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James Cracknell
OBE

Cracknell in August 2009

Personal information

Nationality

British

Born

5 May 1972 (age 53)
Sutton, London, England

Residence

London, England

Education

Kingston Grammar School

Alma mater

University of Reading
UCL Institute of Education
Brunel University London
Peterhouse, Cambridge

Height

1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)

Weight

98 kg (216 lb)

Spouse(s)

Bev Turner

(m. 2002; div. 2019)

Jordan Connell

(m. 2021)

Sport

Country

Great Britain

Sport

Men's rowing

Event(s)

Coxless fours

Club

Leander Club

Coached by

Jürgen Gröbler
Mark Banks

Medal record

Men's rowing

Representing Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold	2000 Sydney	Coxless four
Gold	2004 Athens	Coxless four
World Rowing Championships
Gold	1997 Aiguebelette	Coxless four
Gold	1998 Cologne	Coxless four
Gold	1999 St. Catharines	Coxless four
Gold	2001 Lucerne	Coxless pair
Gold	2001 Lucerne	Coxed pair
Gold	2002 Seville	Coxless pair
The Boat Race
Gold	The Boat Race 2019	Cambridge

James Edward Cracknell (born 5 May 1972) is a famous British athlete. He is known for his amazing achievements in rowing and endurance sports. He has won two Olympic gold medals and six world championship titles. James was also given an award called the OBE for his services to sport.

James Cracknell: Olympic Rowing Champion

James Cracknell started rowing when he was at Kingston Grammar School. He competed in the Junior World Championships in 1989 and 1990. In 1990, he won a gold medal there!

After finishing school, James went to the University of Reading. He studied Human Geography. He also earned other degrees later on.

Early Rowing Success

James joined the senior rowing team and competed in many World Rowing Championships. However, he didn't win any medals before the 1996 Summer Olympics. He was supposed to race in the 1996 Olympics, but he got sick and couldn't compete.

In 1997, he joined a team called the men's coxless fours. This team included famous rowers like Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, and Tim Foster. With this team, he won the World Rowing Championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Olympic Gold Medals

The team's biggest win came at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They won the gold medal! Before the Olympics, James and his team were part of a TV show called Gold Fever. It showed their journey to winning gold.

After the 2000 Olympics, Steve Redgrave retired. James then teamed up with Matthew Pinsent in the coxless pairs. They won the World Championships in 2001 and 2002.

In 2003, they didn't win the World Championships. So, James and Matthew joined a new coxless four team. This team included Steve Williams and Alex Partridge. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, this new team won another gold medal! They beat the world champions from Canada by a tiny amount.

Incredible Endurance Challenges

After retiring from competitive rowing in 2006, James Cracknell took on many extreme endurance challenges.

Rowing Across the Atlantic

In 2005, James teamed up with TV presenter Ben Fogle to row across the Atlantic Ocean. They came in second place in the pairs division of the Atlantic Rowing Race. It took them 49 days, 19 hours, and 8 minutes to cross the ocean. This challenge helped raise money for a charity called Children in Need.

A TV show called Through Hell and High Water showed their amazing journey. They also wrote a book about it called The Crossing: Conquering the Atlantic in the World's Toughest Rowing Race.

South Pole Race

In December 2008, James, Ben Fogle, and Dr. Ed Coats took part in the first-ever Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race. They traveled 473.6 miles across the frozen land. They faced many difficulties like frostbite and extreme tiredness. Their team came in second place, just behind a team from Norway.

The BBC aired a TV series about this adventure called On Thin Ice. James also wrote a book about the race called Race to the Pole.

Other Challenges

James has competed in many other tough events.

In 2006, he ran the London Marathon in 3 hours.
In 2009, he completed the 125-mile non-stop Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon in a kayak.
In 2010, he finished 12th in the Marathon des Sables, which is a very tough desert race.
In 2011, he competed in the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 430-mile race in the frozen Alaskan countryside. He finished second.
In 2017, he ran the London Marathon again in a very fast time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, and 12 seconds.

James Cracknell at the London Triathlon 2007

Education and The Boat Race

In 2018, James went back to university at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He studied for a master's degree in human evolution.

On 7 April 2019, James made history in the 2019 Boat Race. He became the oldest competitor and oldest winner for Cambridge. At 46 years old, he was 10 years older than any previous rower in the event's history!

TV Appearances

In 2019, James Cracknell joined the TV show Strictly Come Dancing. He danced with professional dancer Luba Mushtuk. He was the first celebrity to leave the show that season.

He also competed in the TV series Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Presenting and Journalism

James has worked as a sports presenter for TV channels like ITV, Channel 4, and BBC. He has covered events like The Boat Race and the British Superbike Championship. He also writes columns for The Daily Telegraph newspaper about various topics.

Helping Charities

James Cracknell is very active in charity work.

In 2008, he completed a huge challenge for the BBC's Sport Relief charity. He traveled over 1,400 miles from Britain to Africa by rowing, cycling, and swimming. He rowed across the English Channel, cycled through France and Spain, and then swam across the Strait of Gibraltar.
In 2009, he and Ben Fogle raised money for Sparks, a children's medical research charity. They chose this charity in memory of James's niece.
In October 2009, James and Ben Fogle rode a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London. This 450-mile journey supported the SSAFA charity.

Cycling Accident and Helmet Safety

On 20 July 2010, James was hit by a petrol tanker while cycling in Arizona, USA. He was trying to cycle, row, run, and swim from Los Angeles to New York. He survived the accident because he was wearing a cycle helmet.

The crash caused an injury to the front part of his brain. This injury left him with epilepsy and changed his sense of smell and taste. It also affected his personality. After the accident, James has strongly encouraged everyone to wear bicycle helmets when cycling.

Politics

James Cracknell has also been involved in politics. He believes it's important to make a difference for future generations.

In 2013, he announced he wanted to stand in the European Parliament election. He ran as a candidate for the Conservative Party.

More recently, in 2023, he was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Colchester in the 2024 General Election. However, he did not win this election.

Personal Life

In 2002, James married TV presenter Bev Turner. They had three children together: a son and two daughters. They separated in 2019.

In 2021, James got engaged to Jordan Connell, and they were married in August of the same year.

Achievements

Olympic Medals: 2 Gold
World Championship Medals: 6 Gold
Junior World Championship Medals: 1 Gold

Olympic Games

2004 – Gold, Coxless Four
2000 – Gold, Coxless Four

World Championships

2002 – Gold, Coxless Pair
2001 – Gold, Coxless Pair
2001 – Gold, Coxed Pair
1999 – Gold, Coxless Four
1998 – Gold, Coxless Four
1997 – Gold, Coxless Four

Junior World Championships

1990 – Gold, Coxless Four

Boat Race

2019 - The Boat Race, rowing for the University of Cambridge

World Records

2020 - British Indoor Rowing Marathon Record for Heavyweight 40-49 Men

National Honour

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)