née march august british sports journalist television presenter female presenter bbc sports programme regular presenter sport friday children programme 1980s born london studied teacher entering radio broadcasting directing sport related content channel_4 helped bring american football british television anchored coverage world student games summer olympics work proved popular viewers led number sports presenting roles 1990s covering mainstream events summer olympics champion disability sports helping raise profile change public media perception presented sports named sports presenter year diagnosed cancer fought year battle disease documentary hope helen followed treatment won public support courage continued work illness shortly death awarded birthday honours later year bbc established award memory presented annual sports personality year awards ceremony cancer charity founded television career helped open way women enter world sports broadcasting following footsteps early life born london march adopted age months raised family second children spent childhood bath father engineer later lecturer mother biology teacher attended bath high school girls developing early interest sport member playing hockey somerset keen follow career broadcasting careers advisors school steered teaching instead leaving school studied vice president second year college spent term exchange student halifax nova scotia graduated completing studies teacher spent years teaching subject secondary school students worked initially winchester hampshire moving essex supply teacher teaching met future husband fellow teacher named couple married daughter born couple divorced broadcasting career continued career broadcasting teaching screen tests unsuccessful auditions took holiday job volunteer presenter seeing advertisement town centre offering services year later joined team sports reporter commercial station went air subsequently appointed station deputy sports editor years later producer director making sports content channel_4 events helped provide coverage final davis cup held sweden super bowl took place additionally worked masters open year cheerleader left company concentrate broadcasting career freelance reporter covered world student games thames television presented championships ontario channel later provided coverage year summer olympics held seoul itv mid-1980s joined presenting team bbc children news programme view increasing sports coverage presented features topics female presenting extra covered specific issue detail programme report street children subject deeply moved reduced tears screen joined female presenter earth presenting style quickly popular viewers earned regular presenting role friday sporting programmes credits bbc coverage championships summer olympics barcelona summer olympics atlanta commonwealth games held victoria british_columbia advocate disability sports helped alter public media perception coverage britain olympic team fairly unsuccessful year olympics prompting urge viewers media support called real olympics general secretary later described support event helped change image paralympics treated documentary material focusing mainly disability helen people realise sport disability sporting events covered include world disabled championships blind championships fronted sports named year later career illness death began feeling week assignment covering year olympic paralympic games diagnosed cancer august told spread liver initially given months live medical opinion fighting disease long underwent treatment combination diet treat condition cancer later lungs continued work illness despite sessions left feeling weak cited work thing kept going treatment stay working love feel best days busy far work hang house days hardly bed presented sports wrote weekly column illness worked book experience hoped help diagnosed disease cited determination disabled athletes got know work having given strength mind fight illness october bbc aired special edition documentary series titled hope helen followed underwent course treatment film earned support public courage december colleagues paid tribute emotional looking bbc year compliment produced mixed feelings presenter later wrote incident felt mixture horror embarrassment incredible warmth colleagues think april bbc announced plans overhaul bulletin depth sports preview fronted included programme friday edition began presenting slot onscreen appearance june awarded birthday honours services broadcasting charities july attended ceremony buckingham palace presented honour queen speaking occasion said cried received news don feel deserve thrilled women coming sport broadcasting july received honorary degree presented home ill attend ceremony shortly honoured award courage involved charity work raising million cancer wing named honour died august age essex august service thanksgiving held church near home attended friends colleagues later month bbc aired fight minute documentary presented friends colleagues paid tribute autobiography published posthumously legacy female presenter pioneer british sports broadcasting industry predominantly male time established precedent allowed follow followed footsteps noted sports joining itv female sports presenter late 1990s hosted football ball contributor paid tribute shortly death saying icon young girls want field showed great example november bbc announced establishment helen award given year ceremony recognition outstanding achievement face recipient retired trainer diagnosed cancer presented award year ceremony december recipients include courage fastest woman globe raising excess charity cycling following battle disease competitors inaugural games multi sport event sick injured service personnel debut year sunday_times created helen award inspiration year awards recipient receive award include student work football peace charity provides football coaching children jewish palestinian communities israel having following riding accident completed year london marathon aid robotic suit chair somerset based junior football club established local football league children established charity funds operates cancer support centres essex london lord known days radio broadcasting charity patron opened essex april new research centre named offering treatment patients clinical trials new cancer opened april announced new housing development include road named memory additionally apartment blocks development named people associated winners year building names include publications helen life short isbn
Helen Rollason