Why James Cracknell loves
the challenge of the Lakes
James Cracknell is one of Britain’s greatest-ever Olympians. Twice, as an oarsman, he won gold, in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens four years later. But James faced one of his biggest battles when, just over a year ago, he was knocked off his bike by a truck travelling at 75 mph. across the Arizona desert plains, in America. Here James talks to The Guide’s Ross Brewster about his brush with death and prospects for Britain’s athletes in 2012.
JAMES, who was in Cumbria recently, to take part in the adidas TERREX Adventure Race, lay unconscious in hospital while his wife Bev and his parents were called to his bedside.
He had a massive crack down the back of his head and significant bleeding to the frontal lobes of the brain. He’s convinced a cycle helmet saved his life, even if it has been a long road of recovery. And that’s one of the reasons he has now become a committed campaigner for cyclists to wear helmets as part of a “use your head, use your helmet” theme.
As the winner of six world championship titles James has competed in some of the great epic rowing races. Although he’s retired from Olympic competition, he continues to take part in some of the planet’s most challenging adventures ranging from desert marathons to the Coldest Race on Earth in the Canadian Yukon. He rowed the Atlantic with his pal Ben Fogle and was awarded an OBE in 2004 for services to sport.
I spoke to James ahead of his arrival in The Lake District for the adidas TERREX event which ran from August 26 -29 and which followed the classic C2C Wainwright route from St Bees Head to Robin Hood’s Bay. Teams took to mountain bikes, kayaks, swam in lakes, ran and navigated.
RB: How did you get involved in the adidas TERREX event?
JC: Bruce Duncan asked if I wanted to take part and I said that as long as I didn't have to run down hill fast then OK. I have done fell running before and the competitors don't care about anything when they leg it down hill. I’m part of the adidas TERREX team and will participate in most of the cycling and kayaking rather than the running. Other than reaching the finish line the challenge was getting to the end with no energy left and having made no mistakes.
RB: You seem to have an affinity with the Lake District having spoken at Keswick Mountain Festival and done their triathlon. What is special about the area for you that makes you want to come back and suffer a bit more!
JC: Living in a big city like London you don't get to see a lot of sky as there are so many buildings in the way. Adventure racing is a great opportunity to get out and see the sky; living in an urban area it is so nice to get out somewhere that is the exact opposite.
RB: ow is your recovery shaping after your much publicised accident? I read somewhere you said you by rights should not have survived that level of impact. Heard you did London this year for Headway the brain injuries charity. Is that something important on a personal level?
JC: Headway has not only helped me and my family understand what happened to me and supported us, but it has also given me the opportunity to talk to others that have been through a similar thing. Unlike other conditions it is quite unusual to meet someone that has had a brain injury and so you can’t really compare experiences. In terms of not wearing a bike helmet I would now be dead if I hadn’t. I was very lucky in one way that the only injury that I suffered was a fracture to the skull and bleeding to the brain. However it wasn't luck that I was wearing a helmet, I choose to wear one. It was lucky I was near a town and paramedics that made a decision quickly to put me in an air ambulance.
RB: You’ve been a campaigner for the use of helmets by cyclists. How vital is it that all riders put safety to the fore?
JC: Hugely important. For me not wearing a helmet is selfish. The effect of my accident has been worse for my family than for me; they have been affected by seeing me in hospital and the changes in my behaviour afterwards. The same principle applies to running a red light, not wearing appropriate clothing or not maintaining your bike. All of this contributes to your own safety and in turn may save your family and friends months of agony. I will always choose to wear a helmet.
RB: You’ve cycled across the Sahara, the Yukon, rowed the Atlantic and undertaken numerous tough adventure events. Are you going to run out of ideas one day or what’s next on the James Cracknell horizon of challenges?
JC: Not sure. The wife and I had a new baby a few months ago, so juggling three kids is the challenge at the moment. In terms of the future, because my kids weren't sure what was going to happen after the accident, everything that I do now must be relevant. I have a different appreciation of what you have in your life. Rarely do people get to see things from the situation that I do in their late 30s, so I am making the most of things.
RB: None of us can escape the fact that 2012 is Olympic year for London. You competed at the ultimate level and won gold twice. Do you miss that level of competition and do athletes feel a sense of loss when they can no longer take part at this highest of levels? For instance, I can imagine that, even with your achievements you wouldn’t have turned down the chance to compete in a home Games.
JC: You feel a loss when it comes round to Games or Championship times and you would rather be part of the race than hearing about the results from the outside. But the thing about the Olympics is it is once every four years and you must be able to dedicate yourself for the full four years. There is no point wishing to be part of it at the time if you are not willing to put the effort in for the build-up. As rowing is a team sport your dreams are in other people’s hands and their dreams are in yours. So it is important to step down if you are sandbagging or you are not going to get the right result and end up disappointed at games time. It is difficult to know when the right time is and many athletes who have won their last race don’t know they won't win the next one, so continue.
RB: How do you reckon we will fare? Is there too much public expectation and pressure on athletes already after our epic 19-gold-medal haul in Beijing?
JC: The 19 gold medals at Beijing has moved us further up the medal table and the reality is that we have achieved our target four years early. We are now competing to beat China, America or Russia, and at the same time we need to hold opposition against Australia, Germany, France, people that we haven't beaten in other Olympics. This is a big challenge. Additionally rule changes will be a big disadvantage to the UK. For example in cycling a country can only enter one contender per race. At Beijing we won seven out of 10 medals in the Velodrome and we are now only allowed one person per event. However although it is impossible to win as many medals, it is possible to win as many golds. It’s going to be a different kind of pressure being at home, but I don't think that will be an issue. The issue is that we did incredibly well in Beijing, and people who were supposed to perform pretty much did, and if that is not the case in London we are not going to do as well. So we need the Jess Ennis’, Brad Wiggins’, Chris Hoy's etc to perform as well as athletes that can perform on a good day to perform again, but we cannot guarantee that.
RB: Finally James, I remember that documentary about the training of the British rowing team you were part of. I used to be a mountain runner clocking up a fair few miles but that made me feel queasy. You must still train pretty hard for the challenges you take on. Is that always going to be a part of your life? I presume you are never going to settle for a pipe and slippers lifestyle.
JC: I wasn't just fit and healthy to win the Olympics but I believe to get the most out of life you need to be fit and healthy. I want to be able to play with my boy when he is 10..15..20 and that can't happen if I don't look after myself. Do I train seven hours a day now, no, but training will always be a part of my life. A significant part of my recovery from my accident was due to my fitness levels.
