Javelin legend delivers powerful message on behalf of children’s care system as fellow athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson finishes third in race to win main accolade
Fatima Whitbread stole the show at the 70th annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year show on Tuesday (Dec 19) after the former javelin world record-holder was given the Helen Rollason award “for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity”.
Thirty-six years after being named BBC sports personality of 1987, Whitbread took to the stage to deliver an emotional speech on behalf of the children’s care system.
On a night where heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished third behind footballer Mary Earps and cricketer Stuart Broad in the race for the main sports personality of 2023 accolade, Whitbread received a standing ovation at the event in Salford before urging the Government to do more to support struggling young people.
KJT and partner Andy Pozzi (Getty)
Whitbread grew up in the care system in the 1960s before eventually meeting her stepmother, Margaret Whitbread, who also became her coach as they won world and European titles.
Fellow athletics greats, Lady Mary Peters and Colin Jackson, were on hand to present Whitbread with her award. The former javelin thrower then told the audience she had known Rollason, the BBC journalist who died in 1999. “Helen was a friend and I remember she rang me and asked if I’d be her first international athlete to interview, shortly after I’d won the world title in 1987,” said Whitbread.
She added: “I stand here representing the care system sector to celebrate our young children and the remarkable resilience they show. They are our future so if we can invest in them from an early age it will show what and who they – and society as a whole – can become.”
She continued: “I’m calling for fundamental change where the future for them is safer, happier and healthier and that they can reach their full potential one day. We all have a moral and ethical responsibility to help these children who live in the care system.”
Whitbread had even arranged for a number of young people who are from the care system to be in the audience. In a rare position on prime time television to deliver her message, there was no stopping her now either as she enjoyed a full four minutes to speak before presenter Gabby Logan skilfully interrupted her to keep the programme on schedule.
“In the 60 years since I was in the care system, I’ve seen a…
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