Fatima Whitbread Biography

Fatima Whitbread is a British former javelin thrower who is a two-time Olympic medalist. A former world champion and world record holder, she won the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart and the 1987 World Championships in Rome. Once credited to be the best woman javelin thrower in the world, she was named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987. Energetic, muscular, and possessing great physical strength and stamina, Whitbread is also a woman possessing immense grit and mental courage. Born to an abusive mother, she suffered a childhood marked by rampant abuse, poverty, and unmentionable adversities. Her frequent encounters with Margaret Whitbread, the javelin coach at her school however changed the young girl’s destiny forever. Her coach not only recognized Fatima’s potential, but also took her under her wing and later adopted her. She blossomed into a talented javelin thrower under her adoptive mother’s guidance and proved her mettle by winning a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics and a silver four years later. Her career was on the rise and she became the World Champion in 1987. The next year she enjoyed considerable success in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul where she won the silver medal behind Petra Felke. More recently she has been actively visible on the media with numerous television appearances.