To be honest, placing these guys in any kind of order was a bit of a nightmare. Who's more of a hero, Sir Steve Redgrave or Sir Bob Geldof? Who's a more worthy icon, Evel Knievel or Nelson Mandela? Actually, scrub that last one ...
1 . NELSON MANDELA
Rolihlahla Dalibhunga's had something of a troubled family life. He had four children with his first wife; two girls who died in childhood and a son who later died in a car crash when Mandela was incarcerated. His eldest boy Makgatho died this year of AIDS. The 86 year old is currently on his third wife and has two daughters from his second marriage to the "flamboyant" Winnie. Verdict: iconic
2. JIM REDMOND
One of the most memorable moments in Olympic history came in the semi-final of the 400 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Who can forget the tear-jerking moment when, after his son Derek collapsed with a hamstring injury, Jim raced down from the stands, shoved the security guards aside and ran out to his boy? He placed an arm around Derek and supported him as he hobbled the rest of the way. "You don't have to do this" Jim told his son. "Yes I do", Derek replied. "Well then, we're going to finish this together". And finish the race they did. Verdict: inspirational
3. BILL GATES
Now, you may be thinking that the bespectacled billionaire from Seattle is an unlikely hero, but it's hard to imagine what life was like before the personal computer. No email, no automated bookkeeping, no word processing, no mpegs of skateboarders impaling themselves on railings to brighten our day. Imagine that. Bill has three children and has endowed his charitable foundation with $27 billion. That's $27 billion. Verdict: generous
4. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR
A champion of human rights and the voice of a generation, Martin Luther King had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter Scott and Bernice, whom he mentioned in his famous speech. "I have a dream for my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today" Verdict: virtuous
5. SIR BOB GELDOF
Say what youi like about his cantankerous attitude, unkempt appearance or even the fact that he named his children while perusing the ice cream menu, but the seasoned campaigner's a pop to be inspired by. Even when faced with personal adversity that would floor lesser men, Bob's held it together and been an honourable dad throughout. That said, some of his albums really are stinkers. Sheesh. Verdict: saintly
6. SIMON WESTON, OBE
Part of the Falklands Task Force, in 1982 Simon was aboard the Sir Galahad when it was bombed by Argentine planes. The horrific burns he suffered on that day devastated his face, but despite the injuries and mental suffering they caused, Simon became a national icon. He lives in Cardiff with his wife, Lucy, two sons, James and Stuart, and daughter, Caitlin. Verdict: valiant
7. MR INCREDIBLE
A true hero in every sense of the word, Mr I juggles home life with saving the world on a regular basis. And we all know how tough it can be bringing up a young family. Thankfully, the cartoon powerhouse is blessed with the strength of a thousand men and a seriously foxy (not to mention flexible) missus to help him defeat evil megalomaniac geniuses. Verdict: superhero
8. SIR STEVE REDGRAVE
The 6'5" sporting goliath is married with three children, and though he's surely an inspiration to them, imagine telling the greatest Olympian Britain's ever produced that you don't like PE. Sir Steve's currently trying to riase a record amount to "improve and enhance the quality of young people's lives" Verdict: honourable
9. SUPERMAN
Though the films don't portray him as a family man - he couldn't even sort out with Lois Lane, and she was begging for it - but dig deeper and comic bookery and you'll find he did indeed sire a son. Called Superboy, funnily enough. That said, he's not strictly the fruit of Supermans's loins; he's a clone. It's not clear how Beppo the Supermonkey was conceived. Verdict: as nails
10. EVEL KNIEVEL
While you might have wasted several weeks in the 1970s winding up your plastic motorised stunt bike, only for it to scuff along the ground a couple of seconds later, four lucky nippers were able to enjoy the real thing at home. Robbie "Kaptain" Knievel was particularly inspired by his old man's death-defying influence and went on to make 250 bike jumps and set 20 world records. Verdict: unhinged
