dawn’s suspension was met with public outcry and, despite her suspension, remained a beloved Australian hero.
Following her swimming career, Dawn was named the Australian of the Year. She was also inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
And in recent years, Dawn was advanced to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2018. She was the inaugural inductee of the Swimming Australia Hall of Fame in 2022.
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