Freeman named Australian of the Year, the only person to hold both Young Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year titles.
On 26 January 1998, Cathy Freeman was named Australian of the Year, one of the nation's highest civilian honours, recognising her achievements as a world champion athlete and her role as an advocate for reconciliation.
This award made Freeman the only person in the award's history to have received both the Young Australian of the Year (1990) and Australian of the Year (1998) titles, a unique distinction reflecting her sustained impact from teenage prodigy to national icon over nearly a decade.
The recognition came following her dominant 1997 World Championship victory and ahead of her historic Sydney 2000 Olympic triumph, cementing her status as one of Australia's most celebrated and admired public figures.
As Australian of the Year, Freeman used her platform to continue advocating for Indigenous rights and reconciliation, becoming an important voice in national conversations at a pivotal time in Australia's history, including the lead-up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics which would showcase Indigenous culture on the world stage.