Robbie Brightwell and his Golden Girl is an uplifting account of two romantically entwined young Corinthians navigating their way from youthful promise to Olympic fame.
Their sporting odyssey is anchored in the days of doctrinal amateurism, when aspiring hopefuls dreamed more of inheriting the Olympic crown than inheriting pots of gold. As their journey unfolds the narrator introduces the luminaries who shaped their lives and the characters that enlivened their passage.
The settings under which both won the highest sporting laurels are remarkable. Ann Packer became the first British girl to win an Olympic track Gold medal in circumstances reminiscent of Eric Liddell’s dramatic victory in the “Chariots of Fire” - after finishing a disappointing second in the 400-metres she entered her second-string 800-metre novice event and won a Gold medal setting a World record to boot. Equally memorable is the author’s tale. His youthful discovery that the modern Olympic Games was resurrected a few miles from his Shropshire home inspired him to win a Silver medal but not before, as captain of the British Olympic team, he led a rebellion against the sport’s governing body threatening its departure to the XV111th Olympiad and challenging the edifice of amateurism. It subsequently became the most successful Great Britain team ever to leave it shores.
Not only will this happy-ending story refresh the memories of millions of Britons who made Robbie and Ann the Posh and Becks of their era, but hopefully it will inspire those striving to achieve their sporting ambitions.
Their sporting odyssey is anchored in the days of doctrinal amateurism, when aspiring hopefuls dreamed more of inheriting the Olympic crown than inheriting pots of gold. As their journey unfolds the narrator introduces the luminaries who shaped their lives and the characters that enlivened their passage.
The settings under which both won the highest sporting laurels are remarkable. Ann Packer became the first British girl to win an Olympic track Gold medal in circumstances reminiscent of Eric Liddell’s dramatic victory in the “Chariots of Fire” - after finishing a disappointing second in the 400-metres she entered her second-string 800-metre novice event and won a Gold medal setting a World record to boot. Equally memorable is the author’s tale. His youthful discovery that the modern Olympic Games was resurrected a few miles from his Shropshire home inspired him to win a Silver medal but not before, as captain of the British Olympic team, he led a rebellion against the sport’s governing body threatening its departure to the XV111th Olympiad and challenging the edifice of amateurism. It subsequently became the most successful Great Britain team ever to leave it shores.
Not only will this happy-ending story refresh the memories of millions of Britons who made Robbie and Ann the Posh and Becks of their era, but hopefully it will inspire those striving to achieve their sporting ambitions.
