For Olympic Glory, Athletes Need Talent and a Billionaire Backer
Ayumu Hirano of Japan competes during the Men’s Halfpipe Final in Pyeongchang.
Photographer: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
A few years back, a promising British heptathlete named Jessica Ennis-Hill was hungry for a competitive edge. Sidelined from the 2008 Olympics, due to injury, and forced to take a hiatus from competing, her prospects for the London Games were dimming.
Enter Barrie Wells. The grandson of a world-record holder in the pole vault, Wells had made a fortune in insurance and was looking for ways to give it away. Seeing potential, he agreed to pay for new equipment and the travel expenses of her trusted physical therapist. Ennis-Hill, who went on to win gold in London, is one of 18 athletes the philanthropist has helped fund. “I said to them, I want to be on your journey,” he says.