Richard Noble. In 1983 built a car and driving it himself took the World Land Speed Record to 633 mph, for Britain. Later built the car which took the WLSR to 763 mph, faster than sound. Now building another, designed to go over 1,000 mph. And all British made. In any other country in the world, Richard Noble would be a hero and a national treasure - but we just take him for granted, and Andy Green likewise.
I too was thinking of Bob Champion. Ask me in the 80's and I may have said Ian Botham. :smile: Or perhaps Walter Payton, the guy had wings and the true "hand(s) of God". Jimmy Connors, grit and courage in the face of assimilation by "The Borg". Nastase, or even McEnroe, anyone who shook up that awful, smug, supercilious Wimbledon crowd. Gotta be Bert Trautmann though - playing in a country that probably still held deep feelings of resentment for your homeland - and with a broken freaking neck in one particular game -yeah, maybe him.
Alex Zanardi for me. I remember watching him with tears in my eyes when he finished the last 13 laps at Lausitzring in his race car, fitted with hand operated brake and accelerator controls, 20 months after the crash that nearly killed him. He did them at racing speed as well.
16 medals, 11 of them Gold 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m 4x100m Medaled at the 1988, 92, 96, 2000 and 2004 Games London Marathon winner 6 times And she did it in a wheelchair. Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson
I was going to say Hailwood but it has to be John Britten a fantastic engineer who would no doubt have been building some of the greatest bikes had he not have been taken so early.
Sporting heroes, for me it has to be John Surtees, a world champion at the top level on two and four wheels, it'll never be done again if you ask me. Also, Freddie Spencer, double world champ, 250 AND 500 World Champion in the same season takes some beating. Non sporting hero for me is Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the man is a proper English hero and last of the breed that just went out and did what couldn't or shouldn't be done.
Has to be Dame Ellen MacArthur for me too, Huge respect for her and all the solo round the word sailors. http://www.ellenmacarthur.com/
Vasily Alexeev - looked like half the lads down the pub, but waited 'til every other llfter had finished, then just demolished their targets, constantly increasing his own world records, the highest of which have only recently been broken, 30 years later!
I wasn't aware of that book, I will have to get a copy. We are just showing our ages :wink:. I met him briefly in my youth.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is not a patch on Bill Tilman. Bill Tilman really did go out and just do it, Fiennes went out and did it in a fanfare of publicity.
