Bob Champion

Bob Champion MBE (born June 4, 1948) is an English Jump Jockey who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti despite recovering from cancer which at the time he had only 40% chance of surviving and saw him not only lose his strength but also his hair. Their victory earned them that year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award and was chosen as one of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments by Channel 4 viewers in 2002.

His triumph was made into a film Champions, with John Hurt portraying Champion. The film is based on Champion's Book. Champions Story which wrote with close friend and racing journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Powell.

Other major races that Champion won during his career include the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and the Whitbread Trial Chase. He was made an MBE in 1983. In the same year he formed the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, which has raised millions of pounds for cancer research. He retired from training horses in 1999.

External links

* [http://www.bobchampion.org.uk The Bob Champion Cancer Trust website]
* [http://www.intelligentgiving.com/charity/1024664 Intelligent Giving profile of The Bob Champion Cancer Trust]