Hello, I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive

for rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The program was originally broadcast

in 1988, and the presenter was Sue Lawley.

My castaway this week is a man whose triumph over illness has been an inspiration to thousands.

Three years ago he was told he was suffering from cancer, without treatment itself debilitating

and distressing he could die. Not only did he fight his way back to health, but back to

a peak of fitness which enabled him to carry off the greatest prize in his field,

because he was the jocky who in 1981 won the Grand National on Aldoniti, his name is Bob

Champion, and Bob you've recently become a father for the second time, which is something

else the doctor said you'd never do. Yes, I'm very pleased about it, my wife had a daughter

Henrietta. How old is she now? She's about two and a half weeks. And your first so-called

miracle child was Michael, he's five now isn't he? Yes he's just five. Is he likely to be a jocky

following dad's footsteps or seat, do you think? I'm afraid not, I think he's going to be too big

actually, he's quite heavy for his age. Presumably with two lovely children and a whole life to lead,

the idea of being cast away on our desert island is dreadful. It is to me because I hate my own

company, I think I'll be trying to get off as quick as I could. How might you do that,

you think? I don't know, I'll have to get on this desert island and see what it's going to be like

and if there's any trees to make a raft. But you like the sun? I love the sun, I can sit down

in the sun for a certain time, but I get a little bit bored. Well you've got eight records and a book,

three books, lots of books and a luxury to make it all worth your while, but music will be

important to you will it? Yes I love music, I spend a lot of time in the car and I've always got

the radio and orchestra sets on so I do listen to it a lot of it. So what's your first record?

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