James Cracknell
Encyclopedia
James Cracknell, OBE
(born 5 May 1972) is a British rowing
champion and double Olympic
gold medalist and adventurer. Cracknell is married to TV and radio presenter Beverley Turner
; they have three children. In the New Year Honours List, 2004, he was appointed OBE
for services to sport. He is also a trained geography
teacher
, as stated in an episode of BBC
comedy
quiz
School's Out
.
and rowed at the Junior World Championships in 1989 and 1990, winning a gold medal in 1990. He graduated from the University of Reading
with a Bachelor of Science
in Human Geography
in 1993. Moving into the senior squad, Cracknell made numerous appearances in the World Rowing Championships
; however, he did not win any medals prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics
. He qualified in the double scull for the 1996 Games, but fell ill with tonsilitis and was unable to race. In 1997, he won a seat in the men's coxless fours, with Steve Redgrave
, Matthew Pinsent
and Tim Foster
. With this crew, he won the rowing World Championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999 (with Ed Coode
replacing the injured Foster), and finally the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. In August 2000, the month prior to winning gold in Sydney, he took part in a 3-part BBC documentary entitled Gold Fever
. This followed the coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for gold.
With Redgrave then having retired, Cracknell swapped from rowing on strokeside to bowside in order to join Pinsent in the coxless pairs. The pair won the World Championships in 2001, when they also won the coxed pairs, and 2002. However, in 2003 a disappointing season was capped by a failure to win the World Championships, and Pinsent and Cracknell were shifted into the coxless four, with Steve Williams
and Alex Partridge
. Ed Coode
replaced the injured Partridge in time for the 2004 Summer Olympics
and this crew won the gold medal in Athens, beating world champions Canada by 0.08s.
He came second the pairs division of the 2005–2006 Atlantic Rowing Race
in "Spirit of EDF Energy", partnered by Ben Fogle
. Although they took first place in the line honours of the pairs event (overall, they were third to finish the race behind the two men's fours), the use of ballast water during the race resulted in the pair being moved to second position of the pairs event in accordance with the race rules. The event helped raise money for Children In Need
.
They made landfall in Antigua
at 07:13 GMT on 19 January 2006, a crossing time of 49 days, 19 hours and 8 minutes. In February 2006, he announced his decision to retire from competitive rowing. Shortly after, Through Hell and High Water
, a BBC
/Twofour
television programme of Cracknell and Fogle's experience of the Atlantic
race, was aired. The pair wrote a book called The Crossing: Conquering the Atlantic in the World's Toughest Rowing Race, about their trip.
On 4 March 2006, Cracknell's home was burgled: his Olympic gold medals were stolen, together with his wedding ring and a computer containing 20,000 words of a new book and family photographs. The gold medals were subsequently recovered by a neighbour's dog where the thief had discarded them. The thief, Mark Murphy, 30, was caught and jailed.
He ran the London Marathon on 23 April 2006, in a time of 3 hours, finishing over an hour ahead of his rowing team mate Matthew Pinsent.
In January 2008 Cracknell set up Threshold Sports with Julian Mack and Charlie Beauchamp.
In December 2008 he set off yet again with former team-mate from the Atlantic Row Ben Fogle
, and Dr. Ed Coats (the winner of a nationwide search), this time to take part in the inaugural Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race. The team traversed the 473.6 miles suffering frost-bite, infected blisters, dramatic weight-loss, pneumonia and exhaustion and came second only to a pair of Norwegians (over 20 hours ). The BBC aired a 5 x 1 hour, prime-time Sunday night series of the adventure, ‘On Thin Ice’(TwoFour), in June/July 2009. The series was accompanied by a self-penned book of the race, Race to the Pole (MacMillan).
In July 2008 Cracknell competed in the European Triathlon Championships for GBR for his age group and in November 2009 he took part in the New York Marathon. In April 2009, James completed the 125 mile non-stop Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon
in a two-man racing K2 kayak with canoe partner Bernie Shosbree.
In August 2009 Cracknell attempted to break the non-stop Land's End to John O'Groats mixed tandem world record along with Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Romero
. The pair got just past Johnstone Bridge in Scotland before being forced to stop due to problems with Romero's knees. They were on course to break the record by over three hours. The attempt was to launch the 2010 Ride Across Britain that Cracknell's company organised
In April 2010 Cracknell became the highest placed Briton ever in the 25 year history of the Marathon Des Sables
- finishing 12th. His exploits were filmed for a Discovery Channel documentary "The Toughest Race on Earth" to be aired in October 2010.
Six months after his cycling accident which damaged his frontal lobe, Cracknell competed in the Yukon Arctic Ultra. He finished second in the 430 mile race across the frozen Alaskan countryside, beaten only by British cyclist Alan Sheldon who beat Cracknell's 163:20 with his own 99:30. Cracknell's participation in the race was filmed for the documentary The Coldest Race on Earth aired on the Discovery Channel.
and Channel 4
. He covered The Boat Race 2007 with Mark Durden Smith for ITV and is the presenter of ITV's coverage of the British Superbike Championship. He is also the main presenter of Channel 4's Red Bull Air Race World Series
coverage. He is a contracted columnist with the Daily Telegraph writing about various topics. The topics include: sport, motoring, gardening, cookery and others. His Daily Telegraph column can be found online at telegraph.co.uk.
in 10 days, rowing, cycling and swimming. He rowed from Dover
, England
to Cap Gris Nez
, France
, then cycled to Tarifa
, Spain
, and finally swam across the Straits of Gibraltar from Tarifa to Punta de Cires, Morocco
. He asked the comedian David Walliams
to join him for the final part of his journey because of his previous experience in swimming the English Channel. The money raised by the challenge goes towards the BBC's Sport Relief charity, with highlights of the action broadcast on 14 March. He is to be the special guest at The WiG GiG which aims to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
In January 2009, James took part in the Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race with his TV Presenter friend Ben Fogle
and Dr Ed Coats as members of Team QinetiQ, finishing in second, 20 hours behind the winning Norwegian team. The race and the reasons behind was broadcast on BBC Television during summer 2009 in the series On Thin Ice
. The trio raised funds for the Children's medical research charity Sparks
, chosen as the charity partner in memory of Cracknell's niece, Eva, who died at six days old after suffering oxygen deprivation at birth.
On Saturday 3 October 2009, Cracknell and Ben Fogle started a 60 hour (estimated) journey from Edinburgh
to London
riding a rickshaw
in support of SSAFA. They aimed to arrive in time for the Pride of Britain Awards
ceremony on Monday 5 October 2009. They had to endure storm force gales in Scotland and Northumberland on their first day of the 450 mile ride. Early on the last day they made a stop at Etonbury Middle School in Arlesey
, off the A1
road to London, where about 100 children welcomed them and to wave them on their way.
. He has attributed his survival to the fact he was wearing a cycle helmet at the time, which was "shorn in two". In the crash he suffered a contre-coup injury to the frontal lobes of his brain. He was "fully kitted out" by sponsors including the manufacturer of his helmet. He is now back at home with his family, although his recovery may never be complete.
Since the accident he has been conspicuous in advocating the use of bicycle helmets, and has mentioned the sponsoring brand in particular. He has denied having a commercial relationship with the manufacturer. He has since appeared on a bicycle without a helmet; about this his wife said "Unfortunately, one of the effects of James’s condition is memory loss..."
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 5 May 1972) is a British rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
champion and double Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist and adventurer. Cracknell is married to TV and radio presenter Beverley Turner
Beverley Turner
Beverley Turner is a British television and radio presenter.-Personal:She is the sister of swimming champion Adrian Turner and wife of Olympic rower James Cracknell with whom she has a son, Croyde, born in October 2003, and two daughters, Kiki, born in March 2009 and Trixie, born April 2011...
; they have three children. In the New Year Honours List, 2004, he was appointed OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to sport. He is also a trained geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, as stated in an episode of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
School's Out
School's Out (TV series)
School's Out was a BBC television series hosted by Danny Wallace. Based on the premise of school subjects, celebrity contestants are asked questions they would have been asked at school.-Rounds:...
.
Biography
James Cracknell began rowing whilst attending Kingston Grammar SchoolKingston Grammar School
Kingston Grammar School is an independent co-educational school in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561 but can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. It is a registered charity under English law....
and rowed at the Junior World Championships in 1989 and 1990, winning a gold medal in 1990. He graduated from the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Human Geography
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
in 1993. Moving into the senior squad, Cracknell made numerous appearances in the World Rowing Championships
World Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
; however, he did not win any medals prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. He qualified in the double scull for the 1996 Games, but fell ill with tonsilitis and was unable to race. In 1997, he won a seat in the men's coxless fours, with Steve Redgrave
Steve Redgrave
Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals...
, Matthew Pinsent
Matthew Pinsent
Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
and Tim Foster
Tim Foster
Timothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
. With this crew, he won the rowing World Championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999 (with Ed Coode
Ed Coode
Ed Coode, MBE is a British rower, twice World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist.Educated at Papplewick School, Ascot, Eton College, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford University, where he attended Keble College and rowed in the Oxford crew at the 1998 Boat Race.Coode won his first World...
replacing the injured Foster), and finally the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. In August 2000, the month prior to winning gold in Sydney, he took part in a 3-part BBC documentary entitled Gold Fever
Gold Fever
Gold Fever was the name of a BBC documentary shown in August 2000, which followed Steve Redgrave and his coxless four team in the years leading up to the Sydney Olympics, where Redgrave was looking to claim his fifth consecutive gold medal...
. This followed the coxless four team in the years leading up to the Olympics, including video diaries recording the highs and lows in the quest for gold.
With Redgrave then having retired, Cracknell swapped from rowing on strokeside to bowside in order to join Pinsent in the coxless pairs. The pair won the World Championships in 2001, when they also won the coxed pairs, and 2002. However, in 2003 a disappointing season was capped by a failure to win the World Championships, and Pinsent and Cracknell were shifted into the coxless four, with Steve Williams
Steve Williams (rower)
Stephen David Williams OBE is an English rower and double Olympic champion.In April and May 2011, Steve will be taking part in Richard Parks'...
and Alex Partridge
Alex Partridge
Alex Partridge is a British rower, and an Olympic silver medallist- Education :Partridge started rowing at Monkton Combe School, Bath, and attended Oxford Brookes University to study Technology Management...
. Ed Coode
Ed Coode
Ed Coode, MBE is a British rower, twice World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist.Educated at Papplewick School, Ascot, Eton College, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford University, where he attended Keble College and rowed in the Oxford crew at the 1998 Boat Race.Coode won his first World...
replaced the injured Partridge in time for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and this crew won the gold medal in Athens, beating world champions Canada by 0.08s.
He came second the pairs division of the 2005–2006 Atlantic Rowing Race
Atlantic Rowing Race
The Atlantic Rowing Race is a challenging ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, a distance of approximately 2,550 nm . The race was founded by Sir Chay Blyth and first held in 1997 with subsequent races roughly every two years since. The early races were run by Challenge...
in "Spirit of EDF Energy", partnered by Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle is an English television presenter, adventurer and writer.-Early life:Fogle is the son of actress Julia Foster and broadcasting veterinary surgeon Bruce Fogle...
. Although they took first place in the line honours of the pairs event (overall, they were third to finish the race behind the two men's fours), the use of ballast water during the race resulted in the pair being moved to second position of the pairs event in accordance with the race rules. The event helped raise money for Children In Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.
They made landfall in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
at 07:13 GMT on 19 January 2006, a crossing time of 49 days, 19 hours and 8 minutes. In February 2006, he announced his decision to retire from competitive rowing. Shortly after, Through Hell and High Water
Through Hell and High Water
Through Hell and High Water was a BBC television programme produced by Twofour that aired in the United Kingdom on 13–17 February 2006. Five half-hour morning programmes on BBC1 followed James Cracknell and Ben Fogle in their attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in "Spirit of EDF Energy", a...
, a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
/Twofour
Twofour
Twofour is a UK independent media group that was founded in 1988 by Charles Wace, a former TV news producer and brother of financier Ian Wace. It has grown to become one of the largest independent media groups in the UK, employing over 350 people internationally....
television programme of Cracknell and Fogle's experience of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
race, was aired. The pair wrote a book called The Crossing: Conquering the Atlantic in the World's Toughest Rowing Race, about their trip.
On 4 March 2006, Cracknell's home was burgled: his Olympic gold medals were stolen, together with his wedding ring and a computer containing 20,000 words of a new book and family photographs. The gold medals were subsequently recovered by a neighbour's dog where the thief had discarded them. The thief, Mark Murphy, 30, was caught and jailed.
He ran the London Marathon on 23 April 2006, in a time of 3 hours, finishing over an hour ahead of his rowing team mate Matthew Pinsent.
In January 2008 Cracknell set up Threshold Sports with Julian Mack and Charlie Beauchamp.
In December 2008 he set off yet again with former team-mate from the Atlantic Row Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle is an English television presenter, adventurer and writer.-Early life:Fogle is the son of actress Julia Foster and broadcasting veterinary surgeon Bruce Fogle...
, and Dr. Ed Coats (the winner of a nationwide search), this time to take part in the inaugural Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race. The team traversed the 473.6 miles suffering frost-bite, infected blisters, dramatic weight-loss, pneumonia and exhaustion and came second only to a pair of Norwegians (over 20 hours ). The BBC aired a 5 x 1 hour, prime-time Sunday night series of the adventure, ‘On Thin Ice’(TwoFour), in June/July 2009. The series was accompanied by a self-penned book of the race, Race to the Pole (MacMillan).
In July 2008 Cracknell competed in the European Triathlon Championships for GBR for his age group and in November 2009 he took part in the New York Marathon. In April 2009, James completed the 125 mile non-stop Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon
Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon
The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race in England. The race is held every Easter over a course of from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster in central London. It has been run since 1948. Starting at Devizes wharf, the route follows the Kennet and Avon...
in a two-man racing K2 kayak with canoe partner Bernie Shosbree.
In August 2009 Cracknell attempted to break the non-stop Land's End to John O'Groats mixed tandem world record along with Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Romero
Rebecca Romero
Rebecca Jayne Romero MBE is an English sportsperson, a former World Champion and Olympic Games medallist at rowing, and a former World champion and reigning Olympic champion track cyclist.-Biography:...
. The pair got just past Johnstone Bridge in Scotland before being forced to stop due to problems with Romero's knees. They were on course to break the record by over three hours. The attempt was to launch the 2010 Ride Across Britain that Cracknell's company organised
In April 2010 Cracknell became the highest placed Briton ever in the 25 year history of the Marathon Des Sables
Marathon des sables
The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons. The longest single stage is long....
- finishing 12th. His exploits were filmed for a Discovery Channel documentary "The Toughest Race on Earth" to be aired in October 2010.
Six months after his cycling accident which damaged his frontal lobe, Cracknell competed in the Yukon Arctic Ultra. He finished second in the 430 mile race across the frozen Alaskan countryside, beaten only by British cyclist Alan Sheldon who beat Cracknell's 163:20 with his own 99:30. Cracknell's participation in the race was filmed for the documentary The Coldest Race on Earth aired on the Discovery Channel.
Presenting and journalism
He now presents sport on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. He covered The Boat Race 2007 with Mark Durden Smith for ITV and is the presenter of ITV's coverage of the British Superbike Championship. He is also the main presenter of Channel 4's Red Bull Air Race World Series
Red Bull Air Race World Series
The Red Bull Air Race, established in 2003 and created by Red Bull, is an international series of air races in which competitors have to navigate a challenging obstacle course in the fastest time. Pilots fly individually against the clock and have to complete tight turns through a slalom course...
coverage. He is a contracted columnist with the Daily Telegraph writing about various topics. The topics include: sport, motoring, gardening, cookery and others. His Daily Telegraph column can be found online at telegraph.co.uk.
Charitable activities
From 27 February 2008 James Cracknell covered over 1,400 miles from Britain to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in 10 days, rowing, cycling and swimming. He rowed from Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Cap Gris Nez
Cap Gris Nez
Cap Gris Nez is a cape on the Côte d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, then cycled to Tarifa
Tarifa
Tarifa is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, on the southernmost coast of Spain. The town is located on the Costa de la Luz and across the Straits of Gibraltar facing Morocco. The municipality includes Punta de Tarifa, the southernmost point in continental Europe. There are five...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and finally swam across the Straits of Gibraltar from Tarifa to Punta de Cires, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. He asked the comedian David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
to join him for the final part of his journey because of his previous experience in swimming the English Channel. The money raised by the challenge goes towards the BBC's Sport Relief charity, with highlights of the action broadcast on 14 March. He is to be the special guest at The WiG GiG which aims to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
In January 2009, James took part in the Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race with his TV Presenter friend Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle
Ben Fogle is an English television presenter, adventurer and writer.-Early life:Fogle is the son of actress Julia Foster and broadcasting veterinary surgeon Bruce Fogle...
and Dr Ed Coats as members of Team QinetiQ, finishing in second, 20 hours behind the winning Norwegian team. The race and the reasons behind was broadcast on BBC Television during summer 2009 in the series On Thin Ice
On Thin Ice (TV Series)
On Thin Ice is a documentary following a team of three consisting of Ben Fogle, James Cracknell, and Ed Coats in their epic race across Antarctica to the South Pole. The series covers the whole experience, beginning with training efforts in Switzerland and vigorous exercises elsewhere. The team...
. The trio raised funds for the Children's medical research charity Sparks
Sparks (charity)
Sparks is a children's medical research charity. Their sole remit is to fund research across the whole spectrum of paediatric medicine. Their vision is a world where all babies are born healthy and stay healthy.- History :...
, chosen as the charity partner in memory of Cracknell's niece, Eva, who died at six days old after suffering oxygen deprivation at birth.
On Saturday 3 October 2009, Cracknell and Ben Fogle started a 60 hour (estimated) journey from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
riding a rickshaw
Cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
in support of SSAFA. They aimed to arrive in time for the Pride of Britain Awards
Pride of Britain Awards
The Pride of Britain Awards is an annual event in the United Kingdom, honouring ordinary people who have acted bravely or extraordinarily in challenging situations....
ceremony on Monday 5 October 2009. They had to endure storm force gales in Scotland and Northumberland on their first day of the 450 mile ride. Early on the last day they made a stop at Etonbury Middle School in Arlesey
Arlesey
Arlesey is a small industrial town and civil parish in the district of Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire. It is located on the border with Hertfordshire, about three miles north-west of Letchworth Garden City, four miles north of Hitchin and six miles south of Biggleswade. Arlesey railway...
, off the A1
A1 road (London)
The A1 road in London is an A road in North London. It runs from London Wall to Bignell's Corner, where it crosses the M25 and becomes the A1 motorway, alternating with the A1 as it continues to Edinburgh. The London section of the road passes through four London Boroughs: the City of London,...
road to London, where about 100 children welcomed them and to wave them on their way.
Cycling accident, helmet advocacy
On 20 July 2010, Cracknell was hit from behind by a truck whilst attempting to cycle, row, run and swim from Los Angeles to New York within 16 days. The accident happened at around 5.30am on a quiet stretch of road outside Winslow, ArizonaWinslow, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,520 people, 2,754 households, and 1,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.1 people per square mile . There were 3,198 housing units at an average density of 259.7 per square mile...
. He has attributed his survival to the fact he was wearing a cycle helmet at the time, which was "shorn in two". In the crash he suffered a contre-coup injury to the frontal lobes of his brain. He was "fully kitted out" by sponsors including the manufacturer of his helmet. He is now back at home with his family, although his recovery may never be complete.
Since the accident he has been conspicuous in advocating the use of bicycle helmets, and has mentioned the sponsoring brand in particular. He has denied having a commercial relationship with the manufacturer. He has since appeared on a bicycle without a helmet; about this his wife said "Unfortunately, one of the effects of James’s condition is memory loss..."
Achievements
- OlympicRowing at the Summer OlympicsRowing at the Summer Olympics has been part of the competition since the 1900 Summer Olympics. Rowing was on the program at the 1896 Summer Olympics but was cancelled due to bad weather. Only men were allowed to compete until the women's events were introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal...
Medals: 2 Gold - World ChampionshipWorld Rowing ChampionshipsThe World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
Medals: 6 Gold - Junior World ChampionshipJunior World Rowing ChampionshipsThe World Rowing Junior Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . A rower or coxswain shall be classified as a Junior until 31st December of the year in which he reaches the age of 18. After that date, he shall be classified as an Under 23 rower...
Medals: 1 Gold
Olympic Games
- 2004 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew PinsentMatthew PinsentSir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...
, Steve WilliamsSteve Williams (rower)Stephen David Williams OBE is an English rower and double Olympic champion.In April and May 2011, Steve will be taking part in Richard Parks'...
, Ed CoodeEd CoodeEd Coode, MBE is a British rower, twice World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist.Educated at Papplewick School, Ascot, Eton College, University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Oxford University, where he attended Keble College and rowed in the Oxford crew at the 1998 Boat Race.Coode won his first World...
) - 2000 – Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew Pinsent, Tim FosterTim FosterTimothy "Tim" James Carrington Foster MBE is a British rower. He began rowing at Bedford Modern School and competed in the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987 and 1988. In the latter he competed in a pair with a Matthew Pinsent. He became the first British rower to win gold medals at two...
, Steve RedgraveSteve RedgraveSir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals...
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World Championships
- 2003 — 4th, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)
- 2002 — Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)
- 2001 — Gold, Coxless Pair (with Matthew Pinsent)
- 2001 — Gold, Coxed Pair (with Matthew Pinsent, Neil Chugani)
- 1999 — Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew Pinsent, Ed Coode, Steve Redgrave)
- 1998 — Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
- 1997 — Gold, Coxless Four (with Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster, Steve Redgrave)
- 1995 — 10th, Double Sculls
- 1994 — 8th, Eight
- 1993 — 6th, Eight
- 1991 — 7th, Coxless Four (with John Garrett, Gavin Stewart, James WalkerJames Walker-Politics:*James Walker , English MP for Exeter*Sir James Walker, 2nd Baronet , British MP for Beverley*Jimmy Walker , born James J...
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Styles and Honours
- Mr James Cracknell (1972–2001)
- Mr James Cracknell MBE (2001–2004)
- Mr James Cracknell OBE (2004)
External links
- James Cracknell's personal website
- Atlantic Rowing Race
- Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race
- James Cracknell's column archiveTelegraph.co.uk
- BBC Woman's Hour interview with James' wife, Beverley Turnerbbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...