17 Facts About Dawn Fraser

Dawn Fraser was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local harbourside baths.

Dawn Fraser dominated the high profile 100 metres freestyle event, holding the record for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.

Dawn Fraser is the first of only four swimmers in Olympic history to have won individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics.

Several weeks before the 1964 Olympics, Dawn Fraser was injured in a car crash that injured a vertebra and resulted in the death of her mother Rose.

Dawn Fraser was accused of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito's palace, the Kokyo.

Dawn Fraser became a publican at the Riverview Hotel, Balmain, and took up swim coaching.

In 1988, Dawn Fraser was elected as an independent to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Balmain.

Dawn Fraser married Gary Ware on 30 January 1965 at St Stephen's Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney.

Dawn Fraser has one daughter from the marriage, who has a son.

Dawn Fraser is the great-aunt of Canadian soccer player Danielle Steer.

In 2015, during an interview on the Today program, Dawn 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.

Dawn Fraser was played by Melissa Thomas in the 2003 film Swimming Upstream.

Dawn Fraser was named Australian Female Athlete of the Century by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, who had inducted her as their first female member in 1985.

On 14 July 2000, Dawn Fraser was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for "outstanding contribution as a swimming competitor".

Dawn Fraser was one of the bearers of the Olympic Torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Dawn Fraser carried the Olympic Torch at the stadium, as one of the bearers for the final segment, before the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

Dawn Fraser was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001.