Fatima Whitbread facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fatima Whitbread
MBE

Whitbread in 2012
Personal information
Birth name	Fatima Vedad
Born	(1961-03-03) 3 March 1961 (age 64) London, England
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6.01673229 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Spouse(s)	Andy Norman ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2006)​
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	77.44 m (254 ft 0.69389764 in) (1986)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 1988 Seoul Javelin Bronze 1984 Los Angeles Javelin World Championships Gold 1987 Rome Javelin Silver 1983 Helsinki Javelin European Championships Gold 1986 Stuttgart Javelin Representing  England Commonwealth Games Silver 1986 Edinburgh Javelin Bronze 1982 Brisbane Javelin

Fatima Whitbread (born 3 March 1961) is a British retired javelin thrower. She was born Fatima Vedad. She made history by breaking the world record in 1986. Her amazing throw of 77.44 meters happened during the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart. This made her the first British athlete ever to set a world record in a throwing event.

Fatima went on to win the European title that year. She also earned a gold medal at the 1987 World Championships. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics and silver at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She also won silver and bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1986 and 1982.

Fatima had a tough childhood. She was later adopted by the family of Margaret Whitbread, who was a javelin coach. Fatima won the 1977 English Schools' Athletics Championships and competed in the 1978 Commonwealth Games. In 1979, she won gold at the 1979 European Athletics Junior Championships. During her career, she had a famous rivalry with another British javelin thrower, Tessa Sanderson. Fatima's later career was affected by a shoulder injury. She officially retired from competing in 1992.

She was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sports Writers' Association in 1986 and 1987. She was also given the MBE honor in 1987 for her achievements in athletics. In 1987, she won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. In 2023, she received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award. This award recognized her strength in overcoming her difficult childhood and her continued work helping other children in care.

In recent years, Fatima has appeared on several TV shows. These include I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2011 and 2023. She finished in third place both times.

Fatima's Early Life and Journey to Sport

Fatima Vedad was born on 3 March 1961 in Stoke Newington, London. She had a very difficult start to life. She shared that she was abandoned as a baby. For the next 14 years, she lived in children's homes. She described this time as a "nightmare."

Fatima found her passion for sport, which helped her through these tough times. She started throwing the javelin when she was 11 years old. She was inspired by stories like the Greek myth of Atalanta. She also admired Mary Peters, who won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics.

One day, Fatima met javelin thrower David Ottley at a stadium. She asked if she could use his javelin. He told her to wait for his coach. This coach turned out to be Margaret Whitbread. Margaret was a physical education teacher whom Fatima had met before. Margaret learned that Fatima lived in a children's home. She gave Fatima some sports boots and a javelin. Three years later, Margaret Whitbread and her family adopted Fatima. She spent her teenage years in Chadwell St Mary, Essex. She attended the Torells School in nearby Grays.

Fatima's Amazing Javelin Career

Starting Out and First Wins

Fatima Whitbread won the English Schools' Athletics Championships in 1977. She also set a national record that year. In 1978, she competed in the Commonwealth Games, finishing sixth. The next year, she won a gold medal at the 1979 European Athletics Junior Championships.

She was chosen for the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, she didn't throw far enough to reach the final. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Fatima won a bronze medal.

Rivalry and Olympic Medals

For a while, Fatima often finished behind another British javelin thrower, Tessa Sanderson. But in 1983, Fatima finally beat her rival. She won the UK Athletics Championship. Later that year, she won a silver medal at the first-ever World Championships. She was leading the final until the very last throw, when Tiina Lillak beat her.

Petra Felke (pictured in 1984) was a strong competitor for Fatima.

Just before the 1984 Summer Olympics, Fatima had surgery. Despite this, she still competed and won a bronze medal. Tessa Sanderson won the gold medal at these Games. Fatima was disappointed but kept working hard.

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games, Fatima broke the Games record twice. She was leading, but Tessa Sanderson threw even further and won the gold. Fatima was very upset after this loss.

World Record and Championship Golds

The very next month, Fatima made history! She broke the javelin world record at the 1986 European Championships. Her throw of 77.44 meters was more than 2 meters further than the previous record. She became the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event. Fatima then won her first major championship gold medal at this event. She later said she did a "victory wiggle" to celebrate!

The record was later broken by Petra Felke in 1987. But Fatima wasn't done yet. She qualified for the final of the 1987 World Championships in second place behind Felke. Fatima then threw 76.64 meters, which was the third-longest throw ever at that time. This amazing throw won her the gold medal, beating Felke. Her famous "victory wiggles" became well-known in the UK. She was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987.

Later Career and Retirement

Leading up to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Fatima faced several health problems. She had a shoulder injury and other issues. Despite this, she won the silver medal, finishing behind Petra Felke. Fatima said she was glad to be beaten by Petra if she had to be beaten at all.

Fatima's career was greatly affected by her long-term shoulder injury. She believed it started with her world record throw in 1986. The 1990 UK Athletics Championships was her last event. She got another shoulder injury there. In 1992, she officially retired from competing.

Fatima's Rivalry with Tessa Sanderson

Fatima Whitbread and Tessa Sanderson had a famous rivalry in British sport. It lasted for almost ten years. Many people said their relationship was "hate-hate." Even after they retired, their rivalry was still talked about.

Some believed Fatima received special treatment from sports officials. This was because Andy Norman, who helped set fees for athletes, was a family friend of Fatima and her mother. Tessa Sanderson felt this gave Fatima an unfair advantage.

Despite the rivalry, both athletes achieved great things. Fatima won one world and one European title. Tessa Sanderson won an Olympic gold and three Commonwealth golds. Overall, Tessa finished higher in 27 out of 45 competitions. However, Fatima had better results between 1984 and 1987.

Fatima's Life After Sport

Fatima Whitbread published two autobiographies. These books share her life story, including her difficult childhood and her journey in sports.

She is a Christian, but she describes herself as "not devout."

Awards and Recognition

Fatima Whitbread has received many honors for her achievements:

• In 1986, she was runner-up for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
• In 1987, she won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
• She was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Sports Writers' Association in 1986 and 1987.
• In 1987, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to athletics.
• In 2023, she received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award. This award recognized her incredible strength in overcoming challenges and her work helping children in care.

Fatima's Competition Record

International Competitions

This table shows Fatima Whitbread's results when she competed for Great Britain and England in international events.

National Titles

Fatima Whitbread won many national championships:

• 1977 English Schools' Athletics Championships (intermediate level)
• AAA Junior Championships (for athletes under 17): 1977
• 6 times AAA champion: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987
• 8 times UK Athletics Champion: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988

Fatima on TV and Radio

Fatima Whitbread has appeared on many television and radio shows:

See also

In Spanish: Fatima Whitbread para niños