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JONATHAN EDWARDS    Britain’s most medalled athlete

Born: 10 May 1966
Died: Still Alive
Location: England

Jonathan was born in Westminster Hospital in London. He went to West Buckland School in Devon where his athletic prowess was noted. He gained four A Levels (Maths A, Physics B, French B, General Studies B) before going on to Durham University and gaining a 2:1 in Physics. He became a Scientific Officer in the Cytogenetics Laboratory of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. He married Alison Briggs. They had met at Heaton Baptist Church, where Alison sang in the music group.

It was his ability at the triple jump which took him to the north-east, to link up with top coaches and have the use of the best facilities. He first hit the headlines in 1991 when, in the spirit of Eric Liddell, he refused to compete on a Sunday. That meant he missed out on the 1991 World Championships. In 1993 he changed his stance after long discussions with his father, who was an Anglican vicar. Jonathan now took the view God had given him the ability and so he should use it to God’s glory. He went on to win the bronze medal in the 1993 World Championships.

1995 was an amazing year for Jonathan. At the start of the year he was a world class athlete with a personal best of 17.44m, a World Cup Triple Jump Title, a World Championship bronze medal and a Commonwealth silver medal under his belt. By the end of the season his record was 14 competitions 14 wins, a World Championship Gold Medal, a new British record five times, a new World record three times (18 July Salamanca 17.98m, 7 August Gothenburg World Championships 18.16m and 18.29m).

To cap it all he was IAAF International Athlete of the Year and the BBC TV Sports Personality of the Year. In the midst of all the hype surrounding his achievements Jonathan had a disarming habit of playing it down and saying, “I’m just Jonathan. I jump into a sand pit for a living.”

In Sydney 2000 Jonathan Edwards put the icing on the cake on a great career when he won the Olympic Gold Medal in the Triple Jump. His leap of 17.71m gave him first place. He said afterwards, “To come here and win in Sydney at the age of 34 is a fabulous gift and I thank God for it. It is beyond words.”

Jonathan is positive his faith has helped him keep his successes and failures in perspective: “Essentially my relationship with Jesus is fundamental to everything I do. Man is sinful and separated from God and can do nothing about that and God of His own will sent His son to die on the cross for our sins. He rose again and by virtue of having faith in Him we can be reconciled to God, as a gift, not something we can earn but as a gift, and then out of that gift we give our lives in service to God.” He told the world’s media in 2000: “I am under no illusions. The evaluation of my career as an athlete will be tied inextricably to my performance in Sydney. Yet as a person I did not need to win an Olympic Gold medal. My significance as a person depends on my relationship with God and not on my athletic achievement.”

Jonathan was awarded the CBE in 2000. He also won golds at the 2001 World Championships and 2002 Commonwealth Games. At one point in 2002, Jonathan held all the gold medals for the "four majors" (Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games & European Championships). He retired after the 2003 World Championships as Great Britain's most medalled athlete.

Following his retirement, Jonathan has pursued a media career. He is currently a television presenter mainly working for the BBC as a sports commentator and on programmes such as Songs of Praise. He is a member of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, representing athletes in the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

An honorary doctorate was conferred upon him at a ceremony at the University of Exeter on 21 January, 2006.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

“The  Bible is God’s word to me, to all of us, to what my attitudes, my actions and the way I life my life should be. It’s God’s primary way of speaking to me. From the Bible I take the basic philosophy of what I try to do – to glorify God through every aspect of my life.”

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