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Motivation Quote by Cathy Freeman

"This occasion is personally very meaningful and I hope to visit Korea again if I have the chance"

About this Quote

There is a studied modesty in Cathy Freeman's line: the emotion is front-loaded, the politics are kept politely offstage, and the door is left open for the future. Coming from an athlete whose career was repeatedly asked to carry national symbolism, that restraint is the point. "Personally very meaningful" signals genuine feeling while also narrowing the claim to her own experience, a way of expressing gratitude without presuming to speak for Australia, for Indigenous people, or for any host nation eager to frame a visit as endorsement.

The second half does quiet diplomatic work. "I hope to visit Korea again" flatters the audience and the hosts, but it also acknowledges the transactional reality of public life: appearances are negotiated, schedules are finite, and invitations matter. The clause "if I have the chance" is a soft hedge that protects her from overpromising and hints at how little control even celebrated athletes have over their movements once sponsorships, events, and media cycles enter the picture.

Contextually, it's the language of international sport as cultural bridge-building: warmth without controversy, intimacy without oversharing. Freeman doesn't brandish sentiment; she parcels it out in a way that can travel well in a press release, a mixed-zone interview, or a ceremonial welcome. The subtext is professionalism: be gracious, be human, avoid the minefields. In a world that often demands athletes perform identity as spectacle, this is Freeman keeping the moment hers while still giving Korea what it wants most from a guest of honor: respect, and the promise of return.

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APA Style (7th ed.)
Freeman, Cathy. (2026, January 17). This occasion is personally very meaningful and I hope to visit Korea again if I have the chance. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-occasion-is-personally-very-meaningful-and-i-41494/

Chicago Style
Freeman, Cathy. "This occasion is personally very meaningful and I hope to visit Korea again if I have the chance." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-occasion-is-personally-very-meaningful-and-i-41494/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"This occasion is personally very meaningful and I hope to visit Korea again if I have the chance." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/this-occasion-is-personally-very-meaningful-and-i-41494/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Cathy Add to List
Cathy Freeman: Meaningful Occasion and Return to Korea
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About the Author

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Cathy Freeman (born February 16, 1973) is a Athlete from Australia.

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