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| Born | Fatima Vedad (1961-03-03)3 March 1961 (age 64) London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 68 kg (150 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Javelin throw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personalbest | 77.44 m (254 ft3⁄4 in) (1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Dr Fatima Whitbread,MBE (néeVedad; born 3 March 1961) is a British retiredjavelin thrower. She broke theworld record with a throw of 77.44 m (254 ft3⁄4 in) in the qualifying round of the1986 European Athletics Championships inStuttgart, and became the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event. Whitbread went on to win the European title that year, and took the gold medal at the1987 World Championships. She is also a two-time Olympic medallist, winning bronze at the1984 Summer Olympics and silver at the1988 Summer Olympics. She won the same medals, respectively, in the Commonwealth Games of 1982 and 1986.
After a difficult early childhood, Fatima Vedad was adopted by the family ofMargaret Whitbread, a javelin coach. Whitbread won the 1977English Schools' Athletics Championships intermediate title, and was selected for the1978 Commonwealth Games, where she finished sixth. The following year, she took gold at the1979 European Athletics Junior Championships. During her career, she had a well-publicised rivalry with another British javelin athlete,Tessa Sanderson. Whitbread's later career was affected by a long-term shoulder injury, which she believed dated back to her world record throw in 1986. The1990 UK Athletics Championships was the last event in which she participated, sustaining a further shoulder injury there. In 1992 she formally retired from competition.
She was named theSports Writers' Association Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1987. She was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the1987 Birthday Honours, for services to athletics. She was votedBBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987 and received theBBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award in 2023 in recognition of her triumph over the adversity of her childhood, and her continued work on behalf of other children in care environments.
In later years, Whitbread has appeared on several television programmes, includingI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2011 and 2023, in which she finished in third place both times.
Whitbread was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Roehampton in September 2025.
Fatima Vedad was born on 3 March 1961 inStoke Newington, London,[2][3] to an unmarriedTurkish Cypriot mother andGreek Cypriot father.[4] She said "I was abandoned as a baby and left to die in our flat." After being rescued, severely malnourished, "I spent the next 14 years living in institutions, among other traumatised children",[5] occasionally being left in the care of her abusive biological mother.[2] In a 2003 interview withThe Observer, she 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 [adoptive] mother."[4]
Some credit for my choice of sport must go to the javelin itself. It is not only a magical event, it is a beautiful one. The flight of the javelin is a glorious sight, and, as I very soon discovered, letting go was a fantastic feeling.
Vedad started throwing thejavelin aged 11.[1] According to her account, she had taken up an interest in track and field events after being inspired by the myth ofAtalanta, "whom no man could outrun except by cheating, and whose javelin killed a terrible monster"; and byMary Peters, who won the gold medal at the1972 Summer Olympics' women's pentathlon.[6]: 96
Vedad met javelin throwerDavid Ottley at a stadium and asked him if she could use his javelin. He asked her to wait until thecoach arrived. The coach wasMargaret Whitbread, a physical education teacher at a local school, whom Vedad had previously met when Whitbread refereed anetball match that she played in. After discovering that Vedad stayed at a children's home, Margaret Whitbread passed on some boots and a javelin from a girl who had retired from the event.[2] Three years later, Vedad wasadopted by Margaret Whitbread and her family.[4] She spent her teenage years inChadwell St Mary, Essex, where she attended theTorells School in nearbyGrays.[7][8]: 152
Whitbread won theEnglish Schools' Athletics Championships intermediate title in 1977,[9] and set a national intermediate record of 158 ft 5 in (48.28 m) in winning theAmateur Athletic Association (AAA) women's championship the following month.[10] She placed sixth in thejavelin throw at the1978 Commonwealth Games, throwing 49.16 m (161 ft3+1⁄4 in).[11] Whitbread won gold in the javelin event at the1979 European Athletics Junior Championships, throwing 58.20 m (190 ft11+1⁄4 in).[12] She was selected for the1980 Summer Olympics event,[1] but, achieving only49.74 m (163 ft2+1⁄4 in), she failed to qualify for the final.[13] At the1982 Commonwealth Games, Whitbread took the bronze medal, throwing 58.86 m (193 ft1+1⁄4 in), which was 5.6 m (18 ft4+1⁄4 in) behind championSue Howland, from Australia.[11][14]

Having finished behind fellow British competitorTessa Sanderson in a run of 18 competitions, Whitbread finally defeated her rival with a throw of 62.14 m (203 ft10+1⁄4 in) to win theUK Athletics Championship in 1983,[15][16] Whitbread won the silver medal at the inauguralWorld Championships in 1983, having narrowly qualified for the final.[15] She led throughout the final untilTiina Lillak bettered her mark with her last throw of the contest.[1] A few days before the1984 Summer Olympics, Whitbread had a stomach operation but was still able to travel to the Games and compete.[17] She finished in the bronze medal position, with 67.14 m (220 ft3+1⁄4 in), and Sanderson (69.56 m (228 ft2+1⁄2 in)) won gold.[12][15][18] Lillak, who had a stress fracture in her right foot, won the silver medal. After the result, Whitbread commented that "I am so disappointed ... I was not right on the night."[17]
At the1986 Commonwealth Games in July, Whitbread broke the Games record twice during her first three throws, and led with a distance of 68.54 m (224 ft10+1⁄4 in), before Sanderson achieved 69.80 m (229 ft 0 in) and won.[19] Whitbread sat down crying on the field after the result for around 30 minutes. After the medal ceremony, she commented, while still visibly upset: "12 years of hard work. Still no [gold] medal ... I've waited two long years since [the 1984 Summer Olympics]. And now I'm humiliated."[20] Sanderson, who had placed behind Whitbread in all of their seven post-1984 Olympics meetings before the Games, said "I don't mind losing to Fatima in the smaller competitions, but not in the big ones."[21]
The following month, Whitbread broke thejavelin world record with a throw of 77.44 m (254 ft3⁄4 in) in the qualifying round of the1986 European Championships, more than 2 m further than the record set byPetra Felke ofEast Germany the previous year. She was the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event.[22] Felke led for the first three rounds, before Whitbread produced a throw of 72.68 m (238 ft5+1⁄4 in) in the fourth round, and 73.68 m (241 ft8+3⁄4 in) in the fifth round to win her first major championship gold.[23][24] Whitbread later wrote that "All the years of training had finally come to something ... I went on my lap of honour ... Spontaneously, I wiggled my hips in happiness, a victory wiggle."[6]: 168 The record was beaten by Felke in July 1987 with a throw of 79.80 m (261 ft9+1⁄2 in).[25]
Whitbread qualified for the final of the1987 World Championships in second place behind Felke.[26] Her throw of 76.64 m (251 ft5+1⁄4 in) was, at the time, the third-longest ever, and won her the title ahead of Felke. Sanderson was fourth.[27] Her celebratory wiggles after defeating Felke in the World and European event became well known in the UK. She was voted winner of theBBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1987.[28] David Powell wrote inThe Times, that "To that practiced smile, she has added the 'Whitbread wiggle'. She is succeeding in bringing personality to her event in the same way thatWillie Banks did to the triple jump."[29]
In the months leading up to the1988 Summer Olympics inSeoul, Whitbread suffered from several ailments: a shoulder injury,boils,glandular fever and problems with hergums.[30] Whitbread won the silver medal behind Felke,[15] with a throw that, although her best of the season, was some four metres less than her rival.[1][31] Whitbread commented "If I had to be beaten, I am glad it was by Petra."[31]
Whitbread's later career was affected by a long-term shoulder injury, which she believed dated back to her world record throw in 1986. The1990 UK Athletics Championships was the last event that she participated in, and she sustained a further shoulder injury there. In 1992 she formally retired from competition.[1][32]
Alan Hubbard wrote in a 1990 article inThe Observer about Whitbread and Sanderson that "their hate-hate relationship has been one of the most enduring in British sport," lasting almost a decade.[33] In 2009, Tom Lamont commented inThe Guardian that "Whitbread and Sanderson were always uneasy rivals and the enmity that developed during their overlapping careers became as famous as their achievements, and seems to survive in their retirement."[34] Hubbard cited Sanderson's perception that Whitbread received preferential treatment from the British Amateur Athletic Board. The Board's promotions officer, Andy Norman, who had a role in setting British athletes' fees, was a family friend of Whitbread and her mother.[35][33] In 1985, Whitbread often participated in international events but Sanderson took part in only one in the season ending in June 1985. Sanderson claimed that this was because she lacked supporters in the meetings where representatives were determined; she said that "Fatima has Andy Norman looking after her in meetings ... and, of course, her mother, Margaret, is the national event coach".[36] In 1987, Sanderson threatened to boycott six official athletics events, for which she was to be paid £1,000 each by British Athletics compared to Whitbread's £10,000.[37][38] Sanderson also objected to the Whitbreads' endorsement of Howland, who competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games after a two-year doping suspension, since Howland was Australian, and Sanderson felt they should have supported British athletes instead.[33][39]
During their respective careers, Whitbread gained one world and one European title; Sanderson won an Olympic and three Commonwealth golds.[40] In all, Sanderson placed higher in 27 of the 45 times that they faced each other in competition, although Whitbread had the better results of the pair from 1984 to 1987.[41] In 1993, coach Peter Lawler favourably compared Whitbread's technique to Sanderson's, writing inIAAF New Studies in Athletics that "the alignments of Whitbread and [Mick] Hill are as straight as a cricket text book's bat. Whitbread perfected the turning on to the shaft while Sanderson often sagged through the delivery."[42]
Whitbread wrote in her 2012autobiography that she began a personal relationship with Andy Norman shortly after hisdivorce in 1986.[8]: 242–244 In 1997, Whitbread married Norman inCopthorne, West Sussex.[43] The couple, who had a son together, divorced in 2006. Norman died of a heart attack in 2007.[44][45]
Whitbread has published two autobiographies written with Adrianne Blue,Fatima: The Autobiography of Fatima Whitbread in 1988, andSurvivor: The Shocking and Inspiring Story of a True Champion in 2012.[6][8]
Whitbread is a Christian but, in her own words, "not devout."[46]
Whitbread was runner-up toNigel Mansell in the 1986BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards,[47] and won the title the following year.[48] She was named theSports Writers' Association Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1987.[49][50] She was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the1987 Birthday Honours, for services to athletics.[51][52] Whitbread received the 2023BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, for "outstanding achievement in the face of adversity".[53] She was awardedFreedom of the Borough by the mayor of Thurrock Sue Shinnick and leader of Thurrock Council Lynn Worrall in 2025, alongside her mother Margaret.[54][55]
In September 2025, Whitbread was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university of Roehampton.
Whitbread has been a guest on television programmes includingA Question of Sport (on which she first appeared in 1984),[56]The Little and Large Show (1987 and 1988)[57][58] andThe Wright Stuff (2012).[59] In 1989, she was one of the celebrities with experience of fostering or adoption who took part inFind a Family onITV. The series featured the celebrities' own reflections, and also highlighted specific children, inviting viewers to contact the programme if they were interesting in fostering or adopting them.[60]
In January 1995 Whitbread was interviewed byAndrew Neil, on his one-on-one showIs This Your Life? onChannel 4 which included discussion of Cliff Temple's suicide.[61] Writing inThe Guardian,Nancy Banks-Smith described how Whitbread had "stonewalled with stoicism and without sweating" and been unclear in her answers about this. Whitbread also spoke about her unhappiness at howBen Johnson had been treated after being founddoping withsteroids.[61] Neil's treatment of Whitbread attracted viewer complaints.[62]
She was a featured "masked celebrity" onCelebrity Wrestling in 2005, and lost her bout againstVictoria Silvstedt.[63]
In November 2011, Whitbread took part in the ITV showI'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! Whitbread and fellow campmateAntony Cotton left on 2 December 2011, placing her third.[64] One of the challenges on the show involved her wearing a helmet containing about 7,500 cockroaches. The segment was halted after one of the insects crawled up her nose. It was removed by flushing it out through her mouth with water.[65]
In 2012, she was a regular fitness expert appearing onThis Morning.[66] Later that year, the stand-alone documentaryFatima Whitbread: Growing Up in Care featured Whitbread's reflections on her own troubled childhood, and her conversations with others who had experienced serious problems from their parent and problems with the UK care system. InThe Guardian, David Stubbs wrote "More emotional than forensic, this is compulsory viewing nonetheless."[67][68] In 2020, she trekked theSultans Trail for BBC Two'sPilgrimage: Road to Istanbul.[69][70]
In 2023, she appeared inI'm a Celebrity... South Africa, placing third again after losing the penultimate trial to camp matesJordan Banjo andMyleene Klass.[71]
The table shows Whitbread's performances representing Great Britain and England in international competitions. (q) Indicates overall position in qualifying round.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Distance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Commonwealth Games | Edmonton, Canada | 6th | 49.16 m | [11] |
| 1979 | European Junior Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 1st | 58.20 m | [12] |
| 1980 | Olympic Games | Moscow, Soviet Union | 18th (q) | 49.74 m | [13] |
| 1982 | European Championships | Athens, Greece | 8th | 65.10 m | [12] |
| 1982 | Commonwealth Games | Brisbane, Australia | 3rd | 58.86 m | [11] |
| 1983 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 2nd | 69.14 m | [12] |
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 3rd | 67.14 m | [12] |
| 1985 | IAAF World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 3rd | 65.12 m | [12] |
| 1986 | Commonwealth Games | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 2nd | 68.54 m | [11] |
| 1986 | European Championships | Stuttgart, West Germany | 1st | 76.32 m | [12] |
| 1986 | Grand Prix Final | Rome, Italy | 2nd | 69.40 m | [72] |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 1st | 76.64 m | [12] |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 2nd | 70.32 m | [12] |
| Year | Programme | Role | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984, 1986 | A Question of Sport | guest | [56][76][77] |
| 1985 | Cockney Darts Classic | guest | [59] |
| 1987, 1988 | The Little and Large Show | guest | [57][58] |
| 1987 | Wogan | guest | [78] |
| 1989 | Find a Family | participant | [60] |
| 1995 | Is This Your Life? | guest | [61] |
| 2005 | Celebrity Wrestling | masked celebrity | [63] |
| 2009 | Total Wipeout Celebrity Special | contestant | [79] |
| 2011 | I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! | contestant | [64] |
| 2011 | Celebrity Come Dine with Me | participant | [80] |
| 2011 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?[a] | contestant | [81] |
| 2012 | This Morning | fitness expert | [66] |
| 2012 | The Wright Stuff | guest | [59] |
| 2012 | Question of Sport | guest | [82] |
| 2012 | Pointless Celebrities | guest | [83] |
| 2012 | Fatima Whitbread: Growing Up in Care | herself | [67] |
| 2015 | Eternal Glory | participant | [84] |
| 2017 | Pointless Celebrities[b] | guest | [85] |
| 2019 | Holiday of My Lifetime | guest | [86] |
| 2019 | Pointless Celebrities[c] | guest | [87] |
| 2020 | Pilgrimage: Road to Istanbul | participant | [69] |
| 2022 | CelebritySAS: Who Dares Wins | participant | [88] |
| 2023 | I'm a Celebrity... South Africa | participant | [71] |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's Javelin Best Year Performance 1984–1985 | Succeeded by |