Olympic Games

Brownlee brothers: Why we shunned the celebrity lifestyle

Alex Perry

February 12, 2015

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee were the first brothers since 1908 to share a podium in an individual sport © Getty Images

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It's easy to understand why many athletes are drawn to the fame and fortune that often accompanies the celebrity lifestyle but for Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, the idea of prancing about with James Corden on quiz shows or taking part in the latest reality show is a real turn-off.

While Olympic champions Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford appear to have enjoyed their time in the spotlight, Britain's most famous triathlete brothers have largely shunned distractions from their sport.

"It's funny in sport," Alistair, who won gold at London 2012, tells ESPN from their winter training camp in the warmer climes of Spain. "Suddenly your life changes overnight.

"The effects are massive. We get recognised a lot more and we get some television offers - not nearly as many as the others - but you have to make a decision in sport, especially a discipline like ours where you are training most of the year.

"If you still want to perform to the best of your ability, you can't sacrifice too much training. One day we'll get to a point where we can say yes to those kinds of opportunities but at the moment training is the number one priority and it's the trade-off we have to make."

Mo Farah's 'Mobot' celebration was created during an appearance on gameshow A League of Their Own, hosted by actor and comedian James Corden © Getty Images

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Such is the Brownlees' commitment, the pair were back in training just days after becoming the first brothers to make the podium in an individual sport at the Olympic Games since 1908. And they don't even allow themselves Christmas Day off.

"Very quickly afterwards we are back in the pool at 7 o'clock in the morning and out running and riding in the bad weather," Alistair says.

"I can't remember the last time we didn't train on Christmas Day, it's what we do. Our relatives understand."

Jonathan adds: "Last year was great because we ran from mum and dad's new house so we were exploring. There were a few people out, but as you can imagine most were opening presents or chopping vegetables."

The pair admit they wouldn't have it any other way. "I wanted to be an endurance athlete from a young age," Alistair says. "I remember being in a careers class at school and saying I wanted to be a professional athlete and the teacher replying, 'You're not going to make it, it's not possible'. Jonny wanted to be a footballer …"

"Definitely," says the younger Brownlee, chipping in. "I support Leeds United and like any fan I dreamed of playing for them. I tried out at the club and also tried rugby and cricket, and triathlon didn't really become part of my life until I was 16 or 17 - but it was the sport I enjoyed most."

It's at this point Jonathan, a bronze medallist in London three years ago, struggles to hide his lifelong suffering of Younger Brother Syndrome. "Growing up I wanted to be Alistair at everything we did," he says. "Football, cricket - even on the PlayStation. It doesn't matter what it was, I wanted to kill him.

"At triathlon, I always want to beat him, but Alistair's been very good for me in that he's done everything first. When I watched him become world junior champion in 2006 it made me believe I could achieve that too. He's helped me a lot."

Alistair takes a slightly less competitive approach to it. "The best thing about having your brother in the same sport as you," he says, "means you can go out and train together every day and we can push each other on.

We get recognised a lot more and we get some television offers ... but you have to make a decision in sport
Alistair Brownlee

"That's something many of our rivals don't have when training day in day out."

Looking ahead to this year's World Series, the brothers, who will be taking part in a Q&A session at the Triathlon Show London on Saturday, admit they have one eye on the 2016 Games in Brazil.

"Racing in Rio in August gives us the chance to get a good look at the course for the Olympics," Jonathan says. "But having a good shot at the World Series is important for both of us."

Alistair adds: "Rio was always going to be on the schedule for me, whether I had won in London or not.

"Triathlon is one of those sports where the Olympics is always the most important and the most interesting race and I always wanted to have a crack at Rio and defend my title."

"I'll be trying to take it, though," interrupts Jonathan. "2012 was incredible, to experience an Olympic Games on home soil, but Rio is a new challenge and it's all about 2016 now."

Speaking of which, it looks set to be another year of battling with Swiss-born Spaniard Javier Gomez - the man who separated the pair by winning silver in London - while the brothers are wary of more up-and-coming names in the sport.

"Javier's fellow Spaniard, Mario Mola, is one to watch," Jonathan says. "As are Vincent Luis, Pedro Silva and and the South African, Richard Murray."

"It's a strictly professional relationship," adds Alistair, getting back to business. "You train so much you only really see these guys at races so we don't have time to socialise with them - but we get on with them all well on a personal level.

"It's important to remember that we're rivals, not friends."

As anyone with brothers and sisters knows, no rivalry quite beats a sibling rivalry.