R U O Y WHOʼS
INTRODUCTION There have been many heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic and in Week 6 of our Joiners’ Programme, we asked our joiners’ to tell us who their hero is and why. Their heroes come from all walks of life including sport, history, science and the modern day. Please read on to find out more.
CONTENTS HISTORICAL HEROES............................................................ 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HEROES.............................. 04 MEDICAL HEROES................................................................. 06 LOCAL HEROES..................................................................... 07 SPORTING HEROES............................................................... 08 CREATIVE HEROES................................................................ 12 MODERN DAY HEROES......................................................... 14 FAMILY HEROES.................................................................... 18
H AMP T O N S C H O O L - WH O ’ S Y OUR HE R O?
HISTORICAL HEROES ABRAHAM LINCOLN Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the USA. He was born on the 12th February 1809 in Hodgendsville, Kentucky, and was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on the 15th April 1865, in Peterson house. Lincoln was a lawyer and statesman who led America through a crisis in the Civil War, and is renowned for signing the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation, which abolished slavery in Washington DC. A few months later, Congress banned slavery in all federal territories. He is inspirational for his perseverance and guided his country through the toughest of hardships. By Ela
SOCRATES To begin, my hero, Socrates is credited to be one of the founders of Western philosophy which attempts to answer questions such as “If a tree falls but no one is around to hear it did it make a noise?” or “If there was no life in the universe would there be a universe?”. The main reason for him being my hero is that metaphysics (what he specialised in) is weaved in with theoretical physics (to elaborate I want to be a theoretical physicist) because of the abstract questions each field ventures to answer. By Juan-Leonardo
H I ST O R I C AL H EROES I 0 3
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HEROES THOMAS EDISON My hero is Thomas Edison, a popular American inventor who developed many inventions such as the first light-bulb. It is also that he was the person who first discovered the presence of electricity. I admire him and I chose him as my hero because of his incredible intelligence and his strong resilience. He has been described as America’s greatest inventor, and, I think that is true because he has been awarded over 10 awards! He also achieved all of this while he was partially deaf in one ear! But he still found a way to listen to music. By Arie
ELON MUSK Elon Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur and businessman. He established innovative companies Zip2, x.com (later PayPal), SpaceX and Tesla Motors, which significantly influenced modern technology trends. For example, Zip2 was an online city guide providing content for news websites (including The New York Times), and x.com innovated online financial services. When he gathered sufficient funds, he established truly groundbreaking companies: SpaceX, which was founded with the intention of building commercial spacecraft, and Tesla Motors, dedicated to production of affordable electric cars, batteries and solar roofs. Through these companies, Elon Musk enabled tech innovations that bring real benefits to humanity. By Adrian
04 I S CIENCE & T ECHNO L O G Y HE RO E S
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ALBERT EINSTEIN My hero is Albert Einstein. He was a great German professor who created the theory of relativity and quantum theory. His work has also been widely recognised and praised for its influence on the Philosophy of Science. One of his most notable and influential contributions to science was his ‘E = mc^2’ formula which is arguably the most famous equation to date. His many achievements went unnoticed as he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Einstein inspired me to be curious of the world around me, question how the stars were formed and what else was out there. By Isa
STEPHEN HAWKING My hero is Stephen Hawking. He is my hero because he contributed so much to this world whilst having ALS, a disability which includes a group of rare diseases that mainly involve the nerve cells. He was diagnosed at twenty one. He was given two more years to live, but he managed to live until seventy six. He had been fully paralysed for over thirty years but he lived. He inspires me because he managed to accomplish so much in his life, even with a disability to hold him back. He inspires me to never give up. By Maxwell
ALAN TURING My hero is Alan Turing, the man who’s gone through everything. Born a month and 1 week after the Titanic tragedy and the man who killed himself with cyanide poison. He is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. So he’s quite brainy come to think of it. He first became interested in these attributes when he was 9 years old. He was the first man to create a working computer. It didn’t have all the different accessories as we have today, but for the time it was jaw dropping. And most importantly how he cracked the German enigma code in WWII. This action won the war for the allies and turned Alan Turing into a hero. By Seb R SC I EN C E & T E C H N O L O G Y H EROES I 0 5
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MEDICAL HEROES MATT HANCOCK My hero is Matt Hancock who is the Health Secretary of the UK. He is helping everyone during this time and searching for ways to keep us safe. He is regularly on the news telling us what is happening and telling us the measures that are going into place to stop the spread of the virus. Hancock speaks calmly even if it is a tense subject he is talking about. This gives the listeners a calming feeling and it certainly makes me feel better. Matt Hancock was born on the 2nd of November 1978. He became the Health Secretary in 2018 and has been an MP since 2010. All these points considered make Matt Hancock my hero. By Advait
NHS WORKERS My heroes are the NHS Workers who risk their lives every day to help us. The NHS was born in 1948 out of a long-held ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth or class. Before the National Health Service was created in 1948, patients were generally required to pay for their health care. Free treatment was sometimes available from charitable voluntary hospitals. Before the NHS, staying at the hospital cost £400 a day for the bed, another £500 for the operation and £250 for the consultation. They are my heroes for making healthcare available to everyone. By Vibhush
06 I M EDICAL HEROES
H AMP T O N S C H O O L - WH O ’ S Y OUR HE R O?
H AMP T O N S C H O O L - WH O ’ S Y O UR HE R O?
LOCAL HEROES ARMICK BOYADJIN My “hero” is Armick Boyadjin, a caretaker in my school. He is my hero because he helped to put together everything at school and to fix and make new stuff for us kids. He is really kind and helpful and always greets us when he walks past. I really like him because he always listens to our suggestions and sometimes plays with us. When we start to wash our hands in the morning, he always says funny things about us speeding up the wash. He does this to mainly make us happy and to raise our spirits in the morning. By Eric
HAMPTON SCHOOL I am choosing Hampton as my hero because they kept me entertained during the lockdown and are already helping with me settling into Hampton and develop habits of having some challenges in my life. I will always be proud of being a Hamptonian and can’t wait to be one, this wraps up why I chose you as my hero and why you deserve to be my hero. By Eugene L O C AL H EROES I 0 7
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SPORTING HEROES VINCENT KOMPANY My hero is four-time Premier League champion, best defender of all time and former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. I am a Man City fan and last year, when he scored the title-winning goal, I was so happy that we had won the title! I met him while on holiday a few years ago and was excited to discover he is a very kind man too: he even played a game of football with us one night! Finally, Vincent is a good example of a famous footballer that worked hard on the pitch and in his studies: he knows 5 languages and graduated with an MBA in 2018. By Alessandro
JOS BUTTLER My hero is Jos Buttler, England’s wicket-keeper and batsman. I am inspired by his perseverance, England were in a difficult position in the 2019 World Cup final, him and Ben Stokes persevered to take the game to the end and showed determination. I also admire that in tough situations, like when not included in the test match side between 2015 and 2017, he worked hard in other games to get back in the side. Whether he wins or loses, he always comes back in the next game and always gives his best. His style of play is very entertaining and fun to watch. By Akshat
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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC Zlatan Ibrahimovic is my hero because he never gave up, and he always gave it his best. He came from a poor background and had no help from his parents, he even had to steal bikes to get to training on time! His father was an alcoholic and his sisters were drug addicts; it was not the best household to grow up in. Despite his unfortunate upbringing, he excelled and became an amazing sportsman. Although he had some attitude problems, he learnt to control them and later became a great footballer with a successful career. By Caspar S
MUHAMMAD ALI My hero is Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr). He is my Idol because he was an extraordinary sportsman (a boxing champion), had a great sense of humour and he wanted to make a change for black people who were treated unfairly. He was very inspirational since he helped in the Civil Rights Movement and even when he was thrown in jail and stripped of all his boxing titles (for having his own opinion) he came back and reclaimed his boxing titles and carried on helping in the Civil Rights Movement. This makes him my hero because I believe in equality, inclusion and diversity. By Faris
CRISTIANO RONALDO My hero is Cristiano Ronaldo. He might not seem like a very original person to have as a hero, but I am truly inspired. This is because of the way he trains. Although he is 35 which is quite old for a footballer, he pushes his body to the max and gets stronger and better at football by the day. Also, he exceeded people’s expectations. When he was younger and was at Sporting Lisbon, his first club, he had an obvious talent, but many said he wouldn’t become a world-class player. It’s safe to say he has proved them all wrong. By Felix
SPO R T I N G H EROES I 0 9
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JAMIE (JIMMY) ANDERSON My hero is Jamie (Jimmy) Anderson. He has always been one of my heroes because I am a big fan of cricket. I like his positive attitude towards sport and I think he’s a really good role model. I also believe that he is a very talented player in general. He has been playing cricket professionally since before I was born. I have been playing for six years and hope to one day be as successful as him, but I know that that will take a lot of practice. By Joe
MARK NOBLE One of my many heroes is Mark Noble, the West Ham captain. My reason for this is his real energy and desire to encourage and push the team forwards to win matches! He has a real passion for football and has a real grit and determination. Although he isn’t the best player by any stretch, he is certainly a very inspiring and hard-working one. That is why I have chosen him for this task! He is always very warm and welcoming to new staff and players in matches and videos that I have seen! By Louis
LIONEL MESSI My hero, Lionel Messi plays for Barcelona and Argentina and says, “Every time I start a year, I start with the objective of trying to achieve everything, without comparing it to how I’ve done in other seasons.” I try to have a go and persevere at everything even if you have not tried it before. He also says, “Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game — I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans and to try and win.” I relish playing football and stimulate my team. This is why I am inspired by Lionel Messi. By Jaipaal My hero is Messi, who is a footballer in La Liga. Messi is my hero because even though he has growth hormone disorder he is still the best footballer in the world and I find that incredible how even though he suffers, he can still achieve all of his dreams and because of this he has inspired me to try hard with my football even though I’m not the best. By Jamie
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MO FARAH My hero is the British runner Mo Farah. I really enjoy running myself and Mo Farah inspires me to keep doing it. Because it is a very tough race, I think Mo’s talent is extra special, especially his powerful finish. Once in an Olympic race his shoe came off, leaving him behind from the pack. Although, he fought back and managed not only to catch up with the pack, but to win the whole race. Also, what makes him extra special is that normally, Kenyans dominate the running track, but Mo Farah is British, and he still won lots of titles. By Marcus
TAMMY ABRAHAM Tammy Abraham is my inspirational person as he is hardworking and, in the UEFA, Super Cup he missed a penalty which cost Chelsea the game which could’ve crowned them the best team in Europe causing lots of social and even racial abuse. But, he came back, worked hard and put it all aside and came back for the new season and scored 7 goals in 3 games despite all the negativity fans were giving him and is now a fan favourite. And just that story, was enough to make him my inspirational person. By Rio
SAM WARBURTON Sam Warburton is my hero because of his determination to carry on and push through the pain. He is an ex-professional rugby player and played for the Wales national team and he captained the Lions. His career lasted for over 12 years and despite picking up 20 injuries he kept going. He was an amazing player and is still recognised as one of the greatest openside flankers in history and by far one of the best Wales players in history. He is an inspiration to me because of the fact that he went through the pain, the losses and the big let downs. The way he just got through all of it is just inspirational. By Seb H
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CREATIVE HEROES J.R.R. TOLKIEN J.R.R. Tolkien is the author of the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, he is not my hero for his writing skills alone. It is his imagination I find awe-inspiring. He created an entirely new world, almost as detailed and complex as our own, using only his brain, a pinch of creativity and a barrelful of imagination. And yet despite the magnitude of the world he designed, it was me, not him, who was continuously bamboozled by the casual name-throwing of countless locations. This is why, in my opinion, J.R.R Tolkien has the greatest imagination ever to grace this Earth. By Alex W
J.K. ROWLING My hero is in fact J.K Rowling, celebrated author and writer of the Harry Potter franchise. I idolise her because she never gave up. She wanted to be a writer and became one. Even at the expense of her parents’ disapproval. The Philosophers Stone got rejected many times by publishers and yet she didn’t give up. I want to be a writer when I grow up and be just like her (not because she was one, I always wanted to be a writer). By Mayank
12 I C REATIVE HEROE S
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BRIAN MAY My hero is Queen guitarist, Brian May. Coincidentally, Mr May is an Old Hamptonian. He is my hero because his musical journey is very inspiring. I find it very interesting that he went from being a quiet English boy with a PhD in Astro-Physics, to the ultimate rock god with his own guitar company, his own stereoscopic imaging company and became a legend all over the world. Also, I think that he was the real driving force behind the success of Queen. Furthermore, I find his interest in stereoscopic viewing fascinating, as explained in the book ‘Queen in 3-D’. By Josh C
C.S. LEWIS The reason why I chose Clive Staple Lewis (or C. S. Lewis) as my hero is because he ignited my passion for reading in me. Before I started reading his famous series (The Chronicles of Narnia) reading meant nothing to me. The Chronicles of Narnia gave me a new passion, a new hobby that shall never seize to end. Thank you C. S. Lewis for establishing a new passion in me. By Yaseen
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MODERN DAY HEROES CAPTAIN THOMAS MOORE Everyone can be a hero if they have determination and resilience. Captain Thomas Moore has all of this and more. He set out to do one hundred laps around his garden as he was turning one hundred years old. He tried to raise one thousand pounds, but ended up raising more than thirty million! This inspirational man with a lot of charisma is admired by the whole nation. He was up for a challenge, and he completed it with an astonishing result! This man has optimism, a great sense of humour and an amazing kindness, and he is without a doubt my hero. By Boris Image credit: Emma Sohl
He was a World War Two Soldier who was originally called Captain Tom but after walking 100 laps around his house and raising £33 million even though he meant to raise £1000, was nominated by the Prime Minister and the Queen consented by sending a letter to Captain Tom telling him he was now officially a sir and had received a knighthood. He was a retired soldier but as his 100th birthday was fast approaching he decided to help the NHS in these difficult times and this makes him a true hero as he tried to help the nation in this pandemic and it is an understatement to say he succeeded. By Prabhoda
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H AMP T O N S C H O O L - WH O ’ S Y OUR HE R O?
JAMES MEREDITH My hero is James Meredith. Meredith was the first black person allowed into the University of Mississippi, in 1962. He is not just an inspiration for me, but for everybody, as he showed that whoever you are you can do something to better yourself, despite how you feel on the inside. He must have been extremely brave to enter the University, and he has inspired me and many others to work hard and achieve. By Harry G
MAHATMA GANDHI Heroes come in many different forms. I write about a man who brought peace to his people on the threshold of war. Fighting against the largest empire at that time, Mahatma Gandhi, known lovingly as “Bapu Gandhi” (Father Gandhi), walked a peaceful road when campaigning for India’s independence. Gandhi opposed violence. In the toughest of times, he worked to unite all religions. In the face of extreme aggression. Bapu Gandhi chose to protest with words, non-cooperation and fasting. Gandhi died shortly after India gained its independence in 1947. Against overwhelming odds, he did not use violence. Bapu Gandhi is a true hero to me. By Gabriel
WINSTON CHURCHILL My hero is Winston Churchill who was became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice during his life. One reason why I admire him is that after the disaster of Gallipoli, he came back 25 years later as the next Prime Minister which shows he had a determined personality. He also made many influential speeches to encourage the country not to lose hope during WW2 which made him immensely popular among people. Recently he has been criticised for being in favour of colonialism. However, I feel that it is unacceptable for people to graffiti his statue. Such vandals forget that Churchill was the person who saved Britain, and possibly the world, from Nazi conquest. By Josh C M O DER N DAY H EROES I 1 5
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JOE WICKS Joe recently became famous throughout the world when he created his new exercise for kids and adults called: PE with Joe. Immediately people started watching and within two weeks he gained a golden Youtube button for 1 million subscribers. He has also sold £500,000 worth of t-shirts for PE with Joe and all the money is being given to help support the NHS and not for personal gain. He also is a chef who gives healthy recipe books such as Lean and Fit in 15. On 24th March, he had 950,000 live viewers earning a Guinness World record.. By Prabodha
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH My hero is David Attenborough. What has inspired me the most is his incredible narrating on numerous animal programs such as seven worlds one planet, planet earth, blue planet and lots more. Another thing that impresses me is his age and the time that he has been doing this job. He accepted his first job in 1952 which was working for the BCC. Then he moved on to his second job after being criticised for his ‘big teeth’ which discouraged him from being on camera. He then went into the Talks department and after that he went into, his most well-known job: narrating for animal programmes in which his first was Animal Patterns. Today, he is known as a ‘national treasure’ (a term that he himself don’t like!) for his fight against deforestation, global warming and plastic pollution. By Harry D
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NICK VUJICIC Nick Vujicic has inspired me to overcome my fears and show me that with a positive mental attitude you can achieve anything in life! Despite being born with no arms or legs Nick’s talents include skydiving, football and swimming. He has written several books and even featured on the cover of surfer magazine after being the first person to do a 360-degree spin on his board. Growing up, he realised his physical condition was no limit to his potential and wanted to help inspire others by giving speeches against adversity. He has travelled the world sharing his positive messages. By Leander
MR BEAST My hero is the YouTuber and philanthropist Mr Beast. He came to prominence in 2017 after making a 40-hour video where he counted to 100,000. Recently he was involved in a project with Team Trees which aimed to raise $20 million and plant one tree for each dollar raised. He surpassed that goal in a few months. Elon Musk donated $1 million to this project. I am inspired by Mr Beast because he is a YouTuber like me, he is funny, creates original content but above all cares about the planet and helping others. By Raif
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FAMILY HEROES MY MOTHER A hero is a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. Each person has his own perspective of what hero should be like or what they idolise. For me, a hero is someone who though ordinary and has no supernatural powers but has a heart so magnanimous and love so strong that it exceeds any supernatural powers that might be. For me my hero is my “MOTHER”. She’s an admirable person because of the extraordinary things she does every single day, every single moment. She’s a pillar of strength for our family and her smile brightens my saddest day. She loves and understands me unconditionally. MY Mother-My Hero-Now and Forever. By Aadi
MY DAD My hero is my dad because he works very hard and he is very kind and helps me out a lot when I am in a bad situation. He also gives me good advice so that I can make the right decisions in life and so I can thrive and succeed in what I do. He also helps me by teaching me to do different things and never give up. This is why he is my hero. By Arish
18 I FAMILY HEROES
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MY GRANDPA & GREAT GRANDMA I don’t have a hero but I really admire my Spanish Grandpa and Great Grandma (who I unfortunately never met). My Great Grandma didn’t have much money but put all her money into my Grandpa’s education. He studied business hard and when he finished his studies he created his own company. He started in the printing industry but later he saw a gap in the market for packaging so he started producing boxes for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. I admire him because with very little money he made a big company. By Lucas
MY DAD My Dad is a trauma and general surgeon for the NHS who specialises in the liver and the pancreas. He has to expose himself to the virus that terrifies others almost every day as he goes into the hospital in an attempt to save or make people’s lives more positive and worth living. My Dad is a saviour for many people and he is risking his own health to do it. His courage inspires me and that is why he is my hero. By Kasper
MY MUM My hero is my mum. My mum is the person who brought me into this world and she, with the help of my dad raised me and my other three siblings. My mum also always cooks the most amazing food. In the morning we had pancakes and I demolished them within seconds. As if that wasn’t enough, my mum is also the best teacher, as she was the main reason I have got an admission to this amazing school. Remember you don’t need to have a cool costume and cape to be a superhero. My mum is the greatest hero of all time! By Mohammed
FAM I LY H E ROES I 1 9
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