England Football captains Frank Lampard and John Terry both come from Essex. Thankfully we can do better much than that.

Sally Gunnell grew up on her parent’s farm near Chigwell. She has won 400m hurdles world and Olympic titles, and the world record. She is the only woman to have held the four major track titles,  European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic, at the same time. Her victory in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics means she is, without doubt, the Best Essex Sports Personality

Lots of people also credit Essex with David Beckham, but it is not true. It’s a near miss, though. He was born in Leytonstone, which was part of Essex until 1965, 10 yeas before his birth. His house at Beckingham Palace, also know as Rowneybury House, is just over the border in Hertfordshire.