Freeman reveals asthma struggle

Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman has revealed her struggle with chronic asthma in the lead up to her famous victory at the games in Sydney 13 years ago.

Now aged 40, she's spoken candidly about her personal experience, and wants to help others better manage the condition

She was almost certainly suffering from asthma symptoms in the lead up to the 2000 games.

An idol to our most talented athletes, Freeman's legendary Olympic moment now seems even more amazing.

"I had some kind of flu, I had laryngitis. There's a pretty good chance I had asthma, I wouldn't admit it at the time," the athletics champion said.

Seven years later, she was diagnosed with asthma. It's a subject she's passionate about, her older sister Anne-Marie died from an asthma attack in 1990.

"She had respiratory ailments that caused her to pass away," Freeman said of her sister.

Now encouraging other sufferers to self monitor their wheeze, Freeman uses the Isonea - the world's first digital device that sends important health data to her doctor.

A study of 1000 sufferers found two thirds of Australian adults don't monitor their asthma, while 39 per cent of children visit their doctor to have their asthma monitored.

Freeman’s personal asthma story is a source of inspiration for other young athletes who have also developed the condition and with a strong family history; she says she'll be keeping a close eye on her two-year-old daughter.