With his fleet of commercial aircraft due to blast off carrying the world’s first space tourists in less than two years’ time, and some lofty designs on profitable deep sea exploration, you’d imagine Sir Richard Branson would be operating on fairly strict tunnel-vision focus for the next 12 months.
Instead though, the business tycoon’s interest edges towards the elements of health and wellbeing that, he feels, are going to be so richly fuelled by this year’s London
Olympic Games.
Naturally, while the average Brit’s main concern is gaining custody of a golden ticket, Branson’s happily preoccupied with the positive effect the London Games will have on his ever-expanding Virgin Active brand.
“It’s the most momentous event to ever take place in this country,” he tells FPJ. “So understandably, it promotes the need to get up and reach out towards health and fitness dreams and ambitions.
“Even in these early days, I have never witnessed anything like the Olympic pull. The jubilation and anticipation for an event of this scale is huge, and it’s a wonderful time to be living for the UK right now.
“That said, I think Britain was already sporting mad. I ran in the London Marathon last year - which Virgin Active sponsors - and to have half a million people out on the streets supporting you is fantastic. So with the Olympic Games coming up, we’re becoming a nation of ‘fitties’, there’s no doubt. And that’s a commendable thing, considering we’ve rarely concealed that rather contradictory fondness for our couches!”
And Branson feels the positive effect the Olympics will have on the face of British culture and business is just what the nation needs right now. “As a whole, with the royal wedding last year, the Queen’s Jubilee and the Games coming up this summer, the lasting effect and legacy will, hopefully, pull us out of what has been a difficult period.”
Despite his success across numerous varied (and largely unconnected) industries, Branson remains a man who wants it all. But in order to have it all, he’s a spiritual devotee to the importance of sensible eating, and, equally importantly, physical fitness.
“Our health is paramount - it’s our life. If we eat well - fresh produce, a balanced diet, things in moderation - and are active, we can achieve anything,” he says. “If we don’t subscribe to those ideas then everything else suffers, so health is of the utmost importance.”
It was arming himself with such a philosophy that led the 61-year-old billionaire to establish Virgin Active at the end of the 1990s. A brand born in South Africa, the state-of-the-art chain of health clubs quickly spread to the UK, Europe and Australia, and the father of two harbours plans to expand into Asia and the US.
Naturally, he’s unconcerned by the wealth of competition. “I think Virgin Active is above and beyond the rest,” he surmises, confidently. “We have amazing swimming pools, great tennis clubs and fantastic services and amenities above what the competition can provide, making us the number-one health club chain in the UK. And that is Virgin all over - anything we do in business, we make sure that we’re the best at it.”
An avid sportsman who will try his hand at anything, Branson has recently become a fan of kite-surfing, with a plan to have the aqua sport included on the Olympic Games roster. Naturally, an ulterior motive lurks behind this challenge with the London-born business brain hoping to compete in the discipline himself. “It’s above and beyond my favourite sport right now,” he explains. “It’s just wonderful, because you use the wind to perform. It looks great and is very skillful, so why wouldn’t the IOC [International Olympic Committee] want to embrace it? And if we can get it included I’ll participate, unless, of course, by then I’m too old. Although who am I kidding… I’m too old now, but we can all dream.”
Remaining at the forefront of his business empire and with no desire to move into the reclining seats, Branson admits his passion is helped by a vehement scrutiny of lifestyle and diet, revealing a penchant for locally grown produce. “It’s a pretty hectic lifestyle I lead, so of course I have to be careful what I eat. We are what we eat, it’s pretty much as simple as that, yet so many don’t follow that line of thinking. I lead a healthy life; I don’t smoke, or drink too much. I exercise regularly, more for fitness than vanity. I guess I’m lucky in that respect.
“And in getting my 5 A DAY, staying mindful of eating and cooking local produce is important. If I’m on Necker, I want to eat fruit and vegetables that have come from the island or somewhere nearby, not from halfway around the world. It’s the same if I’m in the UK - I try to eat locally. I do love my British roast so I guess where else are you going to get a better roast than the UK?
“I feel that local economics is very important in all this. We protect our local communities in the same way that we protect the larger British economy. I know a lot has been said about the import excesses of the UK, but look a little deeper and you’ll see a fervent passion for homegrown goods and produce. There aren’t actually that many first-rate countries around the world who can rival us on that scale. We’ve got a patriotism that’s renowned the world over, and that filters right down to how our consumers act.
“People are always asking me how Britain should best cope with the testing winds that have confronted us. My motto to fledgling entrepreneurs has always been ‘screw it, just do it’,” he quips. “Surround yourself with great people, a small team of really trusted, devoted individuals who you can work with no matter what you’re doing, and go for it. You also need to push yourself out from the crowd and offer things that are different and better value for money - for instance, maybe by charging less during some hours of the day and more at other times, so you don’t prohibit people who can’t afford to come. And make the most of technology - we’re at the forefront here; we’re social media leaders.
“After all, success is born out of recessions - it’s the best time to start a business. I think a few are discovering that right now.” -
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