sportskeeda
Four-time Olympic champion Dawn Fraser is currently recovering in the hospital after suffering breaks in four ribs and a fractured hip.
The respected Australian swimmer’s family voiced their worries about the health of the 87-year-old following a fall in her driveway in Queensland.
6
6
6
Fraser was admitted to a hospital on the Sunshine Coast last Wednesday, where she underwent emergency surgery for a hip replacement the next day.
After recovering from recent eye surgery, she tripped on the edge of a newly renovated driveway, which led to a serious fall that also injured her arm.
Dawn-Lorraine, Fraser’s daughter, informed the media on Wednesday that her mother is “doing significantly better” but is “still not out of the woods.”
She commented, “It’s been quite frightening. I feared we might lose her when the doctor told us that was a possibility, which was unbearable.”
“Even though she is my mother, I have always seen her as invincible.”
“True to her nature, she is up and walking, even though she was told to take it easy due to moving around too much and too quickly.”
Dawn-Lorraine recounted receiving a concerning call from the hospital on the day of the surgery, inquiring if she wanted the doctors to attempt resuscitation should something go wrong during the operation.
“I couldn’t believe they asked me that, considering who my mother is,” she said.
“Receiving that question without warning was incredibly daunting, and I replied, ‘Of course, you must resuscitate her; my mother is a fighter, and I expect you to do everything possible to save her.’”
Fraser is renowned as one of Australia’s greatest athletes, having won eight Olympic medals, including four golds in the 100m freestyle event at three different Games between 1956 and 1964.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson enjoys the atmosphere with Manchester United fans at Old Trafford
6
In 1956, she became the emblem of the Melbourne Games, winning her first gold medals in both the 100m freestyle and the 4x100m freestyle events.
Throughout her impressive career, she set 27 world records.
Named Australian of the Year in 1964, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985, later becoming the first woman to attain ‘legend’ status in 1993.
Only three weeks before her accident, she made a rare public appearance at a Hall of Fame Gala Dinner held at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium.
She also attended the Paris Olympics in July, where she cheered for her goddaughter Lani Pallister, who was part of Australia’s women’s 4x200m relay team that clinched gold in the pool.
6
Fraser felt immense joy for Pallister in the stands, particularly after Pallister had to withdraw from the earlier 1500m freestyle heats due to a positive Covid test.
Pallister expressed her worries upon hearing about Fraser’s fall, saying, “Learning about her fall was incredibly stressful and frightening because of our close bond. We are grateful to know she is recovering and receiving the proper care from her family and medical staff.”
Fraser was also honored as the World Athlete of the Century at the World Sports Awards in 1999.
In 2018, she was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her extraordinary contributions to sports as an ambassador, mentor, and through non-executive roles across various organizations.
6
