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 famous British retired javelin thrower. She made history by breaking the world record in 1986. Her amazing throw of 77.44 meters happened during the qualifying round of the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart. She was the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event.

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

Fatima had a difficult childhood. She was 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 well-known rivalry with another British javelin athlete, Tessa Sanderson.

Later in her career, Fatima faced a long-term shoulder injury. She believed it started with her world record throw in 1986. Her last competition was the 1990 UK Athletics Championships, where she got another shoulder injury. She officially retired from competing in 1992.

Fatima was named the Sports Writers' Association Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1987. She was also given the MBE award in 1987 for her contributions to athletics. She won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987. In 2023, she received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award. This award recognized her strength in overcoming her childhood challenges and her ongoing work helping 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.

Early Life and Discovering Javelin

Fatima Vedad was born on 3 March 1961 in Stoke Newington, London. She had a very tough start to life. She shared that she was abandoned as a baby. She spent the next 14 years living in children's homes. She said that her love for sport helped her get through these difficult times. It also led her to meet her adoptive mother.

Fatima started throwing the javelin when she was 11 years old. She was inspired by stories like the myth of Atalanta. She was also inspired by Mary Peters, who won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics. Fatima met javelin thrower David Ottley at a stadium. She asked him if she could use his javelin. He told her to wait for the coach. That coach was Margaret Whitbread. Margaret was a physical education teacher whom Fatima had met before.

After learning Fatima lived in a children's home, Margaret gave her some sports gear. Three years later, Margaret Whitbread and her family adopted Fatima. She spent her teenage years in Chadwell St Mary, Essex. She went to the Torells School in nearby Grays.

Fatima's Athletics Career

Starting Out in Javelin Throwing

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

Fatima was chosen for the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, she did not qualify for the final. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, she won a bronze medal.

Petra Felke (pictured in 1984), a strong competitor of Whitbread's.

For a while, Fatima often finished behind fellow British competitor Tessa Sanderson. But in 1983, Fatima finally beat her rival. She won the UK Athletics Championship. She then won a silver medal at the first ever World Championships in 1983. She led for most of the final. However, Tiina Lillak made a better throw with her very last attempt.

Just before the 1984 Summer Olympics, Fatima had a stomach operation. Despite this, she still competed. She won the bronze medal. Tessa Sanderson won the gold medal at these Games.

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games, Fatima broke the Games record twice. She was leading the competition. But then Tessa Sanderson made a winning throw. Fatima was very upset after this result.

World Record and Major Wins

The next month, Fatima Whitbread broke the javelin world record. She threw an incredible 77.44 meters. This happened in the qualifying round of the 1986 European Championships. Her throw was more than 2 meters further than the previous record. She was the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event.

Fatima won her first major championship gold at these European Championships. She later wrote that "All the years of training had finally come to something." She became known for her "victory wiggle" after winning. The world record was later broken by Petra Felke in July 1987.

Fatima qualified for the final of the 1987 World Championships in second place. She then threw 76.64 meters, which was the third-longest throw ever at that time. This won her the gold medal ahead of Petra Felke. Tessa Sanderson finished fourth. Fatima's celebratory wiggles became very popular in the UK. She was voted winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1987.

Later Career and Retirement

Before the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Fatima faced several health issues. She had a shoulder injury and other problems. She still won the silver medal at the Olympics. Petra Felke won the gold. Fatima said she was glad to be beaten by Petra if she had to be.

Fatima's later career was 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. She officially retired from competing in 1992.

Rivalry with Tessa Sanderson

Fatima Whitbread and Tessa Sanderson were two top British javelin throwers. They had a famous rivalry that lasted almost ten years. People often talked about their strong competition. Some believed Fatima received special treatment from sports officials. This was partly because Andy Norman, who helped set fees for athletes, was a family friend of Fatima and her mother.

During their careers, Fatima won one world title and one European title. Tessa Sanderson won an Olympic gold and three Commonwealth golds. Tessa finished higher than Fatima in 27 out of 45 competitions they faced each other in. However, Fatima had better results from 1984 to 1987.

Personal Life

Fatima Whitbread married Andy Norman in 1997. They had a son together. They divorced in 2006. Andy Norman passed away in 2007.

Fatima has written two autobiographies. These books share her life story and experiences. She is a Christian, but she describes herself as "not devout."

Honours and Awards

Fatima Whitbread was runner-up for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 1986. She then won the main award in 1987. She was also named the Sports Writers' Association Sportswoman of the Year in both 1986 and 1987.

In 1987, she was appointed a MBE. This award was for her great service to athletics. In 2023, Fatima received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award. This award recognized her amazing achievements despite facing many challenges in her childhood. It also honored her continued work helping children in care.

Career Statistics

International Competitions

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

National Titles

• 1977 English Schools' Athletics Championships (intermediate)
• AAA Junior Championships (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

Television Appearances

Fatima Whitbread has appeared on various television shows.

See also

In Spanish: Fatima Whitbread para niños