Fatima Whitbread – Bio, Net Worth, Husband, Javelin Thrower, Age

Fatima Vedad is a retired British javelin thrower who is excellently known as Fatima Whitbread. She is well recognized for winning the event at the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart where she broke the world record with a throw of 77.44 meters in the qualifying round the previous day. She began throwing the javelin aged 11. She set a world record for the javelin throw in 1986, and the next year she won a gold medal at the World Championships. Fatima was named the Sports Writers’ Association Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1987 and was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987. She also enjoyed considerable success in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul as she won the silver medal behind Petra Felke. Besides, she has also starred in several television programs, including “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!” in 2011. In 2020, she starred in the TV series “Pilgrimage: Road to Istanbul”.

Fatima Whitbread Famous For

• She is a retired British javelin thrower.
• She won in the event at the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart.

What ethnicity is Fatima Whitbread?

Fatima Whitbread took birth on 3rd March 1961 with the real name of Fatima Vedad in Stoke Newington, London. She is of British nationality and she came from a mixed ethnic background as she was born to a Turkish Cypriot mother and a Greek Cypriot father. Likewise, her religious belief is in the Christian religion and her race is black. Fatima celebrated her 61st birthday in 2022 and as per her birthdate, her zodiac sign is Pisces. Whitbread grew up in a series of children’s homes as she was occasionally left in the care of her abusive biological mother. In a 2003 interview with The 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 mother.” Later she was adopted by Margaret Whitbread and her family.
Moving to Fatima’s education, she attended the Torells School in nearby Grays.

Fatima Whitbread Career (British athlete)

• Fatima Whitbread started her career winning the English Schools’ Athletics Championships intermediate title in 1977, with an event-record distance of 142 ft 9 in (43.51 m), and set a national intermediate record of 158 ft 5 in (48.28 m) in winning the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) women’s championship the following month.
• She was then placed sixth in the javelin throw at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, throwing 49.16 m (161 ft 3+1⁄4 in).
• She became the winner of gold in the javelin event at the 1979 European Athletics Junior Championships, throwing 58.20 m (190 ft 11+1⁄4 in), and was selected for the 1980 Summer Olympics event, but, achieving only 49.74 m (163 ft 2+1⁄4 in), she failed to qualify for the final.
• She also took the gold medal, throwing 58.86 m (193 ft 1+1⁄4 in) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games as well as she won the silver medal at the inaugural World Championships in 1983, having narrowly qualified for the final.
• She broke the Games record twice during her first three throws and led with a distance of 68.54 m (224 ft 10+1⁄4 in) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in July.
• As well, she broke the javelin world record with a throw of 77.44 m in the qualifying round of the 1986 European Championships and qualified for the final of the 1987 World Championships in second place behind Felke.
• Badly, she suffered from several ailments: a shoulder injury, boils, glandular fever, and problems with her gums while she was in the months leading up to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
• Her later career was affected by a long-term shoulder injury, which she believed dated back to her world record throw in 1986. Whereas the 1990 UK Athletics Championships was the last event that Fatima participated in, and she sustained a further shoulder injury there. She formally retired from competition in 1992.
• She has also gained one world and one European title, while Sanderson won an Olympic and three Commonwealth gold as well as she was placed higher in 27 of the 45 times that they faced each other in competition in all, Sanderson.
• Furthermore, Fatima also has published two autobiographies written with Adrianne Blue, “Fatima: The Autobiography of Fatima Whitbread” in 1988, and “Survivor: The Shocking and Inspiring Story of a True Champion” in 2012.
• Apart from that, Whitbread has been a guest on television programs including “A Question of Sport” on which she first starred in 1984, “The Little and Large Show” (1987 and 1988), and “The Wright Stuff” (2012).
• She was one of the celebrities with experience of fostering or adoption who took part in “Find a Family” on ITV in 1989.
• Fatima was a featured “masked celebrity” on “Celebrity Wrestling” in 2005 as she also took part in the ITV show “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!” in November 2011. 
• She was a regular fitness expert appearing on “This Morning” in 2012 and trekked the Sultans Trail for BBC Two’s “Pilgrimage: Road to Istanbul” in 2020.
• Additionally, Whitbread has backed moves to stop transgender female athletes from competing in women’s sports. She lent her support to campaigners, including Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, and called for a new category for transgender athletes.

Awards and Achievements

• Fatima was runner-up to Nigel Mansell in the 1986 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and won the title the following year.
• She was named the Sports Writers’ Association Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1987.
• She became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1987 Birthday Honours, for services to athletics.
• She was voted winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1987.

Is Fatima Whitbread Married?

Fatima Whitbread is a married woman. She exchanged vows with her ex-husband Andrew Norman in 1997 in Copthorne, West Sussex. The pair gave birth to a son, Ryan. The marriage however their relationship did not last long as they came to an end when Whitbread discovered that Norman was having an affair. They divorced in 2006. Later, her ex-husband sadly died of a heart attack in 2007. As of now, Fatima is enjoying her single life. Concerning her sexual orientation, she is straight.
Moreover, Fatima spread rumors that athletics journalist Cliff Temple had sexually harassed Shireen Bailey, who Temple coached. Unfortunately, in January 1994, Temple committed suicide. At the inquest into Temple’s death, the jury decided that a telephone call from Norman had “pushed Temple over the edge.”

What is Fatima Whitbread’s net worth?

Fatima Whitbread has a net worth of between $1 million to $5 million as of 2022 whereas she also earns a considerable amount of salary which is around thousands of dollars per year. With a tremendous amount of net worth, she is living a lavish and luxurious life. Fatima’s among those few individuals that have a such wide range of experience and remain true to whatever she embarks on. In addition, her major source of income is her javelin thrower career.

How tall is Fatima Whitbread?

Fatima Whitbread is 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) tall and her body weighs around 10 st 10 lb (68 kg). She has good-looking short dark brown hair and eyes color. Her body build type is athletic. Fatima has a toned bicep and is perfectly built. The image of her body looking super hot and flaunting her body is available everywhere on the internet.