THURROCK'S former javelin world champion Fatima Whitbread has been honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The 62-year-old’s award recognised outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.
She was presented with her award by 1972 Olympic pentathlon champion Lady Mary Peters and former world champion hurdler Colin Jackson
Up until the age of 14, Whitbread spent her life in children’s homes after being abandoned as a baby.
After being fostered, she went onto become the incredible and inspirational athlete, which saw her become the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event after getting a score of 77.44m at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
She then went on to win gold at the World Championships in Rome the following year and then Olympic silver at the 1988 Seoul games, which was four years after claiming bronze at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics.
Also in 1987, she was named Sports Personality of the Year.
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