Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford reveals why working dads feel guilty too
OLYMPIC gold medallist Greg Rutherford won the nations hearts at London 2012 when he took home to the top prize in long jump.
Since he's retired, he's continued to be a national treasure with stints on shows like Strictly Come Dancing and now Celebrity Masterchef.
Here, the ripped redhead tells TV Mag about the things that have shaped his life and why he feels more than his fair share of fatherhood guilt...
When I met the Pope for Pilgrimmage: The Road To Rome, we were all outside the Vatican going: ‘Oh it’ll be fine, we’re just meeting the Pope, aren’t we?’ We were so blasé about it. Then he walked in and it was a very odd moment where you realised that this is one of the most powerful people in the world. I’ve met the Queen a few times and I’ve met the Pope now. I’ve met some amazing people because I ran and jumped into a sandpit. It’s bizarre.
Everybody always assumes the proudest moment of my career is winning the long jump Olympic gold medal at London 2012, but it was in 2015 when I won the World Title. At that point I held every major championship title in athletics. Then a week later I won the Diamond League as well. It’s nice to look back fondly, but then think: ‘Great, I don’t have to worry about running down a runway and jumping in a sandpit anymore!’
Before taking part in Celebrity MasterChef I could cook a little. I taught myself in my late teens when I became an athlete because I was trying to eat healthy food but it was all very basic and bland, nothing exciting. I was interested to see if I could learn anything. It’s a lot different when there are two people – Gregg Wallace and John Torode – who are going to taste it and tell you exactly what they think of it.
My partner Susie and I got engaged in Arizona in May. I’d had the ring for over two years and there were a few failed attempts. The first time I was meant to take her to New York but she had hyperemesis with [youngest son] Rex so we couldn’t go. Eventually, we were with my friend Steve Lewis, the pole vaulter, who lives in Arizona, and he and his wife took our kids for the morning and we got it done! It happened on Camelback Mountain and was really lovely.
From a young age I was determined to find a sport I could succeed in. I was quicker than most people so athletics made sense. I joined as a sprinter and found quite quickly that I was great in Buckinghamshire, but in the rest of the UK I just wasn’t quick enough. Then I tried the long jump and that was that really.
As I was a dad that was away a lot, you feel a level of guilt, because you’re not always there and you think: ‘Am I doing enough with the children?’ I’m working on a campaign with Haliborange called Every Parent’s A Winner which is all about championing normal, everyday parenting. The best parenting advice is not to listen to everybody else’s advice. Every child and every parent is different. Just figure it out for yourself.
- Greg Rutherford is working with Haliborange, the UK’s No 1 kids vitamin brand, on the ‘Every Parent’s a Winner’ campaign. Haliborange is available from Boots, supermarkets and pharmacies. For more information, visit haliborange.com
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