Donna Fraser

An exceptional athlete at Junior level, Donna won six English Schools 200m titles (as well as a silver medal for the 4x100m relay at the 1990 World Junior Championships) before turning to the 400m in 1991 and becoming European Junior Champion that year. She also gained a silver medal for the 4x100m relay.

However in 1996, when she decided to leave her full time job at the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Tourist Office, and began to concentrate on the 400m seriously, she qualified for British teams in the major outdoor championships between 1996 and 1999.

She was a finalist in the 1998 European Championships and Commonwealth Games  (taking bronze in the 400m, bronze in the 4x100m relay and silver in the 4x400m relay).  However, it was at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 that she finally showed her potential when she clipped almost a second off her PB to finish 4th with a personal best time of 49.79 seconds.  This was thanks in no small part to her training alongside Olympic Champion Cathy Freeman.

Donna had one of her best years in 2005, where she achieved a fine 200m/400m double at the AAA Championships, the first athlete to do so since 1945.  She also helped Britain’s 4x400m relay team to bronze in the World Championships.

Despite having contemplated retiring, Donna remained in great form with a 200m/400m double at the 2009 UK Indoor Championships and she reached the European Indoor final in Turin. Donna holds the rare distinction of representing Great Britain at four successive Olympic Games (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008).