ALISTAIR BROWNLEE Me and my glasses

The British triathlete and two-time Olympic gold medal winner told OT about the importance of sunglasses as an athlete

Partnered with:

Oakley

Number of frames: “Probably hundreds”

What does vision and eye health mean to you?

I live to be outside and enjoy the view. Vision and eye health couldn’t be more important to me.

I probably have hundreds of sunglasses. Oakley is a partner of mine and I’m very lucky to have a different pair for every condition possible. I think functionality is the main thing when it comes to eyewear, and thankfully, all Oakley frames look good.

It is hard to beat a classic ‘Radar’ frame for cycling and running. My favourite is the ‘Radar EV’ in white with Prism lenses. These are perfect for all the light and weather conditions we get inYorkshire.

My understanding of the benefits of eyewear as an athlete came when I realised I was spending hours outside every day. Oftenoversixhoursinverybright conditions.Iwasalmostpermanently squinting.Iwasalsoconstantlygettingdirt andinsectsinmyeyesduringbikerides.

I have three tips for selecting the right frames: Do they fit your head? Can you feel them when they are on? Is the lens tilt right to make sure light doesn’t come through the top?

In this edition, we are exploring what it means to learn from challenges. As an athlete facing huge pressures, how would you describe your relationship with ‘failing’?

However successful your sporting career is, you’ve failed much more than you have succeeded. Failure is part of my life. I try not to get too upset about things that haven’t gone to plan and don’t allow myself to reflect on them too much. Instead, I try to learn what I can and crack on with the next goal.