Fatima Whitbread
Encyclopedia
Fatima Whitbread MBE
(born Fatima Vedad; 3 March 1961) is a British
former javelin
thrower and multiple medal-winner.
, London
, to a Turkish Cypriot mother and Greek Cypriot father. She grew up in a series of children's homes, occasionally being left in the care of her abusive biological mother. In a 2003 interview with the Observer, Whitbread said, "It was a nightmare of a childhood and it was only because I loved sport so much that I got through it and met my true mother."
At the age of 14, she was adopted by the Whitbread family and she spent her teenage years in Chadwell St Mary
, Essex
. Margaret Whitbread, her javelin coach, had offered to take her in when she realized that Fatima was spending a lot of time with her and her family. She attended Dilkes County Primary School and the Culverhouse School (now the Ockendon Academy), both in South Ockendon, Essex.
(where she also won the final) and became World Champion in 1987
. She became well-known in the UK for her celebratory wiggle after defeating arch-rival Petra Felke
in these events. Her performances in 1987 led to her being voted winner of the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award.
Whitbread had won the silver medal at the inaugural World Championships
in 1983. She was also well known for her rivalry with fellow British javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson
, who won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
with Whitbread finishing in bronze medal position. In the 1988 Olympics
in Seoul
, Whitbread won the silver medal behind Petra Felke
, who had broken the world record in the interim.
She is a one-time Governor of King Edward VI Grammar School
, Chelmsford, Essex. According to a November 2008 Daily Express article, she owns her own company and is heavily involved with the stadium being used after the 2012 London Olympics.
and has one son, Ryan.
Andrew Norman, who represented many athletes professionally, died in 2007.
which aired on 26 December 2009. She took part in a celebrity version of the Channel 4 TV show Come Dine with Me
which aired on 2 September 2011 She is part of the final celebrity line-up for the ITV show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
which started airing from Sunday 13th November 2011.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born Fatima Vedad; 3 March 1961) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
thrower and multiple medal-winner.
Early life
Fatima Vedad was born in Stoke NewingtonStoke Newington
Stoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to a Turkish Cypriot mother and Greek Cypriot father. She grew up in a series of children's homes, occasionally being left in the care of her abusive biological mother. In a 2003 interview with the Observer, Whitbread said, "It was a nightmare of a childhood and it was only because I loved sport so much that I got through it and met my true mother."
At the age of 14, she was adopted by the Whitbread family and she spent her teenage years in Chadwell St Mary
Chadwell St Mary
Chadwell-St-Mary is a dispersed settlement in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England. It is one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock and former civil parish. It is a few miles east of the town of Grays and is located north of the modern town of Tilbury which was part of the parish...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Margaret Whitbread, her javelin coach, had offered to take her in when she realized that Fatima was spending a lot of time with her and her family. She attended Dilkes County Primary School and the Culverhouse School (now the Ockendon Academy), both in South Ockendon, Essex.
Career
She broke the javelin World Record with a throw of 77.44m in the qualifying round of the 1986 European Championships in Athletics1986 European Championships in Athletics
The 14th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 to 31 August 1986 at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart, a city in West Germany.-Track:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Field:1978 | 1982 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994-Track:...
(where she also won the final) and became World Champion in 1987
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
. She became well-known in the UK for her celebratory wiggle after defeating arch-rival Petra Felke
Petra Felke
Petra Meier, nee Felke is a former German track and field athlete and Olympic champion who represented East Germany....
in these events. Her performances in 1987 led to her being voted winner of the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award.
Whitbread had won the silver medal at the inaugural World Championships
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
in 1983. She was also well known for her rivalry with fellow British javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson
Tessa Sanderson
Theresa Ione Sanderson CBE is a former British javelin thrower and heptathlete who competed in the javelin competition in every one of the six Olympics from 1976–1996 winning the Gold medal in 1984...
, who won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Whitbread finishing in bronze medal position. In the 1988 Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Whitbread won the silver medal behind Petra Felke
Petra Felke
Petra Meier, nee Felke is a former German track and field athlete and Olympic champion who represented East Germany....
, who had broken the world record in the interim.
She is a one-time Governor of King Edward VI Grammar School
King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford)
King Edward VI Grammar School, or KEGS, is a British grammar school located in the town of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It takes pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 — from Year 7 to 11 the pupils are exclusively male, although it becomes mixed in the sixth form .The present headteacher is Thomas...
, Chelmsford, Essex. According to a November 2008 Daily Express article, she owns her own company and is heavily involved with the stadium being used after the 2012 London Olympics.
Personal life
In 1997, Whitbread married Andrew Norman in Copthorne, West SussexCopthorne, West Sussex
Copthorne is a village in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It lies close to Gatwick Airport, south of London, north of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Crawley to the southwest and East Grinstead to the east...
and has one son, Ryan.
Andrew Norman, who represented many athletes professionally, died in 2007.
In media
She took part in a celebrity version of the TV show Total WipeoutTotal Wipeout
Total Wipeout is a British game show, hosted by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram, which first aired on 3 January 2009. Each week 20 contestants compete in a series of challenges in an attempt to win £10,000. These challenges are based in large pools of water or mud and generally involve large...
which aired on 26 December 2009. She took part in a celebrity version of the Channel 4 TV show Come Dine with Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me is a popular Channel 4 television programme shown in the United Kingdom, produced by Granada Television and first broadcast in January 2005. The show has either four or five amateur chefs competing against each other hosting a dinner party for the other contestants...
which aired on 2 September 2011 She is part of the final celebrity line-up for the ITV show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here is a reality television game show series in which 8 to 15 celebrities live together in a jungle environment for a few weeks. They have no luxuries, and compete to win a cash prize...
which started airing from Sunday 13th November 2011.