There is almost zero chance that anyone now aged 25 years or less has any personal recollection of Catherine Freeman's victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The cold and sad reality is that so many of that age cohort have not subsequently learned about it by any other means. Ask a sports-mad pre-teen who can reel off stat after stat about myriad individuals, teams and competitions of the now, and more often than not there's a blank or quizzical look.

Even within the context of a visit to a primary or secondary school to talk about the Olympics, the percentage awareness is low. The expressions on teachers' faces are of surprise - to say the least.

As a nation in this century we have become really bad at telling stories - both the good and the bad.

For sure we should not focus solely in this regard on our sporting stars, but we don't do it well for anyone. At least our past conquerors in sport were superheroes without the need for capes or kryptonite.

Sunday night at 7.40pm, the ABC will screen a documentary about Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman - Cathy to those who do know the story.

While they need not be alone, grandparents are ideal to re-tell Cathy's story and those of other high achieving Australians. It was one of their primary roles in previous times - it can and should be once again.

Great visuals can only make the task easier and help prompt the personal recollections - even if it begins with the age-old favourite of where one was at the time.

So grandparents - and others - please seize the moment and gather the family round the box as so many Australian families did on Monday evening September 25, 2000 and engage your flock.

I have to declare an interest in this particular matter, for I was personally invested in Catherine's career, and this moment, for over a decade beforehand.

It began in December 1989 when as a 16-year-old she scrambled to the line for equal third in the 100 metres at the 1990 Commonwealth Games selection trials.

Only the winner, Kerry Johnson, was assured of selection for Auckland but my fellow selector and statistician Paul Jenes was sure a relay team would medal. The problem was that Athletics Australia had previously agreed on a team limit of 70 with the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and we were already over.

We picked 85, including Freeman, and submitted the names to AA. Arthur Tunstall made it clear that ACGA would not waver from the deal.

The AA board decided by a majority of one (my own vote) to plough on. Sports Minister Graham Richardson intervened and appointed John Coates as mediator.

All of those selected were approved. The relay team won gold.

For much of the early and mid-1990s I shared a house with Catherine, her then-partner and manager Nic Bideau and former marathon star Garry Henry. It was a precious opportunity to witness first hand the challenges and triumphs facing an emerging, prodigious talent.

From then on I had the responsibility of leading a small but terrific team that delivered a domestic athletics grand prix series that provided a platform for Catherine and so many others to learn their trade and present their talents to a growing fan-base.

Meanwhile we were preparing a much larger team of technical officials and volunteers to deliver the athletics competitions at the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In the end I had an easy run as competition director for the Olympics.

The team was simply outstanding and delivered athletics in such a precise and innovative way that it remains the benchmark 20 years on.

They gave me few concerns as I sat on my fourth level observation area. Nor did Catherine's ability to win the race.

But we had taken a few punts - like allowing all sport volunteers not rostered on that night to enter the stadium for the race and sit on the steps in the grandstand.

Everyone has a story about that night ... please tell it.