Vijender Singh became a national hero when he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

BBC: Vijender Singh: Olympic boxer takes dope test

After becoming the first Arab to sail around the world, Al Busaidi became a national hero in Oman and an ambassador for the "Omani Sail" project.

CNN: Oman sails into history in first transatlantic yacht race

It had already cost Mr Fujimori a minister he could ill afford to lose: the foreign minister, Francisco Tudela, who became a national hero during this year's hostage crisis.

ECONOMIST: Fujimori under fire

When he chose to participate in the latter, he was hailed by a hero by Yalies and briefly became a topic of national media attention.

FORBES: What Is It With Yale Football And The Rhodes Scholarship?

From being famous in the specialised world of surfing, and a local hero with his picture in Uncle Bill's Pancake House, Joe Wolfson became a national celebrity.

ECONOMIST: Joseph Wolfson