‘I was loving life… and everyone was just miserable’ – Jess Learmonth on why losing doesn’t have to matter

Published 24/05/2022 at 07:23 GMT

Team GB triathlete Jess Learmonth has a different perspective to many international athletes. The Olympic mixed relay champion from Tokyo made a late arrival in the sport in her mid-20s after dabbling with swimming, golf and football, and worked full-time in Sainsbury’s before her leap into triathlon. Listen to the latest episode of The Breakdown now on all good podcast platforms.

The Breakdown episode 4: Jess Learmonth on breaking her back before the Olympics

Olympic triathlon relay champion Jess Learmonth says she wishes athletes would be "happier" and stop being so wrapped up in results.

Speaking to Orla Chennaoui and Greg Rutherford on the latest episode of Eurosport’s new podcast The Breakdown, Learmonth said her unusual route into triathlon meant she had a different perspective to her rivals.

Learmonth only got into the sport in her 20s after getting back from travelling, in her own words “a bit porky”, and entering a charity triathlon while working in a supermarket.

Triathlon

Charles-Barclay pleased despite losing lead late in Singapore T100

17/04/2024 at 08:37

But she immediately found she had a natural talent and soared up the ranks, a rise that culminated in being selected to compete for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. Although she failed to medal in the individual event, she returned to win gold in the mixed team relay alongside Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee.

Learmonth admits her experience of missing out on an individual medal was very different to her rivals who also failed to make the podium, saying that while she was "loving life" her rivals seemed "miserable".

“I was working in Sainsbury's on minimum wage just roaming through life week after week,” she said. “Then you get this opportunity to travel the world, meet amazing people and do sport. I'm stood on the start line thinking 'this is amazing'.

“Even at the Olympics with the individual [race] where I probably had my worst result in a few years. After the race had finished, you were just walking around and everyone was just miserable other than the three people that medalled.

“I found it so bizarre because I was loving life, like 'this is amazing', walking around like a complete doylem. I would just try to take it all in and really enjoy it.

“I wish everybody else would be a bit happier. Because as long as you tried your hardest on that race, what more could you have done?

“In my training, I try as hard as I can. In a race, I try as hard as I can. To me, it's simple. Get on the start line, as long as I try and do the little things right and try my very best. If the result is not what I want, then there's nothing I can do about it.”

Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jessica Learmonth and Jonathon Brownlee of Team Great Britain pose with their gold medals following the mixed relay triathlon

Image credit: Getty Images

Learmonth dabbled with swimming, golf and football before finding her talent in triathlon and said her late arrival in the sport meant she had different outlook to those who came through the junior ranks.

“I don’t know any of them that have had jobs. I know a few of them have never had a job interview in their life. They’ve never been through that,” she said.

“All of them have pretty much come from through the junior ranks. There's a few that have come from different sports but then have been at uni and then they've come into triathlon.

“No one has, I don't think, worked full time for a few years or anything like that.”

Subscribe to The Breakdown on apple podcasts