Niamh used to be a keen sportswoman, but now she finds it difficult to walk quickly.

BBC: 'I feel so alone'

Gayle was a keen sportswoman who enjoyed cycling, canoeing, walking and mountaineering.

BBC: Mother's tribute to killed Briton

That her endorsements make her the richest sportswoman in the world says even more about the commercial realities of the modern sporting world.

BBC: Kournikova close to the edge

Carwyn James young sportswoman of the year was golfer Amy Boulden.

BBC: Williams awarded BBC Wales crown

Black Caviar's remarkable career has elevated her to celebrity status in Australia, where she was named Sportswoman of the Year, graced the cover of Vogue, and launched a best-selling biography.

CNN: SHARE THIS

Mr Metcalfe is a modest writer who pays due homage to long-forgotten predecessors such as Ella Maillart, a free-spirited Swiss sportswoman who chronicled the savage collectivisation of Karakalpak agriculture in the early 1930s.

ECONOMIST: The lost people of Central Asia

But despite her problems, she still won five of the nine official tournaments she entered in 2004 and won Olympic gold in Athens, an achievement which saw her named Belgian sportswoman of the year on Friday.

BBC: SPORT | Tennis | Henin-Hardenne beaten on comeback

It's the moment every athlete trains their whole life for, and even an anti-sportswoman like me couldn't fail to be thrilled by the sight of thousands of supporters yelling as I jogged, hobbled, and, yes, for the last few hundred yards, RAN towards that finish line, grinning.

CNN: Crossing the Olympic finish line