Mamo Wolde, Olympic fame followed by imprisonment. The Japanese even entered him under a Japanese name instead of his own. Later allowed to bring torch into the stadium at the Seoul Olympics. Moutawakil- becoming a champion in spite of a society which tries to kill you for not conforming to their view of subservient women. Merlene Ottey- fashion model looks, perseverance in spite of never winning gold in the big ones against a long list of 'shooting stars' from other countries.
Perseverance pays off in the end.
Story might have to wait, of course, since it's still being written. Rudolf Harbig- way ahead of his time in a growingly turbulent fascist state, career overwhelmed by war, which ended up killing him.