Book description
Fatima Whitbread had the worst possible start in life. Abandoned as a
baby, she spent much of her childhood in and out of children's homes.
A brief, disastrous stay with her birth mother saw her raped by her
mother's drunken boyfriend - while her mother held a knife to her
throat to 'quieten her down'. Fatima was only twelve at the time.
Athletics was her saviour: local athletics coach Margaret Whitbread
took the young Fatima under her wing, eventually adopting her. Fatima
competed in three Olympics, winning bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles
Games. In 1986 she set a world record, and the following year in Rome
became world champion and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the
Year. But then Fatima faded from the public eye, leaving many to
wonder where she had gone.
After the cheering stopped, Fatima faced prejudice, penury, scandal
and heartbreak. Survivor describes how she defeated all her
demons to rise triumphantly from the ashes once again, this time as
queen of the jungle. Almost 13 million people watched her on I'm a
Celebrity, and after surviving 20 days in the Australian heat, she has
millions of new fans eager to know more about Fatima the woman: the
forthright, focused, slightly bossy, charismatic single mum who knows
how to transform even the most devastating experiences into lessons in
life. This is the unforgettable story of a true champion, who
triumphed against the worst hardships imaginable.
Fatima Whitbread, MBE, world javelin champion, world record holder
and twice Olympic medallist, has millions of new fans after surviving
20 days in the jungle on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
After her career as an athlete, the former BBC Sports Personality of
the Year headed the Chafford Hundred elite runners club whose members
included Linford Christie and Dame Kelly Holmes. The last woman
standing on I'm a Celebrity cooked her way to total victory on
the all-sport-champions' Come Dine with Me. Fatima has served
as a school governor, is a qualified javelin coach and an excellent
public speaker, and wants to help make the London Olympics a success.
She is writing the book with Adrianne Blue, a former Sunday
Times correspondent and professional writer, who is the author of
seven books published in 21 languages.
