This Black History Month, West Ham United players are highlighting the Black heroes who have inspired them in their lives. Today, Hawa Cissoko explains why legendary French sprinter Marie-José Pérec is such an inspirational figure to her…
My Black hero is Marie-José Pérec, because when I was young, at school, growing up, I was running everywhere and playing with the boys during the break. I was fast and at this time she was a French runner and won some medals for France – three Gold medals at the Olympic Games.
My teachers were like, ‘You’re like Marie-José Pérec’. At that moment I had no clue about this woman, but the way I heard them talking about her, it was positive, so I asked them, ‘Who is she and what has she done?’
They explained to me she is the fastest Frenchwoman and she still has this title.
So when they explained to me about her, that she won some Gold medals in the Olympic Games, I was like, ‘Okay, I want to do the same as her’.
So growing up my goal and target was to win a medal at the Olympic Games, and even today if I can play football, I want to win the Olympic Games for France.
