Cathy Freeman visited the Matildas camp last week, imparting some words of wisdom ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and leaving the Australian team with a night they won’t forget.
Freeman is perhaps Australia’s greatest and most-loved sporting hero and is a personal hero to many members of the Matildas team. She was asked to come and speak to the team by Football Australia and sat down with the team informally to share advice on managing the massive expectations on their shoulders.
The Matildas had been called to a team meeting, where they were shown footage from Freeman’s self titled documentary. Once the video finished and emotions were high, the lights turned on and Freeman was standing in the room with the players.
In a video posted by the Matildas, Freeman can be heard saying she was “feeling for the girls. There’s a lot going on.”
“The power of you just being here is unimaginable,” Freeman told the team. “It’s beyond your wildest dreams what you are going to be able to do. You’re going to be able to get into the blood of everybody who’s on the journey with you. It’s a crazy, wild ride and you are writing your names in history ladies. You should be really proud of that.”
Footage of Matildas captain Sam Kerr shows her saying “we always talk about Cathy Freeman, 2000 Olympics, and we kind of hope that this team is remembered forever and we represent Australia in the best way possible”.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is being co-hosted by Austalia and New Zealand for the first time, placing an enormous expectation on the Matildas to perform well in front of a home crowd. Sam Kerr, the public face of the team, has a particular weight on her shoulders as the most recognisable figure.
Freeman spent over an hour with the team, answering a range of questions about her experience at the 2000 Sydney Olumpics, as well on her legacy, and balancing the pressure of expectation. She also attended a team dinner, where Kerr presented her with a Matildas jersey.
“It comes from a place within. When you ask yourself, what are you doing here? What are you doing it for,” she told them. “And it’s because you love who you are when you’re doing it.”