Jonny Brownlee, 35, is the most decorated triathlete in Olympic history and a six-time World Champion, writes Dan Moore.
He won a bronze medal in London in 2012, secured silver in Rio in 2016 and capped it off with a gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
His brother Alistair is the most successful triathlete in Olympic history with two gold medals, and memorably helped Jonny over the finish line at the 2016 Triathlon World Series in Mexico, as he collapsed due to heat exhaustion.
In December, Leeds-based Jonny and his wife Fiona welcomed their first child, Freddie.
What did your parents teach you about money?
My parents didn’t talk about money much when I was young.
When they did raise money matters, it was about saving and erring on the side of caution so you don’t go through life full of anxieties and can sleep at night.
Yorkshire grit: Jonny Brownlee is the most decorated triathlete in Olympic history and a six-time World Champion
How did you settle on a career in athletics?
As kids, Alistair and I did a lot of running, cycling and swimming and were encouraged in these pursuits by teachers at Bradford Grammar.
I think the turning point was Alistair leaving Cambridge, where he had been studying medicine.
He switched to Leeds University because he wanted to study sports science and psychology, and to commit to the triathlon.
I was two years younger, and decided I wanted to be a triathlete, too. So I followed him to Leeds to study history and train under the fantastic triathlon coaches there.
Did you have time for a part-time job at university?
I didn’t need to because I was on a Lottery Funding Performance Sport pathway from the age of 16.
This set-up paid for many of the essential outgoings, such as transport, physio and accommodation.
Also, I lived at home for the first half of my first year before moving into the house Alistair had bought. Thinking about it now, I don’t think I ever actually paid him any rent!
I was also pretty fortunate that I went to uni in 2009 when the momentum was growing ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. I was able to get some sponsors, and then in 2010 I came second in a World Series event in London. The prize was $18,000.
Lean on me: Jonny being helped over the line by his brother Alistair in Mexico in 2016
What was your attitude to money at the time?
As an athlete, I never really focused on the money coming through. I was fortunate that my parents instilled in me the need to think about the future.
I also had a manager who set me up with financial advisers so I could start investing early on, but I was still careful. I remember being at a training camp in St Moritz, Switzerland, and walking into and straight out of a supermarket thinking: ‘Wow, I’m not spending that much on lunch.’
We were racing in Austria a week later, so my parents flew out with a bag of Fray Bentos pies.
When did you feel that you’d made it?
Winning an Olympic medal was more than I’d ever dreamed of, and to do that in London was incredible.
That said, as an athlete, I don’t think you ever feel content with what you’ve achieved. There’s always scope for a new challenge.
I would have become a history teacher if it hadn’t worked out.
How did sponsorship benefit you?
Alistair and I were fortunate our careers coincided with London 2012, and that brought in the big sponsors – as did the fact we’re brothers. The triathlon wasn’t traditionally a high-profile sport, but combining three sports helped. We had sponsors for our bike, handlebars, sunglasses, wetsuits, running shoes, nutrition – you name it.
Also, our other main sponsors, Adidas, BMW and BT, were all Olympic sponsors, so they could use us in promotions at the Games, whereas non-Olympic sponsors couldn’t use their clients in campaigns. I remember going down to Hyde Park and seeing 40ft BT-sponsored posters of us.
What about after the Olympics?
The heat-exhaustion episode in Cozumel, Mexico, was also perfectly timed, if completely unintentional and undesirable. I felt embarrassed by the whole thing, but it kept the sponsors’ and the public’s interest in us alive.
To bring it back to money, we didn’t go into any of these events thinking that if we won or stood out, it could change our lives financially. It was all about the competition and preparing the best we could for the day.
What has been your best financial decision?
Fiona and I put money in commercial property, which has proved shrewd. I could have spent that on sports cars, but I’m not that kind of person.
What has been your biggest financial mistake?
We bought a house in Spain as a training base. That didn’t prove to be a great financial decision, even if that wasn’t why we bought the place.
Are you a spender or a saver?
My wife would say I’m a saver, and I’d agree with her.
I’ve learned to spend a bit, but I’m a typical Yorkshireman – deep pockets, short arms!
What’s the most expensive thing you bought for fun?
Our honeymoon in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. More generally, I’m not good at buying for myself – I prefer buying things for other people.
For example, I was thinking of buying an Insta 360 camera, as I’m active on social media. I put it in my basket and took it out about 15 times before eventually buying it.
If I’m buying for myself, I really think it through.
What have you got coming up?
Legacy was talked about a lot after London, and we wanted to do our bit, so Alistair and I set up the Brownlee Foundation in 2014.
Each year we put on free events for primary school children to participate in. About 1,000 children participate in each event, and we’re going to have around 16 or 17 events running in the next year.
It’s amazing to see kids cross the finish line with big smiles on their faces.
Aside from the Foundation work, I’ll be entering this year’s Supertri Series of triathlons with Brownlee Racing, and plan to enter some other challenges, such as the Three Peaks running race – sore ankle permitting!
- To find out more about events run by the Brownlee Foundation and how to support the charity, visit thebrownleefoundation.org.