Combine Australia’s most successful Olympian Dawn Fraser and one of Queensland’s iconic events, the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Harvest Festival, and you have a recipe for smashing success.
Dawn, a legend of the pool, was also a hit at the festival, attending many events and talking to both locals and visitors.
“I think it’s very good for Stanthorpe. We’ve had a look around and spoken to locals,” she said. “The festival brings a lot of people and money into town.”
Dawn was also able to enjoy Stanthorpe apples and red wine, one of her favourite drinks, during the three-day festival.
Whilst Dawn attended the event as the Ambassador for Live Life Villages, she was also happy to be involved in other activities and to pose for photographs.
The Seniors Concert on Friday and Saturday’s grape crush were highlights for her.
Dawn attributed her highly successful swimming career to the hard work she had put in and the enjoyment she had while competing.
“I was the first woman to break the magic minute, to win my first gold, and to be the first person to win three gold in a row for the same event,” she said were her favourite accomplishments.
There are only two people in Olympic history to win individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics.
Dawn achieved this in the 100 metres freestyle in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
Her total Olympic medal count was four gold and four silver medals.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Dawn was honoured by the Atlanta Olympic Organising Committee as one of seven greatest athletes of all time.
In 1999, Dawn was awarded “World Athlete of the Century” at the World Sport Awards in Vienna and “Athlete of the Century” by the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.
She was voted the person who best symbolises Australia and in 1998 was included as one of Australia’s National Living Treasures.
For more coverage of the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Festival see inside.
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Rebecca Brown
