Wednesday 18-10-2017 - 14:35

With it being Black History Month, I thought it would be a great time to write about and celebrate some of the amazing black athletes that have had an impact on my life, either for their sporting prowess, influence or simply the way they play the game. There are so many incredible athletes out there, so I’ve gone with my favourite 10!

 

10 - Tiger Woods

I am not huge golf fan myself, however you can’t help but admire his dominance of the sport for nearly two decades! Despite problems in his personal life in recent years, he is clearly dedicated to his sport and is a great success story! His popularity in the UK peaked in 2000 when he was voted the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 - Michael Jordan

You don’t need to like basketball to know who this giant is - even if its only because you’ve seen Space Jam! Probably the first global superstar of basketball, this icon has done it all: Olympic golds, Hall of Fame & NBA championships to name a few. Twice out of retirement and a brief spell in minor league baseball, it’s fair to say the Michael Jordan is one of the greatest American athletes of all time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 - Dwight Yorke

One-half of the goal scoring duo that secured Manchester United's famous treble in 1999, the Trinidad & Tobago football legend scored 19 goals in 74 appearances for his country and has scored over 100 goals in the Premier League. He was a big fan favourite and still plays for Manchester United as part of their legends team. He also has a stadium names after him in his homeland, Tobago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 - Nicola Adams (OBE)

The two time Olympic gold medallist is a fantastic role model for women’s boxing. Her tenacious style and commitment to her sport, along with her very likeable character have made her one of the most popular GB athletes at the previous two Olympic Games. Adams worked as an extra on soaps such as EastEnders and as builder until the Olympics added women’s boxing. This year she turned professional and has won her first 2 fights. She is certainly one of my favourite boxers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 - Dame Kelly Holmes

Before there was Mo there was Dame Kelly. One of my earliest memories of watching the Olympics was Athens 2004, where this British athlete in the middle of the back, burst into life on the final lap to overtake everyone winning the gold medal in the 800m. But could she do it again? At the age of 34 in the 1500m? YES! With the same approach, coming around the final bend to overtake everyone on the home straight to become the double gold medallist. What is not known is the Dame Kelly suffered with clinical depression and was self-harming every time she was injured. She was unable to take anti-depressants, as it would affect her performance. In 2017, Dame Kelly spoke about her depression in the hope that people would understand the difficulties of being a professional athlete, and that it is ok to talk about mental health and to seek help. Dame Kelly was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2004, saying that it is the highest sporting honour your country can give you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 - Muhammad Ali

Ali is widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. His trash-talk made headlines, and his aggressive style along with his ability to move made him a deadly opponent. Ali’s name was originally Cassius Clay. In his twenties, Cassius converted to Islam, changing his name to Muhammad Ali and was an inspirational figure for African Americans in the 60’s during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1966, Ali famously refused to be drafted into the army during the USA’s war with Vietnam on the grounds of his religious belief. Ali was arrested and stripped of his two world championships but become the icon for the anti-establishment movement. In 1971 he won his appeal.

Ali was involved in possible the three most famous fights in history - “Fight of the Century”, “The Thriller in Manilla” and “Rumble in the Jungle”. He devoted his life to charity work after his retirement, and is a hero to millions of people. In 1999 he was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Century, accumulating more votes than the combined total of the other contenders that included Pele & George Best. He is a hero of mine simply for standing by what he believed in, despite all he could lose from it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 - Sir Mohamed Farah

Simply put, the greatest British track & field athlete of all time. For those like me, who only watch athletics during the Olympics, Sir Mo came out of nowhere! He secured silver in the 2011 World Championships but Team GB had never won a 10,000m Gold, until London 2012. He only went and did a Dame Kelly and become a double Gold medallist, winning the 5000m in front of a deafening home crowd.

Last year at Rio, he secured his legendary statues by doing the unthinkable, and becoming only second person in history to be double-double gold Olympic gold medallist in the 10,000 and 5,000m, even though he was tripped during the 10,000m! Sir Mo has now retired to from the track and switched to the marathon, and I cannot wait to see if he can bring Team GB more success in that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 – Usain Bolt

The greatest sprinter of all time, the biggest star of athletics of all time, and surely must be in contention for sports personality of the century! Even if there is another 83 years to go - you cannot help but love this man! He is my all-time favourite track and field athlete. I could go on listing his accolades, but you know them! His charisma and personality has brought new life into athletics and drawn new crowds. His shear dominance of the sport is a advert for what you can achieve if you work hard. I am going to miss watching him at the Olympics, and worry that the sport will never be the same! Usain is the only person to have been awarded BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year three times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 - Serena Williams

For me, the greatest female athlete of all time. To dominate your sport for a prolonged period is something. However doing it for 15 years, battling your sister and the likes of Maria Sharapova is incredible. She has appeared in 29 Grand Slam finals, winning 23 and has twice won 3 out of the 4 slams available in one season.

Other than hear dominance in her sport, Serena has done an incredible amount of work for charity. Funding schools in Kenya and Jamaica as well initiatives in the USA that support families and people who are challenged socially and economically. For an athlete to do this while they are at the top of their game is a true testament to them as a person and that is why she is one of my favourite athletes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 - Jonah Lomu

My Hero.

Where do I begin! The greatest player of all time? Top three. The first global superstar of rugby union, definitely. He was the original combination of raw power and size, with pace and agility. He played my favourite sport with passion and ferocity, but at the end of the day was a kind man that no one had a bad thing  to say about.

He burst onto the scene on the 1995 Rugby World Cup, widely seen as the player of the tournament, and was subsequently voted as BBC Overseas Player of the Year. What many people don’t know is that he was also diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder that same year. This had a significant impact on his daily life, but he managed to continue playing international rugby for a further seven years.

In 2002 he played for the last time for New Zealand, as he would end up on dialysis in 2003 and require a kidney transplant in 2004. This was not enough to stop Jonah. Despite the odds and not playing professional rugby for three years, Jonah would come out of retirement and play for North Harbour in New Zealand and the Cardiff Blues in 2005.

In 2007 after constant injuries, Lomu retired from professional rugby, but often got involved in charity matches, including a match at Aberavon RFC, a small town in South Wales, raising money for a local children’s charity. That year he was inducted into the 2007 International Rugby Hall of Fame, and in 2011 he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

In 2015, Jonah Lomu died unexpectedly of a heart attack in his sleep attributed to his kidney issues. Jonah’s story, from his hardened background using rugby union as an escape from gangs, through to being one of the greatest players in the professional era despite his kidney issues, is a truly inspirational tale. This hardened my belief that if you really want something, you can always find a way, if you’re willing to work for it.

 

Find out more about Black History Month and other events taking place.