The Bucket List Olympian

Double Olympic champion triathlete Alistair Brownlee rediscovers the joy of racing for the sheer hell of it, then heads for the post-race beer tent rather than the ice bath.

A quest to rediscover the soul of sport.

Upon retirement, double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee devised a plan: a bucket list’s worth of races from around the world compressed into a little over 12 months. A sort of gap year – just a rather sweaty one.

The Bucket List Olympian is the uplifting and entertaining tale of how one of Britain’s most popular athletes set out to rediscover his love of a sport that was a hobby long before it was a career.

His list of races spans the full spread of challenges out there, from the local to the far-flung, the globally renowned to the resolutely parochial, the spectacularly gruelling to the downright silly.

The quest took him from Patagonia to the Dolomites, from the Swiss Alps to the Yorkshire Dales, and from the stifling stairwell of the Empire State Building to the invigorating plains of South Africa.

What can reconnecting with the grassroots of the sport teach him? How will others respond to having an Olympian in their midst? And how will he manage the mindset shift from ruthless high performer to contented also-ran? Winning, after all, is a difficult habit to shake off.

The Bucket List Olympian is a funny, warm and honest portrayal of life after elite sport, of relearning how to find joy and meaning in racing, and ultimately of rediscovering a sense of identity.

About the author

Alistair Brownlee is a retired professional triathlete who spent 18 years at the pinnacle of elite sport.

Renowned for his drive, focus and innovation, his achievements are unparalleled: more than 50 elite titles across all triathlon disciplines, crowned by two Olympic gold medals and six World and European titles.

He remains the only triathlete to win back-to-back golds on sport’s biggest stage.

He’s been a flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games and a runner-up in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award.

In October 2026 he was presented with an OBE for services to triathlon and charity – 13 years after receiving an MBE from the late Queen.