Swimming legend Dawn Fraser was beaming with pride after Australia won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final in Paris – and now it can be revealed one of the triumphant stars is her goddaughter.
Lani Pallister, who was forced to withdraw from the previous 1500m freestyle heats after testing positive for Covid, didn’t even know if she would be declared fit to swim.
But thankfully the endurance specialist was given the nod and made the most of her moment alongside Mollie O’Callaghan, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus to take gold ahead of the United States and China.
“I cried my eyes out when I got Covid. I honestly thought I was going to be out of that relay completely,” Pallister said after the race.
‘The AOC medical staff did an incredible job looking after myself and all the other athletes on Team Australia who have Covid.
“Being here with the girls is something I couldn’t ask for more from my Olympic experience.”
Fraser, who notably won gold in the 100m freestyle at three successive Olympic Games between 1956 and 1964, knows better than most what Pallister has endured as an athlete.
Tears of joy filled the stands as the Australian swimmers continued to dominate at the La Defense Arena.
Swimming legend Dawn Fraser (right) was beaming with pride after Australia won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay final in Paris – and now it can be revealed why the triumph had extra meaning.
Lani Pallister (right), who was forced to withdraw from the previous 1500m freestyle heats after testing positive for Covid, didn’t even know if she would be declared fit to swim in the relay – she is also Dawn Fraser’s goddaughter.
The all-conquering Australian quartet won gold ahead of the United States and China in the 4x200m freestyle relay at La Defense Arena (Pallister pictured left)
Before contracting Covid, Pallister overcame an eating disorder and heart surgery to qualify for the Games.
She previously tried to secure a spot on the Olympic team for the 2021 Tokyo Games but was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, a heart condition that causes an elevated or irregular heartbeat.
The Sydney-based athlete was also battling a secret eating disorder.
At one point, Pallister was living on just two meals a day and obsessively compared his physique to that of other swimmers.
The Olympic rookie is coached by her mother Janelle, an Olympian at Seoul 1988 and gold medallist at the Auckland 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Pallister will next compete in the women’s 800m freestyle heats on Friday AEST.