10 March 2024 , 07:00
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When we begin our phone chat with Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson CBE, the former athlete has just discovered that her daughter Ruby Mae, 11, has forgotten her packed lunch and tells us that as soon as our interview is over, she’ll be rushing to the school to deliver her tuna sandwiches.
Tessa and her husband Densign White adopted Ruby Mae and her twin brother Cassius after fostering them when they were three months old. She is clearly devoted to her children and our conversation is peppered with anecdotes about their happy – and busy – family life together.
Tessa, who turns 68 this month, became the first Black British woman to strike gold at the Olympics when she won the javelin competition in Los Angeles 40 years ago.
She is here today to talk about how important it is for women to take some time for themselves as part of a campaign she is working on with Estée Lauder called Because Of My Age. But we’re also keen to ask her about what it was like to become a mum at 58 and the important work she does around Black History Month.
There's still time to treat your mum with a special gift for Mother's Day
Olympic legend Tessa Sanderson becomes model after becoming a first-time mum
Tessa and her husband Densign White adopted Ruby Mae and her twin brother Cassius after fostering them when they were three months old (Instagram)
Tessa spoke about preparing for motherhood in her fifties (Instagram)To say that Tessa, who was awarded a CBE in 2004, is inspiring would be an understatement and her energy is contagious.
Here, she tells us about preparing for motherhood in her fifties and why she thinks it should be Black History Month every month…
You adopted your twins at 58, following three unsuccessful rounds of IVF. How has motherhood changed your life?
I couldn’t have children, so I decided I wanted to adopt. My husband was all for it too. It was a really, really happy moment [getting the twins]. The kids are great – they’re 11 now. My son is into football and my little girl is into dancing and cooking. It’s a fabulous thing to see them grow up. Because my husband and I had done so much sport [Densign is a former judo Olympian], it was a little easier for us to get up early in the morning when they were young.
Was it a challenge having kids in your fifties?
I knew my mindset was very energetic and I love challenges, so the decision wasn’t really hard to make. It was just understanding what I had to do and knowing at that age I’d have to tweak things a little bit.
You’re both from very sporty backgrounds. Do you feel strongly about your kids being active?
I don’t push them into sport, but I’d like my little girl to do a bit more. My little boy lives, dreams and sleeps football. He’s a massive Wolves supporter just like his dad and he plays
every Saturday.
What about your daughter?
She’s a fantastic swimmer and I think she could swim for Team GB, but she would need to work really hard because I know first-hand how hard competition is. She wants to be like Nigella Lawson. She’s very beautiful and she comes to me with recipes I’ve never heard of. And she loves to dance. She shows me all these things to do on TikTok and I think, “Hold on darling, I’m over 60, I can’t move as much as you’re moving!” I don’t force them into exercise but I say, “Listen, healthy eating and exercise is really important.”
So having a healthy lifestyle is important to you…
Absolutely, more than anything. I go and talk to schoolchildren a lot, especially during Black History Month. I say to the kids, “You may not be an Olympian, but you can be a healthy little person. It doesn’t matter what sport you’re doing, it’s just so important.”
Tessa, who turns 68 this month, became the first Black British woman to strike gold at the Olympics when she won the javelin competition in Los Angeles 40 years ago (Getty Images)
What do your children think of the fact that you’re an Olympic gold medallist?
My daughter thinks the world of me and I think the world of her. There was a day they had in school and they said, “Who do you want to be?” and bless her, I have a photo of her dressed up in my Atlanta sweatshirt [from the Olympic Games in 1996] and she’s wearing one of my medals. She’s got her arm outstretched like a javelin thrower. She’s one of my biggest fans.
Did you let her take your Olympic medal to school?
Oh no, I’m not that stupid! I have a cupboard full of memorabilia because I was doing track and field for 26 years. So I took one of the other medals I’d won and got her to wear that.
Did the kids bring you and your husband closer?
Oh yeah. And their dad is… let me tell you, I couldn’t have married a better person. He’s pretty good with them. At home we play things like Scrabble and my boy is really good at chess. He says, “Mummy, I whooped Daddy at chess.”
Tell us about visiting schools during Black History Month…
I love Black History Month and I really think it shouldn’t just be one month – it should be the whole damn year because everybody needs to be educated and there’s so much going on.
You’ve talked in the past about suffering racial abuse when you were growing up...
It’s sad to see that racism is still about. It shouldn’t be because I started competing in the 60s. From then to now is a lot of years – I thought we’d learnt a lot more about not to judge people by the colour of their skin. But it’s still happening. There are a lot of Black people out there competing for Great Britain, especially in the athletics field and we’re doing damn well. So when you see all these racist things happening, it does make you feel, “Oh my God, why haven’t we moved on?” I think people need to be educated. Not just children, but adults. About respect and life and ethnicity and taking people for who they are.
You were the first Black British woman to win an Olympic title 40 years ago. How does that feel?
Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! I love it. The first male or female ever to win a gold medal in a throwing event for this country. That is history. It’s been 40 years now. Standing on the middle podium is just something awesome.
The Paris Olympics are coming up. Will you be there or watching at home?
I’m hoping to go out there. I’ve been asked to do a few things, with more coming nearer the time. It’s all very exciting. Even if I’m here with my kids and family in my own house, I’ll still enjoy the Games. They will always hold a place in my heart.
What exercise do you do?
Most Sunday mornings I go out and I have a little group that I jog with. It’s free, it doesn’t cost me anything, it’s just community fitness. I jog, I walk, I do sit-ups, stretching – that sort of thing.
Finally, tell us about the Estée Lauder campaign.
It was so empowering. I did it with Lisa Snowdon and Lolly Streek, two fabulous women to work with. A model agency called my agent and said Estée Lauder were looking for faces [for the campaign] and it was “because of my age”. And I thought, “Seriously, because of my age?! Am I too old or what?” But then I realised the campaign was called Because Of My Age.
So what’s it about?
It’s encouraging women to take some “me time” and feel refreshed. If you feel good inside, you’re going to look good on the outside. I hope it will inspire women to say, “I may be over 60, but I’m not out and gone – I’m here and I want to feel good.”
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