The inspiring candidates for hero of the year have all shown courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Alexei Navalny. A Russian lawyer and critic of Vladimir Putin who spent years campaigning against corruption. He was sent to prison in the Arctic Circle and, in January of this year, reported dead.

Andrew Flintoff. Determined to show that anyone can play cricket, the former cricketer, who was seriously injured in a car crash in 2022, selected a team of young men from his home town of Preston. As well as learning the game, they went on a life-changing tour to India.

Gisele Pelicot. For nine years, Gisele Pelicot was drugged by her husband, who then invited men to rape her while unconscious. Now 51 of those men are standing trial. Pelicot bravely waived her right to remain anonymousNot associated with an identifiable person. It means "without a name", but has also been used as a name by a group of hackers who launch cyber attacks on people it considers evil., drawing attention to violence against women in France.

Sunita Williams. In June, Sunita Williams started an eight-day trip into space. But her spaceship suffered several problems, and now she has to wait until February 2025 to return to Earth, a serious mental and physical test.

Vandana Shiva. Known as the "Gandhi of grain," Dr Vandana Shiva believes that technology has destroyed the landscapes and livelihoods of the world's poorest people, and has spent the past 50 years campaigning to save the people and the environment from corporateRelating to large companies. greed.

Who will you choose?