Alistair Brownlee looks back at his Olympic journey and triathlon contribution – Power of Sport

Olympic gold medals for Alistair Brownlee at London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 secured his status as a Triathlon legend, but his contribution to the sport goes beyond competing.

Brownlee represents all athletes within the Olympic Movement and holds a position on the board of the Professional Triathletes Organisation with hopes to further the development of the sport.

His journey to compete and win at the Olympic Games started early on when he witnessed the beginning of the Triathlon as an Olympic sport during the Games in 2000.

“I’m a 12-year-old and I remember staying up in the night to watch the Sydney Olympic Games, and the triathlon make its debut in this stunning location in front of the Opera House in Sydney,” he told Eurosport’s ‘Power of Sport’ series.

“That was definitely the first triathlon I remember kind of really following and enjoying. I knew I wanted to be a full-time athlete. I didn’t know whether that was possible.

“I never kind of believed, out of ignorance really, that it could happen, that I could make a career out of being a professional endurance athlete.

“Right up through school, I had dreams of wanting to go to the Olympic Games and then eventually doing a long-distance triathlon.”

The sport has come a long way since then, with plenty of thanks to Brownlee’s contribution, something the West Yorkshire-born athlete couldn’t be prouder of.

“I think it’s very exciting,” he said, gleaming. “You know, if we go back not ten years, if we go back five years to tell professional, long-distance triathletes that you’ll have an opportunity to race what are probably going to be four world-class, well-paying live broadcast events this year, you’d say “no chance”.

“And, you know, I think that tells the story.”

Brownlee has competed alongside his brother, Jonathon Brownlee, for a long time, and they were both medalled at the Olympic Games on home soil at London 2012.

On the back of their success, the pair created the ‘Brownlee Foundation’, to inspire all children to engage in sport and benefit from the opportunities it provides.

And all the while, the pair continued to lead by example.

“Rio 2016 was an enormous, enormous personal battle again,” Brownlee explained. “Something that I’m massively proud of. The two of us to come first and second at the Olympic Games.

“But really, I think, the moment that really kind of ignited people’s interest in me as an athlete was the moment in Mexico.”

The Brownlee name went worldwide after cameras captured the moment Alistair carried his exhausted brother Jonathon over the finish line at the World Triathlon Grand Final in 2016.

As leader Jonathon showed signs of heat and exhaustion in the tough Mexican conditions during the final stretch of a 10-kilometre foot race, Alistair abandoned his own chances of winning the race to assist his brother over the line.

Alistair pushed Jonathon to second place while settling for third himself, but believes the action he took was more powerful for the sport.

“I remember waking up the next morning and turning on my phone and it was just going mad with people from all over saying, you know, ‘What a world and amazing moment, what have you done with your brother?’” Alistair explained. “And that kind of interest just went bonkers.

“To start with, it was something that Jonny and I probably struggled with. But once we kind of got our heads around the fact it was now people’s interest in I guess our relationship and doing things in the spur of the moment and things at times transcending sport.

“It was like, ‘wow’. Doesn’t this just give us a phenomenal opportunity to talk about and promote the sport of triathlon?

“Being active, having healthy lifestyles, fitness, and trying to get young people active, which is something we’re both passionate about.”