Double Olympic gold medallist becomes first patron of Oxfordshire counselling charity
James Cracknell says his “only regret was not committing to counselling earlier”
Double Olympic gold medallist rower, James Cracknell OBE has become the first patron of a counselling charity in Oxfordshire after struggling with his own mental health.
In July 2010, James was hit by a petrol tanker during an attempt to cycle, row, run, swim from Los Angeles to New York in 18 days.
He suffered a contrecoup injury to the frontal lobes of his brain which left him with epilepsy, a lost sense of smell and taste, and had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing.
"Counselling can really help work things through"
James Cracknell lives in Henley, he said: “During my time as an Olympic rower, as teammates we supported each other, and I was a little sceptical of mental health services. Following my accident, the occupational health support I received along with the therapeutic support was invaluable in my recovery. I think there can be a lot of stigma, especially for men, in acknowledging our vulnerabilities.
“After my accident I really struggled with my mental health and my relationship with my family was seriously affected. When I left hospital after three months, it was all about building up my strength again and relearning cognitive and normal social skills. I had occupational therapy which really helped to start doing simple tasks again such as following a recipe and cooking safely.
“My only regret was not committing to counselling earlier. It could have made such a difference to many aspects of my life after my accident. When you’re in turmoil, counselling can really help work things through.”
Riverside’s CEO Sophie Wellings said: “James’s story about his mental health struggles resonates strongly with so much of our work. We are very excited about the opportunity that James’s profile and understanding of our work will bring in terms of raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental wellbeing.
She added: “We are very confident that James will make a wonderful spokesperson for our cause.