Aussie Olympic great Dawn Fraser, 87, reveals shock health update following fall at her Queensland home
Australian Olympic swimming great, Dawn Fraser, has revealed that her heart stopped on multiple occasions in the weeks after she suffered a serious fall at her Queensland home in December 2024.
The three-time Olympian, aged 87, who won four gold medals as a freestyle swimmer at the 1956, '60 and '64 Summer Games, was taken to hospital after she fell on her driveway of her Sunshine Coast home, where she would undergo surgery for a replacement hip.
She had been trying to open a case of coca-cola when she slipped on a small ledge and fell onto hard concrete.
Later in hospital, medical professionals had been preparing Fraser to undergo surgery. But prior to entering the operating theatre, her daughter, Dawn-Lorraine, had a confronting conversation with the doctors.
'When I was on the phone with Mum… he [the doctor] said she probably won't survive, so we won't [resuscitate],' Dawn-Lorraine recalled to The Courier Mail.
'And I said: "Yes, you will resuscitate her. This is Dawn Fraser. She's not just an 87-year-old. She is tough. I know my mother".'
Back in December, Dawn-Lorraine had also said: 'That's the worst question someone could ask you when you're not ready for it, and I said, yes, you will resuscitate her, my mother's a fighter, and you will make sure that you do everything to save her.'
Thankfully, Dawn's recovery following surgery went well and she was discharged from hospital nine days later. However, upon returning home, the Australian Olympic great was faced with another big health scare.
Dawn revealed she had began to feel weak following a meeting at her local surf club. The Balmain-born swimmer subsequently fainted.
She had been preparing to leave the club when the incident had taken place.
'I was unconscious for five to seven seconds, and I vomited everywhere, and I just did not understand what had gone wrong,' Dawn said.
Paramedics transported her to Noosa Hospital but gave her some very worrying news.
'They said that my heart had stopped for five seconds and I had a very low heart rate,' Dawn added.
But thankfully, doctors were quickly able to offer her treatment.
'The doctor came in and said: "I'm putting a pacemaker in," because we''d had a few stoppages of the heart. I've had the pacemaker in there for eight weeks - and he saved my life.'
Following the ordeal, Fraser is now fighting to get back to normality and is now looking to get back to swimming as she looks to rebuild her strength and mobility.
'It felt wonderful [being back in the pool] … I've lost a few things. I used to be an eight-beat kick, but not anymore. I'm just slower, and I've got to accept that,' Fraser, who won three-consecutive 100m Freestyle titles at the '56, '60 and '64 games - as well as four silver medals.
Despite her success in the pool, Fraser added that the recent months have been one of the toughest periods of her life.
'This has been the biggest challenge I've ever had to face, absolutely. It's a challenge that I've never thought I'd have to face. But now it's there in front of me,' she added.
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