What makes a hero? In Greek mythology, the answer is easy. Heroes are bigger, stronger, and more intelligent than everybody else. They prove this fact by fighting in a great battle or defeating some fearsome enemy.

Perhaps the most famous hero in the classical world was Hercules, who completed 12 "impossible" labours. These included killing a lion, capturing a bull, and defeating the nine-headed Hydra. Then he cleaned the biggest and messiest stables in Greece in a single day.

Today there's no need for heroes to test themselves in battle. But, the inspiring candidates for hero of the year prove that one thing remains the same: they show courage in the face of overwhelming odds. So, here are five of the best examples from 2024:

Alexei Navalny. A Russian lawyer and critic of Vladimir Putin who spent years campaigning against corruption, despite being poisoned with NovichokA group of nerve agents, most infamously used in the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018. . Navalny could have lived in exileForced out of one's country, often as a form of punishment. , but in 2021 returned to Russia despite warnings that he might be killed. Sure enough, he was sent to prison in the Arctic Circle and, in January of this year, reported dead. "If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong," he told an interviewer before returning to Russia.¹

Andrew Flintoff. In 2022, Flintoff crashed a Morgan Super 3 race car at 130mph. The former cricketer turned Top Gear presenter suffered broken ribs and severe facial injuries. But he survived and promised to make the most of his second chance. Determined to show that anyone from any background could play cricket, he selected a team of young men from his home town of Preston and taught them the game. This culminated in a life-changing - and, for viewers of his TV programme, heart-warming - tour to India.

Gisele Pelicot. For nine years, Gisele Pelicot was drugged by her husband, who then invited men from online chatrooms to rape her while unconscious. Now 51 of those men are standing trial, with prosecutors demanding a 20-year sentence for her husband. Pelicot bravely waived her right to anonymity during the trial to draw attention to sexual violence against women in France. Her mantraA phrase that is often repeated, like a motto. The word comes from a Sanskrit term referring to a sacred utterance. is simple but powerful: La honte change de camp. "Shame must change sides."²

Sunita Williams. In June, Sunita Williams started an eight-day trip to the International Space Station. But her spaceship suffered several problems, including helium leaks and thruster breakdowns. Now, unexpectedly, she has to wait until February 2025 for transport back to Earth. Until then, she must stay fit, keep busy, and remain calm. This is an extremely tough ask in terms of mental and physical endurance. And although she is one of the most experienced astronauts alive, Williams says she misses taking her dogs for morning walks.³

Vandana Shiva. To Indian environmental campaigner Dr Vandana Shiva, seeds are a symbol of courage, survival and biodiversity. Known as the "Gandhi of grain," she believes that industrial technologies, not the least the genetic modificationA laboratory-based process that changes the DNA of an organism to give it new or different characteristics. and patentingTo get the official legal right to make or sell an invention. of seeds by multinational corporations, have destroyed the landscapes and livelihoods of the world's poorest people.⁴ She has also spent the last five decades campaigning to save people and the environment from corporate greed.

Who will you choose?