James Cracknell facts for kids
Cracknell in August 2009
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| Nationality | British | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 May 1972 Sutton, London, England |
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| Residence | London, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Kingston Grammar School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Reading UCL Institute of Education Brunel University London Peterhouse, Cambridge |
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| 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) |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Men's rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Coxless fours | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Leander Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jürgen Gröbler Mark Banks |
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Medal record
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James Edward Cracknell (born 5 May 1972) is a British athlete famous for rowing. He is a double Olympic gold medalist and has won six world championship titles. For his amazing achievements in sports, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005.
Contents
Rowing Career
Early Success and First Olympics
James Cracknell started rowing when he was a student at Kingston Grammar School. He was so good that he competed in the Junior World Championships in 1989 and 1990, winning a gold medal in his second year.
After moving to the senior team, Cracknell competed in many World Rowing Championships. He was set to race in the 1996 Summer Olympics, but he got sick with tonsillitis and couldn't compete.
In 1997, he joined the famous men's coxless four team with rowing legends Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, and Tim Foster. This team was incredibly successful. They won the World Championships three years in a row (1997, 1998, and 1999). Their biggest victory came at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where they won the gold medal.
Second Olympic Gold
After Steve Redgrave retired, Cracknell teamed up with Matthew Pinsent in a two-person boat called a coxless pair. They continued to win, becoming World Champions in 2001 and 2002.
For the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Cracknell and Pinsent moved back to the coxless four boat. Along with teammates Steve Williams and Ed Coode, they won another gold medal in a very close race, beating the Canadian team by less than a tenth of a second.
The Boat Race
In 2018, Cracknell decided to go back to school at Peterhouse, Cambridge, to study for a master's degree. In 2019, at the age of 46, he rowed for Cambridge in the famous Boat Race against Oxford. He became the oldest person to ever compete in and win the race.
Endurance Challenges and Adventures
After retiring from competitive rowing, Cracknell took on many tough endurance challenges.
Atlantic Rowing Race
In 2005, he and his friend Ben Fogle rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in the Atlantic Rowing Race. They finished the journey in 49 days, 19 hours, and 8 minutes. They came in second in the pairs category and raised money for the charity Children in Need. A TV show and a book were made about their incredible journey.
Race to the South Pole
In 2008, Cracknell, Fogle, and a doctor named Ed Coats raced to the South Pole. They traveled over 470 miles in freezing conditions. The team faced many hardships but finished in second place. Their adventure was shown in a BBC series called On Thin Ice.
Other Major Challenges
Cracknell has also competed in many other extreme events:
- Marathons: He has run the London Marathon and New York City Marathon several times with very fast times.
- Marathon des Sables: In 2010, he finished 12th in this super-tough, multi-day race across the Sahara Desert.
- Yukon Arctic Ultra: He competed in this 430-mile race across the frozen Alaskan wilderness, finishing in second place.
Life-Changing Accident and Advocacy
Cycling Accident
On July 20, 2010, Cracknell was in a serious accident while cycling across America. He was hit by a truck in Arizona. He says that wearing a bicycle helmet saved his life. The accident caused a serious injury to his brain.
The injury changed his life, affecting his personality and his sense of smell and taste. He and his former wife, Bev Turner, wrote a book called Touching Distance about his recovery. Since the accident, Cracknell has become a strong supporter for wearing bicycle helmets to prevent injuries.
Working to Help Others
Because of his own experience with a brain injury, Cracknell now works to help others. He is an ambassador for a law firm that helps people with brain injuries. He helps raise awareness about how important it is to get the right medical care and support after such an injury. He has appeared in films to share his story and encourage better treatment for patients.
Other Activities
TV and Journalism
Cracknell has worked as a sports presenter for major TV channels like ITV and Channel 4. He has also written articles for The Daily Telegraph newspaper on topics like sports, cars, and cooking. In 2019, he appeared on the popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
Charity Work
Cracknell has used his fame to raise a lot of money for charity. He has completed amazing challenges, like traveling from Britain to Africa by rowing, cycling, and swimming, to raise money for Sport Relief. He and Ben Fogle also rode a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London to support a charity for armed forces families.
Politics
Cracknell has also been involved in politics. In 2014, he was a candidate for the Conservative Party in the European Parliament election but was not elected. In 2024, he ran for a seat in the UK Parliament for the city of Colchester but was not successful.
Personal Life
Cracknell was married to TV presenter Bev Turner from 2002 to 2019, and they have three children together. In 2021, he married Jordan Connell.
In 2006, Cracknell's home was burgled, and his two Olympic gold medals were stolen. Luckily, a neighbor's dog found the medals where the thief had thrown them away, and they were returned to him.
Main Achievements
- Olympic Games: 2 Gold Medals (2000, 2004)
- World Championships: 6 Gold Medals (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002)
- The Boat Race: 1 Win (2019)
See also
In Spanish: James Cracknell para niños
