Dreaming the Impossible Dream Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brooklyn Dodgers

Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves and opened the way for many great players of colour to follow. Hank Aaron summed up this achievement when, in an article for "Time Magazine", he said "Before Jackie Robinson broke the colour line, I wasn't permitted even to think about being a professional baseball player. I once mentioned something about it to my father and he said "Ain't no coloured ballplayers. All that changed when Jackie put on #42 and started stealing bases in a Dodger's uniform."

Answer: John Daly

John Daly was a PGA rookie and had never won a Tour title when he became PGA champion in August 1991. Having twice failed to qualify, he was listed as the 9th alternate for the tournament when he received a call in Tennessee at 5pm the day before the tournament started, inviting him to play.

He drove through the night to make it to the course in Indiana in time to tee off. Without the benefit of a practice round on an exceedingly difficult course and with a loaned caddie, he took the lead in the first round and never relinquished it, beating Bruce Lietzke by three shots.

Answer: Gordon Richards

Sir Gordon Richards was a winner of 26 national champion jockey titles and had 14 wins in "classics" races, but despite 26 attempts, a win in the Epsom Derby had proved elusive. The year of 1953 was a year of jubilation in the UK as the new Queen had been crowned and that year's Derby was awaited with national anticipation. Pinza beat Aureole by four lengths, and at the age of 49, Sir Gordon Richards finally had his Derby win.

Answer: Australia

In the final of the men's short track speed skating 1000m event, Steven Bradbury of Australia was some 15 metres behind the other four skaters coming into the last bend of the course when a pile up left all four sprawled on the ice. Bradbury avoided the carnage and skated across the line to become the winner of Australia's first ever gold medal at a Winter Games.

It was also the first win in a winter Olympic event by any person from a Southern Hemisphere country.

Answer: Goran Ivanisevic

The losing finalist at Wimbledon in 1992, 1994, and 1998, Goran Ivanisevic's career had gone downhill as he struggled to overcome a chronic shoulder injury. Granted a wild card entry into the 2001 tournament, Ivanisevic powered to the final and beat Australia's Pat Rafter in five sets to become the lowest ranked player and first wild card entry to win the men's singles title.

Answer: Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was diagnosed with GHD, a condition in which the body does not produce enough growth hormone for normal development to occur at the age of 11. His family was advised that without treatment, he could not be expected to grow in height. The treatment he needed cost beyond the means of his family.

A trial was organized for Messi with Barcelona Football Club, who immediately signed him and paid for the treatment.

Answer: Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux's career was plagued by health and injury problems. In 1991, despite undergoing surgery for a herniated spinal disc and a subsequent severe surgery related infection, he led the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup win, a feat they repeated a year later.

In January 1993, Lemieux was diagnosed with the nodular lymphocytic form of Hodgkin's disease and underwent radiation treatment but returned two months later. However, ongoing health problems dogged him and he retired at the end of the 1996-97 season.

He tried an on and off comeback, but retired for good in 2006.

Answer: James J Braddock

James J Braddock won the world heavyweight title against all the odds. His career had been derailed by injury to his hands and he was surviving on welfare payments when he was given and won a chance bout. This victory ultimately led to a title shot against the current champion, Max Baer. He was the 10-1 underdog but, in a tenacious display, he beat Baer by unanimous decision.

Answer: Greg LeMond

In 1986, Greg LeMond became the first American and the first non-European to win the Tour de France. However, in 1987 he was seriously injured in a hunting accident when his brother-in-law discharged his shotgun, peppering LeMond's back with buckshot.

In the 1989 Tour by the last stage, a 24 kilometre individual time trial into Paris, Fignon led LeMond by 50 seconds. For LeMond to win, he would have to gain two seconds per kilometer on Fignon. LeMond beat Fignon by 58 seconds and won his second Tour de France by a mere eight seconds.

Answer: Eddie the Eagle

Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards, jumped his way into the hearts of the world, if not the record books, when he became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in ski-jumping at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He finished in last place in both the 70 metre and 90 metre events.

He became the first individual athlete to be mentioned in an Olympic closing speech when the president of the Games said, "At Calgary, some people set new goals, created new records and some even flew like an eagle." He declared that, "It has long been my dream to go to the Olympics and just taking part was my gold medal."