Date of birth: 24 June 1951
Height: 168cm
Resides: Queensland
Favourite movie: Step Mom and Calender Girls
Sporting hero: Marjorie Jackson
Favourite quote: "Content is more important than image"
Favourite food: Pumpkin
Favourite charity: Breast Cancer Network Australia, Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), Sporting Chance Foundation, Bloomhill Cancer Care Centre
Favourite holiday destination: African wildlife parks
Favourite book: Stasiland by Anna Funder
Interests/hobbies: Gardening, charity work
Snapshot
One of Australia's greatest Track and Field athletes, Raelene Boyle brought audiences to their feet for over 14 years of international competition.
Despite winning seven Commonwealth Games Gold medals and three Olympic Silvers in an international career that spanned 1968 to 1982, Raelene was never able to completely fulfill her Olympic dream. A disqualification for a false start and running against athletes who were later found to be drug cheats meant that Raelene finished her career without the Olympic Gold she deserved.
Raelene's first Olympics was as a shy 17-year old in Mexico in 1968 where she won a Silver medal in the 200m. The 1972 Olympics also produced Silver medals for Raelene in the 100m and 200m. In 1976 at Montreal, Raelene became the first Australian woman to be given the honour of carrying our flag into the opening ceremony. It was there, as the favourite for the Gold medal in the 200m, that Raelene was disqualified for a false start. She did however go on to run 4th in the 100m Sprint. Raelene was also selected for the team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics but withdrew as part of the partial Australian boycott over the invasion of Afghanistan.
Raelene's successful Commonwealth Games career included winning three Gold medals at each of the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games for the 100m, 200m and 4*100m Relay respectively. In 1982, the champion finished her career before a packed home crowd with a Gold medal in the 400m at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games.
In 1996, Raelene was diagnosed with breast cancer, then six weeks before the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and then again in 2001 she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. After three tough battles, today Raelene remains healthy. Raelene has become a tireless campaigner for greater cancer awareness and has assisted with a variety of cancer-related projects and fund raising events.
In 1974 Raelene was awarded an MBE and in 1974 she was awarded the ABC Sportsman of the Year. She was also honoured by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1988 and in 2004 she was inducted into the Australian Track and Field Hall of Fame. Not surprisingly, as one of Australia's great all time champions she is one the National Trust's 100 Living Treasures.
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