Carl Fogarty
4x WSB champion
Former lap record holder at the TT
True Brit determination and grit personified..
I don't think they exist. I believe that there are inspirational sportsmen & women. I believe that sometimes they can be national "treasures"- Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ellen Macarthur etc.
Lisa Potts is a hero(ine).....a firefighter who walks into a burning building is a hero/ine.
Someone who us exceptional in a sporting discipline may well be dedicated, inspirational, talented etc etc....but heroic? Nah, not in my book.
Having said that, I have no desire to berate those who feel differently & turn yet another thread into a boxing ring :thumbup:
I am with wincy.... unfortunately not literally.
I have no interest in sport at all. A bit of beach volleyball is interesting. But it isn't heroism that I am thinking of when I watch it.
Isn't she the one who had her body fully painted like a tigress........ :shock:
God where do i start,i love and live sports
maradona -for his skills of football and single handedly win world for argentina
Micheal Jordan-came back from retirement and won NBA
Brain lara-for hitting 401 in cricket
Mike Tsyon-a true boxer rude as fuck..86sec knock out record
micheal record
and many many more
Andy Ripley. If you have heard of him, you might agree.
I grew up when Ripley was the best #8 in the country, playing for Rosslyn Park.
However, what makes him inspirational for me is how he deals with his life now.
If you took a http://www and stuck this in front of a in your browser bar, and open the page, it might give you an idea of the man.
Daley Thompson for me.
Always seemed to win with a smile on his face and didn`t take himself too seriously. Was also great that the German who tried to beat him always failed and Daley toiled with him and stepped up an extra gear when needed.
Saying that he ruined my Q and W keys on my ZX Spectrum !!
Richard Faulds comes pretty high in my list.
koo x
I thought the guy who decided he would ski off the top of a mountain on one of those big ramp thingies was quite good! ......... can't remember his name................. he had been slapped with an ugly stick at some stage in his life ............ tall, skinny, glasses and ginger hair if I remember rightly ....... what was his name? :huh:
Sam xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards !
That was my point though Kent- the use of the word "Hero" to describe someone who has merely excelled in a sporting arena. I admire Herman Maier, he risks life and limb when he skis. However, he does so for him. For his personal advancement, for glory, and for euros.
I looked Alex Zanardi up, and undoubtedly the guy is an inspiration. He has my admiration and complete respect. I still don't think he's a hero though. Had he gotten out from his car to pull another racer from their burning car- putting himself at personal risk- thenhe would be a hero.
TBH, I feel that the bandying about of the word "hero" in the wrong context demeans the real hero's of the world.
well....have to say my hero was STEVE BULL
he stayed at the Wolves for 14 years...despite being offered more money and chance to play for bigger clubs, he stayed with the Wolves and was loyal untill the end. He was no brain box, and played football, liked he enjoyed it; scored Goals for fun. Played 9 times for england...5 of which were as a sub..and yet stil scored 4 goals ...
Yep, have to agree with the OP - lets just take the thread as intended. There are all sorts of heroes, sporting heroes just being one of them.
Harry says.......his vote is for Jarno Saarinen. Harry's been a bike fan for a long long time!
Jarno, familiarly known as the Flying Finn, or to his home fans, The Baron, he was heading for a magical dual championship, aiming to win the 250 and 500 in the same year back in 1973. he'd won the first 3 250 races and the first 2 500 races when he was tragically killed at Monza.
'Fast' Freddy Spencer finally did the 250 & 500 double in 1985 but burnt out in the process and never raced as successfully again.
Jarno is the man that practically invented the knee down riding style, perfecting it during ice racing and speedway in his early career and shortly after picked up and perfected by Kenny Roberts.
If he'd have lived his name would have been as famous as Ago and Mike the Bike. Sadly not to be.
( All of the above care of Harry, not me! )
I'm with you Kitty, these guys are biking legends, I would also add Bill Ivy to the list. Not that they were any better than those before or after them, they were just the idols of my era.
Mike the bike of course had much success in both F1 and F2 cars, he became a true hero the day he rescued Clay Regazzoni from a burning car at the South African GP.
In 1976 4 lesser known drivers also became heros when they put themselves at great risk to rescue the legendary Niki Lauda.
Acts of bravery such as these are truely heroic in my eyes.
Tommie Smith & John Carlos. Great athletes who made a stand for black power. Inspirational.
Every time I ended up over the top, face to face with the horse as I lay there in front of it 
and in some respects a money spinner, people like to see something different, a car racer with no legs..... not something you see everyday is it? and its that which sells stories and makes the money. Its all media hype.
The 3 men put themselves in risk to help someone they had never met before i will always be thankful to them true heroes..... 
