An Extraordinary Moment: Dawn Fraser’s Message to Goddaughter Lani Pallister Following Her Record-Breaking Swim

ADELAIDE: With a radiant smile, Dawn Fraser watched as Lani Pallister powered through the final moments of her record-breaking swim, the cheers and applause echoing throughout the arena.

Pallister affectionately referred to the Aussie legend as “Dawnie” following her impressive performance at the national trials on Thursday night; Fraser happens to be Pallister’s godmother.

Emerging from the pool, Pallister tossed her long, brown hair and walked straight into the open arms of her 87-year-old godmother, just a few steps away from the water’s edge.

The two embraced tightly for a considerable time as “Dawnie” whispered words of encouragement.

“She told me she’s proud of me and loves me,” Pallister recounted to reporters shortly afterward.

Fraser radiated pride as she celebrated her goddaughter’s achievement—Pallister broke the Australian record for the 800-metre freestyle, previously held by Ariarne Titmus.

Next to Fraser stood Pallister’s mother, Janelle, who represented Australia at the 1988 Seoul Olympics under her maiden name, Elford.

Pallister enjoyed a warm reunion with her mother before making her way to acknowledge her new coach, the esteemed Dean Boxall, then back to her mum and godmother.

The two held hands briefly, exchanging more heartfelt sentiments, before Pallister joined Cate Campbell for an interview on Nine.

“I know her as ‘Dawnie’,” Pallister explained to reporters post-interview. “Having grown up with her in my life, I truly understand what a national treasure she is, so it’s wonderful to have her support.”

Catch the 2025 Australian swimming trials live and free on Nine and 9Now, happening from June 9-14.

Just last December, Australia almost lost its “national treasure”.

Fraser, who earned four gold medals in swimming across the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics, suffered a fall at her home in Noosa.

She faced a broken hip and fractured four ribs, but emergency surgery ultimately saved her life.

“It’s truly special that she made the journey down here, and that she is still able to be poolside after everything she went through health-wise last year,” Pallister remarked. “She’s such an extraordinary woman.”

Pallister showed remarkable strength in the 800m final, finishing in a time of eight minutes and 10.84 seconds (8:10.84).

Upon reaching the wall after the grueling 16 laps, the 23-year-old swimmer had managed to create a lead of over half a lap ahead of her closest rival.

Her time surpassed the previous record of 8:12.29 set by Titmus, who won a silver medal at last year’s Paris Olympics.

It also outperformed the 8:11.04 that secured gold for Katie Ledecky, who earned her fourth consecutive Olympic title in the event.

Even more impressively, Pallister clocked the third-fastest 800m time in history. The only two swimmers to achieve better times? The unparalleled Ledecky and Canada’s 18-year-old star, Summer McIntosh, who Giaan Rooney believes has the potential to earn that title herself.

Reflecting on her journey back to 2021, Pallister remarked that had someone told her she would achieve what she has—winning a host of individual world short-course gold medals, clinching a relay gold in Paris, and breaking records—she wouldn’t have believed it.

She had aspired to make her Olympic debut in Tokyo, but that dream was shattered due to significant health issues.

Pallister underwent heart surgery to correct an issue known as supraventricular tachycardia, which causes an irregular heartbeat, on top of grappling with an eating disorder.

There were moments when she contemplated quitting the sport.

Today, she is in a far healthier mental state, thanks to the support of “Dawnie,” her mother, her former co-coach Michael Bohl, and Dr. Bruce Lawrie, a distinguished swimming psychologist.

“My psychologist has been emphasising for the past four or five years the importance of being proud of myself,” Pallister shared.

“Athletes tend to be very critical of themselves, and we often forget to pause and reflect on all our achievements, rather than just what still remains to be done.”

She expressed heartfelt words about her mother, who coached her until recently, when Pallister made the difficult decision to leave the Griffith University squad on the Gold Coast and train under Boxall’s St Peters Western program in Brisbane.

“I probably call her around seven times a day,” Pallister chuckled.

“I usually call her after my morning training session, but sometimes I forget to tell her something and end up calling back,” Pallister chuckled. “I feel lucky that I have her in my life, and I hope she’s never fed up with me.”

Despite the bittersweet nature of moving on from her mother’s coaching after more than 20 years, Pallister expressed how nice it is merely to have her mother as a parent now.

With just over a month until the world championships in Singapore, Pallister emerges as a strong contender for a medal.

She’ll find herself racing against Ledecky and McIntosh in the 800m—the only two swimmers to have recorded faster times.

Titmus will be commentating from Singapore for Nine, just as she did when Pallister snatched her record.

Should Pallister win a medal, it’s sure to bring tears, and “Dawnie” will be wearing that signature glowing smile.