Sally Gunnell
COUNTRY OF BIRTH
United Kingdom
INDUSTRY
Sports
TOP ACHIEVEMENTS
Sally Gunnell is famous for her extensive track and field career spanning from 1984 to 1997. From 1992 to 1994, Gunnell won every event that was open to her including winning titles at the Olympic Games, World Championship, European Championship, Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games, IAAF World Cup, and European Cup events. Her top career highlights include winning the Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles in 1992 as well as breaking the British, European, and World Records. Still to this day, she is the only female athlete ever to win all four major professional competitions concurrently – the Olympics, World, European, and Commonwealth titles.
EARLY CAREER
Born in Chigwell, England on July 29, 1966, Gunnell’s athletic life started at the Essex Ladies’ Club as a long jumper and pentathlete. By the early 80s, Gunnell had switched her focus to hurdling, where she was showing great promise – and by 1986, her hard work and dedication paid off. She won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and continued with hurdles while looking towards longer and more challenging distances. In 1989 she took home the gold at the European Cup 400-meter flat race and in 1990 she won gold at the Commonwealth Games 400-meter hurdles in Auckland. Her early career set her up for success as she entered her 24-month golden period starting in 1992.
ACHIEVEMENTS
From 1992 to 1994, a period known as her “golden years”, Sally Gunnell was unstoppable. She held gold titles from all the major events open to her during this time, with a strong focus on her nutrition, physical, and technical training to help get her there. While her athletic career came to a close in 1997 due mostly to long-lasting injuries, she also had an exciting professional career as a part of the BBC Sport team. She was a regular interviewer on many athletic shows throughout the 90s and 2000s, bringing track and field to many homes across the United Kingdom.
Gunnell also climbed to the top of the health and wellness field by helping families and businesses bring health and wellness to their homes and workplaces. She continues this work today as a motivational speaker and building various programs to help people access healthy lifestyles.
Her numerous wins across her track and field career, include:
- Gold at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1986;
- Gold at the European Cup 400-meter flat race in Gateshead;
- Gold at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990;
- Silver at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991;
- Gold at the Barcelona Olympic Games in the 400-meter hurdles in 1992;
- Gold at the World Champions in Stuttgart in 1992 while setting a world record.
- No other woman has held Commonwealth, European, World, and Olympic track titles concurrently.
RECOGNITION
- In 1993, Gunnell was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire at the New Year Honors.
- In 1998, Gunnell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire at the Queen’s Birthday Honors.
- In 2011, Gunnell was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of West Sussex.
- In 2012, Gunnell was one of five Olympians to be part of a body-casting series by Louise Giblin.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Gunnell lives with her husband, former athlete Jonathan Bigg, in West Sussex.
- She has three sons.
