How it all began.

James Greenwell – Born 22nd May 1972

Education

King Alfred’s School Wantage 1984-1987
Millfield School 1987 – 1990
Abingdon College 1992 – 1993

James was born the eldest son of Bill and Jean Greenwell on the 22nd of May 1972 in Southgate North London. He attended local primary schools up until the family moved to Grove nr Wantage, Oxfordshire in 1979. Here he continued his education as a young boy attending Millbrook junior school before moving on to Wantage Church of England school. His younger brother Rory was to join the family on the 15th of November 1976.

James developed a passion for swimming around this time and with the support of his parents joined the local swimming club Wantage White Horses in 1980. It was to prove to be the start of a sporting journey that would eventually take him around the world.

James enjoyed many years with the swimming club and even qualified for county-level trails as he progressed with his preferred stroke of front crawl. This was despite suffering from a previously undiagnosed disease that normally only effected the elderly; osteoporosis.

Between the age of 10- and 13-years old James proceeded to suffer 7 major breaks and over 21 minor fractures in his arms where the disease seemed to have taken its major grasp of his body.

Thankfully for James, the osteoporosis seemed to be limited to just his arms and having broken all the major bones concerned it seemed that the disease was under control, however, the impact of all his growth being redirected into the bones of the arms left him a number of inches shorter than his father and younger brother.

In January 1987 James was given the option to move schools, the move was to take him almost 100 miles away from home to the sleepy town of Street in Somerset, but the opportunity was enormous. James joined the World-renowned Millfield school where his love of multi-sport was to flourish.

James started a new term and new year as a boarder at Millfield School and almost as fast as he started, he decided that the sport of Modern Pentathlon was to be his future. The sport that offered the combination of strength, skill, and stamina was to be the challenge that would shape his life, introduce him to new friends and eventually launch a global health and beauty brand in years to come.

By 1990 when James was to leave Millfield, James had developed his sporting ability to a point where he was selected to compete at a Junior International level in the Modern pentathlon, he was also to captain the Under 18’s English Epee fencing team. James was one of the very few double International honours students to leave the school. That summer James won his first major National title, he became Junior U21 Modern Pentathlete British champion some 3 years out of age.

1990 – 1993 James continued to live in Street, Somerset and although he had left Millfield, he continued to use some of the school’s facilities and train in the area. This intense period of training and competing saw James attend 3 Junior World Championships and numerous other junior Internationals in both sports of Modern Pentathlon and fencing.

In 1994 James was selected to compete as part of the four-man team in the senior World Championship to be held in Sheffield that year. As the youngest member of the team at 22, James had a very specific role to play, namely to shine during the fencing stage of the competition which would allow his teammate passage through to the final. James rose to his expectations and the team of Richard Phelps, Graham Brookhouse and Prof. Greg Whyte went on to achieve a Silver team medal.

During 1995 and early 1996 James continued to progress in the sport reaching a world ranking of top 40 in early 1996 and setting new personal best in all five disciplines. Unfortunately, soon after being named as a short-listed athlete for the 1996 Olympic games James suffered a serious injury after being thrown from a horse, a totally ripped right bicep muscle was to cost him his Olympic place and the dream that he had worked so hard towards.

The injury was not only to cost him his place, but it also cost him over a year out of the sport. On his return, the sport had moved on. His teammates of 1996 had retired and a new stable of youngsters was starting to come through. However, James did make a full return to team GB and was named as team captain of the men’s squad 2000 – 2003.

In early February 2003, James and his team were participating in a running training session at Bath University, it was a session that would prove to shape his career for the next 15 plus years! As James ran off the last bend of the track and headed down the home straight, an instant and acute pain occurred in his heal, screaming in pain and clutching his ankle James pulled up. Teammates following on were quick to pull up to assist, quickly carrying James into the Clinic at Team Bath. The diagnosed was quick, a severely ruptured Achilles tendon, the prognosis was simply that this would prove to be a career-ending injury!

James was adamite, he couldn’t let this end a career that had crossed 12 years at International level and over 16 years in the sport. In his eyes, there was still medals to be won and ambition unfulfilled. Turning to a former teammate and incredibly qualified friend who he’d competed with for over a decade for advice; Professor Greg Whyte.

James decided to risk everything by becoming the first elite athlete to trial a heavy dose of collagen hydrolysate to aid his recovery, his hope was to simply return to the sport he loved. This was truly an untested approach, for the use of collagen was new in the world. The raw material wasn’t on the market and James’ was to trail bulk powder straight from the manufacturer, it was without any sporting certification or approval, this itself could of so easily lead to a ban from competitive sport and an instant black mark against his name.

The results were groundbreaking! The doctor’s at team Bath were predicting a minimum of 12 weeks before James could return to rehabilitation, but a quickly as 22 days, James rocked up to training to join in a swim session. Coaches and teammates were simply startled beyond belief, how was this man walking unsupported along poolside, let along joining a swimming session. The severity of the injury was such that James wasn’t expected to be seen again at the GB teams training centre at Bath university let alone joining in with his squad.

The proto-col brand light bulb moment, however, was not this incredible recovery from injury! It was simply a passing comment from his coach who remarked. “Your skin is looking good James, have you spent the last 3 weeks having facials” – this off the cuff, almost banter like remark was to start the thought process that would eventually become one of the UK’s fastest-growing health and beauty brands.

James retired that summer from the sport, he knew he had gone as far as he could and was simply not going to be considered for the Olympics the following year. His brain was already racing with ideas for the future! After charging his credit cards to the max, equity releasing all he could from his home and then asking family for a small loan. James was ready to develop his vision. Working from the back bedroom and then home garage the proto-col brand was born.

Timeline of success for the brand.

2003 September 1st Proto-col brand invented, starting with collagen capsules then a few skincare products under company name On Beauty Ltd.
2004 April Exhibiting around the UK James meets a buyer from Ideal world shopping TV
2004 September James launches on UK shopping channel – Ideal World.
2005 May launch of new skincare products due to demand for TV – nutritional range launched.
2006 June James renames the company On Group Ltd incorporating beauty & nutrition.
2006 September James risks his home on the first “Pick of the Day” 24 hours of live TV!
2006 December On Group moves from James’ home to Bradford on Avon’s new head office.
2007 May Proto-col achieve highest-grossing beauty show in history on Ideal world TV
2008 September James launches party plan concept – originally named “Party-On” recession hits the UK!
2009 March Party-On renamed Proto-col Ambassadors –
2009 September proto-col launch cosmetics & tanning concept.
2010 April Proto-col launches on M6 Boutique – Live French Television.
2012 September On Group restructure – Streamlining of business – change in the business model.
2012 October James comes out of sporting retirement! returns in the sport of Biathle (Run, Swim, Run)
2013 July James returns to team GB as a Master in Biathle (wins European Bronze medal).
2014 May Proto-col become an official sponsor of Team GB Biathle / Modern Pentathlon.
2015 proto-col launches new Lift XL – first of its kind in the brand.
2016 September Proto-col launch new clinical collagen – Verisol B in capsules & shots
2017 March On-Group move to Westbury and the new proto-col park
2018 September On Group Launch Forbes feet foot care range in conjunction with Claire Forbes.
2018 proto-col launch new collagen shots
2019 Jan Proto-col launch New collagen Cordial
2019 May Complete rebrand of Proto-col released including New Clinical range for Professionals.