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Sunday 30 November 2014

Dawn Fraser to late husband: 'Touch my baby and I’ll kill you’ - Fox Sports series 'Breaking Ground'

What a story I read in my Sunday paper this morning, about the icon of Australian swimming, Dawn Fraser.

As I scanned the story for pull quotes, it wasn't hard to find many that were confronting and so raw and upsetting. They told the real story behind Dawn's life… and what stories, what a life!


Her story is part of the upcoming Fox Sports series called 'Breaking Ground', which airs from December 2 on Foxtel's Fox Sports channel. Here is a pic from the episode with Dawn:

Kelli Underwood (left) speaks with swimming legend Dawn Fraser on Breaking Ground.Source: FoxSports



In the Sunday Telegraph interview (you can read the whole thing here) the Olympic champion has revealed the horrifying violence she suffered at the hands of her late husband Gary Ware.
“I was trying to protect my daughter, I could have gone to jail for stabbing a person,” she reveals in 'Breaking Ground'.
“He came home drunk one night and I said to him: ‘Gary don’t go in the baby’s bedroom please, she’s asleep’. He said: ‘I want to kiss her goodnight and he grabbed me by the throat’.
“I had the baby’s bottle in my hand and I smashed it on the balustrade and I put it in his throat and I said: “Please go away because I will kill you’.
“‘I don’t want to go to jail, but I will go to jail, because I want to survive’.”
Dawn tells all to award-winning journalist Kelli Underwood, and it's one episode of a six-part series which sees some of Australia’s best sportswomen opening up on their personal lives.

Underwood also conducted interviews with some of Australia’s most prolific sportswomen including Cathy Freeman, Layne Beachley, Jana Pittman, Louise Savage and Liz Ellis.

As well as talking about the domestic violence she suffered, the Olympic swimming champion talks about her bisexuality, as well as the acceptance of her family when she revealed to them she was having a love affair with a woman.
“I think I am both ways, I really enjoy the company of a woman, she gave me the comfort that I needed ... there was no abuse, there was no grabbing my throat and things like that, it was just lovely,” Dawn says.
Breaking Ground airs from December 2 on Fox Sports 502.

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