Team GB legend Greg Rutherford, who turned 39 on Monday, is one of Britain’s most successful ever Olympians but has faced heartbreak and injury since retiring
Greg Rutherford, the 39-year-old former long jumper, will forever be remembered in British Olympic history. He famously clinched gold at London 2012, contributing to Team GB’s unforgettable ‘Super Saturday’, where they bagged six gold medals, alongside Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah.
He also claimed bronze at Rio 2016 and, in 2015, became only the second man ever to hold Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles at the same time.
Rutherford remains one of Britain’s most cherished Olympians. But since retiring from competitive sport, he has endured severe setbacks, profound personal loss and forged an unexpected second career as a wellness entrepreneur.
After stepping away from athletics, Rutherford focused on television. He reached the Strictly Come Dancing final in 2016 and returned to competitive ice in 2024 as a participant on Dancing on Ice.
Tragically, disaster struck just hours before the final. During rehearsals, Rutherford attempted a lift with his professional partner Vanessa James. He slipped straight through her legs at speed, tearing all his abdominal muscles off the bone in what he later described as “effectively giving myself a C-section without anaesthetic.”
READ MORE: Greg Rutherford’s wife Susie says she lets neurodivergent son take ‘days off school’READ MORE: Greg Rutherford and Mark Wright lead transformation of local sports facility
Surgeons spent hours operating to reposition his organs. The injury forced him to leave the competition and left him facing months of intense recovery.
The physical damage was severe but worse news followed. Just weeks later, in April 2024, Rutherford and his family were devastated to learn that their beloved dog Gus had terminal cancer. The loyal pet, a constant presence in Greg’s life, passed away only days after the diagnosis.
“I am utterly heartbroken,” Rutherford wrote at the time. “We’ve had a really tough week as a family finding out Gus had cancer. He sadly passed away last night and I just feel numb. Between the tears and pain of missing him so much, I’m longing to see his silly face or feel him rest his head on my feet or lap.
“Gus has been such an important part of our lives. For me he’s been my training partner and best mate. Every steps session, every run, every bike ride and walk. He was always with me. I’d talk out my plans to him like he understood and be greeted by a happy paw or lick and was always happy.
“They’re never just pets, they’re everything good.”
The double blow left the usually upbeat athlete feeling low as he coped with grief and the demands of rehabilitation. Yet Rutherford has demonstrated the same determination that carried him to Olympic glory in 2012. Now fully healed, he has channelled his energy into a promising new business venture.
In 2023, together with fellow Olympian Andrew Steele, he purchased Aila – a premium matcha-based superfood company. Their plant-based, all-natural blends are designed as healthier alternatives to artificial pre-workouts, packed with matcha, beetroot, spirulina and other superfoods for long-lasting energy and focus.
Now co-CEOs, Steele and Rutherford said they had been considering opportunities in the natural nutrition sector for “some time” before discovering Aila, which Steele said impressed them with its taste and market positioning as a better-for-you D2C [direct-to-consumer] brand.
Rutherford is in a long-term relationship with partner Susie Verrill, with whom he has three children: Milo, Rex and Daphne. In 2023, they shared that one of their sons had been diagnosed with autism.
