Finding the perfect family holiday often feels like a high-stakes balancing act, a challenge of catering to different ages and energy levels while aiming for collective joy and minimal stress. If anyone understands the concept of equilibrium, it’s Greg Rutherford. Beyond his iconic “Super Saturday” long jump gold at the London 2012 Olympics and his subsequent medal-winning career, Rutherford has mastered a new discipline: family life. Since retiring from elite sport in 2018, citing injuries that once prevented him from playing on the floor with his children, his focus has shifted to his growing family with fiancée Susie Verrill. Now a father of three, his most important leaps are those taken alongside his kids, championing a philosophy that makes holidays rewarding for everyone involved.
This new chapter has seen Rutherford partner with Marriott Bonvoy, the travel loyalty programme, to explore a simple but transformative idea: letting children help plan the family getaway. He reflects that pre-parenthood, his travels involved traipsing through cities for historical sites and museums, or simply switching off for days. Now, he finds more fun in a blended approach. “We team relaxing with pockets of activities or sightseeing. We mix staying put with seeking out local hidden gems,” he explains. With his youngest now five, involving the children in choosing activities has become a source of delight. A recent trip to Barcelona’s Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa exemplified this, where his three “mini holiday makers” took the lead on picking activities and dining, even delighting in the hotel’s kid-friendly spa. “Sometimes the best holidays happen when you hand over the reins,” Rutherford noted.
This child-led approach is backed by insightful research from Marriott Bonvoy, which reveals that children’s holiday priorities are beautifully straightforward. According to the study, kids dream of freedom, fun, and quality family time—not complicated itineraries. Specifically, 63% fantasize about free rein at the breakfast buffet, 58% desire heaps of ice cream at lunch, and 53% cherish the thrill of staying up late. Rutherford finds this logic impeccable: “Freedom and control is something I think you often feel you don’t have as a child so having more of it on holiday… must make such a huge difference.” The children also highlighted what they don’t want: chores like tidying their room (30%), boredom (39%), or being dragged to activities only interesting for adults (35%). Their ideal mix includes a large pool with waterslides (57%) balanced with genuine family connection.
One might wonder if the athlete’s relentless drive conflicts with holiday relaxation. For Rutherford, activity and wellness are integral to family joy, not opposed to it. “We’re not a family who just sit still for a week,” he states, listing bike hires, local hikes, and water sports as essentials. However, he admits that truly switching off is a personal challenge. He strategically fits workouts into his schedule while the kids are at school or when travelling for work, saving proper rest for holiday evenings with Susie. This blend ensures that health and relaxation coexist, modelling an active lifestyle for his children without making the holiday feel like a training camp.
The data suggests a growing appetite for this inclusive style of travel. While 30% of adults have already let their child plan a holiday, a promising 72% are curious or excited to try it next time. Furthermore, 66% of parents state that quality family time is their top priority abroad. Rutherford’s own cherished memories, like climbing Camelback Mountain in Arizona—where he proposed to Susie—or eating freshly caught fish on a boat in Türkiye, underscore that the most meaningful moments arise from shared, engaging experiences. He believes the hallmark of a successful holiday is that “everyone has something to look forward to each day.” It doesn’t need to be extravagant; if each family member can point to something they loved that day, the trip is a win.
Ultimately, Rutherford’s advice, forged on the track and now around the hotel pool, is elegantly simple: embrace the chaos and joy of children’s input. “Don’t be afraid to get your kids involved in some of the planning,” he urges. He and his family were “pleasantly surprised” by their children’s choices, discovering that a little shared control made the holiday significantly better. By balancing adult needs for relaxation with children’s desires for fun and autonomy, and by weaving in active adventures alongside lazy moments, the modern family holiday can become less of a logistical puzzle and more of a shared, memorable leap into joy.
