Fatima

by Fatima Whitbread and Adrianne Blue

Published 3 November 1988
This is an autobiography of Fatima Whitbread, the World Champion javelin thrower and 1987 Sportswoman of the Year. It is a forthright account of her early years as an abused and orphaned child. She was abandoned at the age of three months and brought up in children's homes until the age of 13 when she was adopted by javelin coach, Margaret Whitbread. Many of Fatima's great sporting moments are covered in detail, including her world javelin record in Stuttgart and her World Championship win in Rome. She also describes her experiences at the Olympics in Moscow and Los Angeles. The final chapter is devoted to her assessment of the Seoul Olympics. Adrianne Blue, an American who lives in London, is a sports correspondent with "The Sunday Times". Her previous books include "Grace Under Pressure" and "Faster, Higher, Further: Women's Triumphs and Disasters at the Olympics".