AMAZING MACHINES
James Cracknell talks to Eds Up
A double Olympic gold medallist and
World Champion oarsman, a fearless
adventurer and a father of two young kids,
James Cracknell knows only too well how
important the science of the body is to
understanding how far you can physically
and mentally push yourself within the
realms of biology and physics, how you
can keep healthy and fit and how you
can train your body to become one of
the most amazing machines in the world.
He’s been there, he’s done that. He’s had to rely
on the strength of his body and the resilience of his
mind to hone the machine into an effective tool to
achieve his goals.
Through his rowing career and his adventures he
has undertaken years of endurance training, fought
against temperatures as low as -40°C and frostbite
in his trek across the Antarctic icecap during a race
to the South Pole, and overcome blisters, dehydration,
sunburn and hallucinations to reach the other side
of the Atlantic.
But, surprisingly, he is not solely focused on his
own goals and dreams. James is now also well
known for taking part in numerous events, races
and activities to raise the profile of kids’ charities
and money for those most in need. What’s more,
he is keen to spread his knowledge, not only to his
own kids but to kids throughout the UK. His most
recent venture to achieve this is his involvement in
a fantastic new book called Body Science which
explains in graphic and brilliantly imaged detail
how science makes the human body perform.
The reason for his involvement is that, for him, it is
vital that children have something which inspires
them: “Learning has to be relevant to kids. They
have to get the link between their world and, for
example, the science behind everything they do.
It is essential to give them the hook in now
otherwise they will be turned off it for life.”
“Learning has to be relevant to kids.
They have to get the link between
their world and, for example, the
science behind everything they do.
It is essential to give them the hook
in now otherwise they will be turned
off it for life”
James’ own story is certainly inspiring and
something that today’s kids can look to. Though
sometimes even he admits you can gauge kids’
interest wrong. On one of his many visits to schools,
James shared his experiences of his journey to the
Olympics, the training he did and what it was all like
once he was at the Games: “At the end, I asked if
anyone wanted to ask me anything, expecting
queries on what it was like winning, whether they
could see the medals etc. One little boy eagerly
jumped up and I was met with the question:
‘Have you got a cat?’ I think I had pitched that talk
a little wrong!”
Spending time together with kids is key to engaging
them in learning. Whilst James doesn’t lead the
normal nine-to-five life, he understands that it is
extremely difficult and relates to dads, in particular,
who are stuck at work all week and have little time
to be around the children until the weekend:
“At the weekend, dads are often expected to do
the active things with the kids. It is very easy to slip
into the stereotype of the dad doing the sport and
the mum sitting and helping with homework.” He
doesn’t believe that time spent together should
always be active - what counts is being able to
just be there, giving the kids your full attention
whatever you are doing.
“It is very easy to slip into the
stereotype of the dad doing the sport
and the mum sitting and helping
with homework”
James has had this same dilemma as many
parents missing out on time together but to an
extreme on his lengthy adventures abroad. During
his row across the Atlantic, his son, Croyde, was
just two years old, and while his wife is famously
quoted as saying: “I married a rower – I didn’t marry
Sir Ranulph Fiennes,” his son was similarly not very
forgiving. Now he is older, has more of an
understanding and is able to see photos and videos
of his dad he is able to slot back in to family life
much easier. With a young baby in the house now,
James gets to spend more time than ever before
with his son: “There’s a time when they are little that
kids just want to be with their mums but, at 5 years
old, he is now at an age where he wants to be with
me and do stuff together.”
He may be an Olympian and a fearless adventurer
but James has the same concerns as the rest of us.
He is conscious that his kids grow up fit and healthy
and that they understand from very early on about
their bodies and what they eat. It’s not easy:
“At the moment, Croyde is really into chips and
chocolate . . .” Education is also a topic of
conversation: “My wife, Bev, and I are having lots
of education debate at home at the moment.”
Where to go to school, what type of school, whether
a big city is a good environment to bring up children
in, what the options are looking forward to
secondary education are questions that affect us
all and the Cracknells included.
Of his hopes for his children, he says: “I’m not trying
to push my kids into sport. At the moment, my son
is really into his ‘Am Dram’ and that’s fantastic. I think
the most important thing is to be there, to support
them and let them follow their own interests rather
than drive them towards a goal they may not want.”
So, what’s next? James is extremely excited about
his new role within the Olympic Committee for
Sustainability. The Committee’s task is to oversee all
aspects of sustainability from recycling or reusing
demolition waste, to creating a sustainable food
strategy during Games time to promote healthy
living. London 2012 is the first summer Games to
develop such a comprehensive and integrated
approach, which goes beyond being ‘green’ to
include key socio-economic issues such as leaving
skills, employment and business legacies in east
London – and boosting sport participation throughout
the nation: “Its going to be very exciting to be in
London in 2012 and it’s all coming round so quickly!
“There’s a time when they are little
that kids just want to be with their
mums but, at 5 years old, he is now at
an age where he wants to be with me
and do stuff together”
But back to the book. Body Science is a beautiful,
widescreen book with bitesize facts and easily
digestible explanations, perfect for today’s generation
who can assimilate so many things all at once, great
to read together with your kids or let them explore it
themselves. You may well find yourself pawing over it
in your own time too as I found out when I left the
book on the coffee table at my thirtysomething yearold
brother’s house recently, only to notice that it had
disappeared and he along with it . . . and I can only
guess where he was sitting, reading it . . .