Our inspiring candidates for hero of the year have all shown huge courage.

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 this year, was reported dead.

Andrew Flintoff. Seriously injured in a car crash in 2022, the former cricketer taught a team of young men from his home town of Preston to play the game and took them 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. 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.

Vandana Shiva. Known as the "Gandhi of grain," Dr Vandana Shiva has spent the past 50 years campaigning to save people and the environment from corporateRelating to large companies. greed.

Who will you choose?