Who's the best role model Adlington or Holmes?

There's a good chance that with me for a father, she will have a healthy interest in sport but how do you sort out your Delia Smith's from your Rebecca Adlington's? I can't just pick any dominant elite sportswoman because of their success, they must have the right qualities to inspire my little girl.

So here's a list of some of the women that may have the 'right stuff'. These are only suggestions, if you good people out there have any better ones feel free to put your two pence in.

Martina Navratilova
In many respects the Czech winning machine is the link between the old fashioned wooden racket tennis of 30-years ago and the super fit powerful athletes who dominate the women's game.

A born winner who has notched up 49 Grand Slam titles certainly the dedication and strong mind that my daughter will need to succeed in the world but it's her bravery off the court that really impresses me.

It was a big step to defect from the Communist Czechoslovakia in the 1970s but it sent out a clear message that one-party tyranny would not be tolerated. Since then she has became a spokeswoman for the gay and lesbian community in American, which means that she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, which is always a handy trait.

Kelly Holmes
Before I go on I have to admit I have slight crush on the Dame. My wife need not worry that I will run off with her, because she's the only woman for me. It's a mix of admiration for the Great Britain star's never-give-up attitude and that the double gold she won in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

For years she was always the country's most loved nearly women of sport. So often she came into the big tournaments with an injury, came close to winning a medal but her ailment defeated her at the most dramatic moment.

All that changed in the summer of 2004 when she lived up to her potential by winning gold in the 800m and 1500m. That shows determination, self-belief and discipline, which any person needs to overcame the potholes on the road of life.

Rebecca Adlington
If anyone embodies British swimming (and general sports) new exuberance and youthful attitude it's the Mansfield lass with the perchant for Jimmy Choos shoes.

She took the accepted assumption that British women are also rans in the pool and tore it apart with her performances, that's the sort of chutzpah that I would like my daughter to have.

Add to that her warmth in interviews and the fact she seems generally down to earth, she's the perfect role model for a growing girl.

Annika Sorenstam
The best, most successful women golfer ever. A ruthless winning machine may seem an odd choice to act as a guide for a young lady but that single-minded winning attitude is necessary to succeed in life.

Golfers have great eye-to-hand coordination and are generally pretty fit as well, so those are bonuses too.

Cathy Freeman
If one person represents overcoming all the obstacles it's Australian runner Cathy Freeman. Because of her Aboriginal background she found it tough but emerged as a unifying force for our cousins down under, demonstrating her people could succeed and showed the rest of the world how far Australia had progressed.

What's more she's became the unofficial figurehead for the country with great grace and of course won gold in the 400m, before holding aloft both the Aboriginal and Australian flags. One gutsy but proud lady.

Hayley Turner
One thing that any young women has to do is take on the men at their own game and the 26-year-old flat jockey has certainly done that over the last few years.

Turner became the most successful women British flat jockey ever after notching up 100 wins in a season last year, an impressive feat indeed.

Jockeys in general brave serious injury every time they get in the saddle so to make a mark in a sport dominated by men is a sign of her tenacity.