Golden Ticket

Kaneohe native Bryan Clay on business after winning gold in the Olympic decathlon

HB:The Wall Street Journal reported that your gold medal could bring you as much as $20 million in endorsement deals and other income.

Clay: I don't know about that! It would be absolutely great if that turns out to be true. Twenty-million dollars is a lot of money.

HB:Did you ever think that someday your likeness would be featured on a Wheaties box?

Clay: Never in a million years. It’s an honor to even be considered to be on a Wheaties box.

HB:Have you nailed down some endorsements yet?

Clay: We’re in negotiations with people. Not for $20 million! Maybe [we can get that amount] over a few lifetimes. (Laughs.) I’m hoping that it brings a few more opportunities our way. Things like the Wheaties box are all blessings.

HB:Do you feel the need to strike while you’re hot and make all the money you can now?

Of course, there’s a rush to try to maximize the momentum that we’ve got going. The more I can do that, it’s going to free me up to be able to do some of the things that I want to do. Honestly, some of the things that I’d like to do don’t mean I’m going to make a lot of money – for example, working on my foundation or coaching at a high school.

HB:Talk about your sponsors and how they’ve helped you succeed on the track.

If I had to work a job, I’d never be able to train like I need to in order to be successful in the decathlons. One of my sponsors is Straub Hospital/Hawaii Pacific Health. They’ve been a huge support for me in my career. They didn’t just say, “We support you,” but they really put their money where their mouth is. Another sponsor is Nike. And Visa. There’s also Angry Genes, the guys who are helping me design my clothing line. And Azusa Pacific isn’t officially a sponsor, but they might as well be.

Do you like what you read? Subscribe to Hawaii Business Magazine »