Making a splash! Team GB Olympic gold medal winner Alistair Brownlee converts his garage into 16ft swimming pool so he can stay in shape during coronavirus lockdown
- Alistair Brownlee, 31, has trained every single day since he was eight-years-old
- The athlete had a similar stroke of genius before the 2012 Olympic games
- The swimming pool works as an underwater treadmill at his Leeds home
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee has converted his garage into a 16ft swimming pool to stay in shape during the coronavirus lockdown.
The stroke of genius came from the athlete who won the nation’s hearts when he and his brother Jonny won gold and bronze respectively at the London Olympics in 2012.
The 31-year-old is continuing to dominate the sport, largely due to his prowess in the water. Since he was eight-years-old the Leeds athlete has swam every single day.
Alistair said: ‘I am just doing what I can – and what I have always done – while respecting all the guidelines.
Alistair Brownlee, 31, has converted the garage in his Leeds home into a 16ft swimming pool so he can continue to train during the coronavirus lockdown
The swimming pool acts as an underwater treadmill, pushing water against Alistair as he trains
Alistair and his brother Jonny won gold and bronze medals respectively in the triathlon event at London 2012, winning Britons’ hearts in the process
His new pool allows him to overcome lockdown protocols as he trains in running, cycling and swimming.
It allows him to swim on the sport as if he is swimming against the tide in a fast flowing river – and allows him to swim for 45 minutes each morning.
Alistair said: “I am just doing what I can – and what I have always done – while respecting all the guidelines.”
This Heath Robinson-like giant-sized bath is deceptive in size once Brownlee has moved the garage clutter to one side and positioned his step ladder so that he can climb into the water.
Five metres long, it is designed to pump out powerful flumes of water that are programmed to test the champion’s strength and resistance.
And while this is one of the more novel garage conversions in his home city of Leeds, a similar innovation was crucial to his golden success in London in 2012.
An unfortunate Achilles injury left him in a race against time to get back to full fitness.
Alistair Brownlee won gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, he’s continuing to keep up his training despite Britain being plunged into lockdown last month
Climbing up a ladder at his Leeds home, Alistair prepares to train in the pool which is designed to be like an underwater treadmill
Yet, by setting up an underwater treadmill in his garden, he was able to continue running with little disruption.
Alistair added: ‘It was really, really crucial.
‘For a period of six weeks, I couldn’t do any running training as such.
‘It meant that I could do my running while the Achilles fully recovered.
‘This works on a similar basis. It’s like swimming against the tide in a fast flowing river.
‘All I’m doing is swimming on the spot while the water is moving around me.
Alistair has gone swimming every single day since he was eight-years-old, so the coronavirus lockdown wasn’t going to stop him from training
‘Since I was eight, I have gone swimming every day – the pool at Aireborough Leisure Centre, with school and with the triathlon squads.
‘It means I can swim 40 to 45 minutes each morning.’
Brownlee has ‘no idea’ when triathlon competitions will resume or whether this will be a blank year.
And while he supports the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for 12 months, he knows he has to stay fit and be prepared for when sport can resume.
He added: ‘The week before I heard about the cancellation, I was feeling fit and as good as I’ve felt for some time.
‘Hopefully I will be in a good place to give it a shout next year.’