There’s no ‘I’ in team, but there’s a tea in elite.
If you’ve seen the good-humoured meme doing the rounds at the moment claiming that if Yorkshire was a country it would be ahead of Team GB in the overall medal table at this year’s Olympic Games, you’ll be aware that athletes from the historic region are punching well above their weight at the moment.
While the statement made by BBC Yorkshire was very much made in jest, an undeniable truth lies in the narrative that Yorkshire produces some of the finest athletes in the world, across a range of different sports.
JOE have teamed up with Yorkshire Tea to highlight a couple of these world-beating athletes who were born and raised in the home of stainless steel.
First up, is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and four-time World Champion.
Alistair Brownlee is widely regarded as one of the greatest male triathletes ever and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to sport.
The Leeds native comes from a strong sporting family – his father Keith was a runner, his mother Cathy was a swimmer, and both of his younger brothers are avid sportsmen.
Jonathan Brownlee is also a triathlete, winning the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a gold medal in the mixed relay triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The youngest of the three – Edward – prefers rugby and water polo over the triathlon and chose a life as a veterinary surgeon after deciding he did not share his older sibling’s enjoyment for early morning swims or gruelling runs across the Yorkshire Dales.
Of course, like any true Yorkshire man, Alistair credits regular consumption of Yorkshire Tea as a key factor in keeping his body and mind in the best shape possible to be able to compete at the highest level.
That, along with his strict daily training regime and natural talent of course.
The shining moment of Alistair’s illustrious career was undoubtedly his London 2012 Olympics gold medal-winning performance.
The pressure on his shoulders at London 2012 was immense. He was a poster boy of his home Olympics and was the hottest of hot favourites.
Alistair proved once again that ‘pressure is only for tyres’, and the footage of him crossing the finishing line in front holding the Union Jack aloft was a truly special sight.
Next up, is English cricketer and former captain of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Darren Gough.
Gough spearheaded England’s bowling attack during the successful years of the 1990’s. Not only that, but he’s England’s second highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals with 235.
He earned the nicknames Rhino and Dazzler for a reason.
The Barnsley native was a handy footballer in his early days, and was approached by Rotherham United as a teen but chose to sign a contract with Yorkshire cricket instead.
Gough played county cricket for 15 years for Yorkshire and was a member of their 2001 squad that won the 2001 County Championship – its first in 33 years.
His breakout season with England came in 1993. He made his debut against New Zealand at Old Trafford, scoring a wicket in his first over and his highest Test score of 65.
Quite the debut to say the least!
Like Brownlee, Gough was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to cricket and charity.
When one of our reporters asked the cricket legend if Yorkshire Tea enhances sporting performance, Gough replied: “Mate, all I can go on is evidence. When I’ve got nearly 500 international wickets, I can say it enhanced my sporting performance.
“You’ve heard this statement haven’t you? ‘10,000 hours creates excellence’. I’ve done 10,000 hours drinking Yorkshire Tea. A cup of strong Yorkshire Tea before I go out against Australia and I’m gonna throw it down like you’ve never seen. 94 miles an hour!”
There you go, you heard it from Dazzler himself.
