James Cracknell.

Aggieboy

I know he's been discussed on here before and some have disliked his attitude on tv programmes, but did anyone see him on BBC news discussing his Discovery channel show and bike accident this morning? I knew he had the accident but I was quite shocked to see how badly it had affected him and how long his recovery/rehabilitation has been tbh. Still by no means right either by what I saw. Anyhoo, good luck to him re his full recovery.

benno68

Caught part of it, yes it seemed clear that he's still got a way to go. Good luck to him for a full recovery.

Aggieboy

Benno68 wrote:

Caught part of it, yes it seemed clear that he's still got a way to go. Good luck to him for a full recovery.

Oh goody, a reply. I was forgetting that people on here only watch BBC news on Friday morning for some reason!

hugo15

There was a good interview with him in the Telegraph a few weeks ago.

I'm looking forward to the Discovery programmes. I really admire his ability to suffer and push his body to the limits but it was also interesting to see in the polar trek programme with Ben Fogle that in the team environment he could be very selfish, e.g. walking in the ice cravase fields without being roped to his team mates.

flasher

Met him a couple of times and he's a top bloke.

john-e-big-guns

I watch the interview this morning on BBC with interest as I suffer with the same Front Lobe brain damage as he..... for me a bad head injury now some 16yrs ago...leaving me with short term memory lost...unable to make disitions..lack of comfidence..compleat personality change..short tempered... and at times complete confusion....I now have to work things out several time i.e. home improvment projects{ I was a production manager of a large Joinery/Shopfitting comp} had to give that up... I now just do small project at my leiasure at home...unlike James Craknell I did not not get any Rehab..I had to do things on my own..it took me 3yrs before I could even walk proply and had to be reasest to drive again...I tier mentaly easly and have some bang'n headaces....but I am better than I was but suffer with the side effects of the lobe damage..so I just get on with it the best I can...it can be very flustrating...the brain is a wonderfull part of your body but if damaged it cannot be mended compleatly unlike bones ect

Please excuse SP mistakes

upperoilcan

I must admit im quite looking forward to watching him on the Discovery programme..

Looks like it will be worth a watch...

mroli

I rode with him alone for about 15 miles on the JOGLE last year run by his company. He is a very strong rider and was a really interesting, nice guy to talk to. He was very aware of his "faults" as perceived by others and how he turned them to "strengths". I can only wish him and his family all the best in what he will find a slow and frustrating recovery, but I am sure with his willpower and determination will be as quick as possible.

hugo15

Watched the first of Cracknell's programmes on the Discovery Channel last night where he ran through the desert. I really enjoyed it. The guy obviously has a massive engine but I think what I like most about him is his mental toughness, sometimes bordering on the insane, in being able to continually push himself when most people would have given up long ago. Think the programme next week is about his run/bike/row acorss America when he was hit by the truck.

donkykong

speedy recovery James.

johnboy183

Just seen his Discovery prog this morning and found it fascinating. I admire his will power, determination and what he's achieved etc but I think it scares me a little to be that driven to succeed. I can't imagine what his wife and family must go through at times.

And yes a speedy full recovery to him and anyone else who is 'suffering' at present

johnboy183

Just seen his Discovery prog this morning and found it fascinating. I admire his will power, determination and what he's achieved etc but I think it scares me a little to be that driven to succeed. I can't imagine what his wife and family must go through at times.

And yes a speedy full recovery to him and anyone else who is 'suffering' at present

dilemna

Inspirational guy.

He states if he hadn't had been wearing a helmet he would have been killed outright.

redrobbo

Not for nothing is brain injury called the 'hidden disability'. James is doing a great job telling us like it is.

deptfordmarmoset

He gave quite an in depth interview that was broadcast on the BBC world service last night around about 1am. It was both fascinating and extremely personal as he talked about the adjustments he had had to make and the work he had had to do to rehabilitate himself - interesting that time was sort of hanging over him because if he didn't make the changes within 2 years, the brain would cease to learn ''new'' behaviour. I'll see whether I can find it on the iPlayer and put a link on here if I'm successful.

EDIT: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/progr ... nell.shtml

seanoconn

Hope the guy makes a full recovery and decides to spend less time risking his life half way round the world and more time with his lovely wife and family.

Ollieda

I heard his interview on the radio (can't remember what day it was - i've just done almost 2 working weeks in 4 days, everything is a bit or a blur!)

Interviewer spent the build up going on about how crucial saftey helmets were and all I could think of was that it was going to set off the saftey helmet argument. Until I heard that his accident was caused by a truck passing at 80mph and its wing mirror cracking him in the back of the head/helmet! Pretty sure in that case its safe to say the helmet helped!!!

BarryBonds

Ollieda wrote:

I heard his interview on the radio (can't remember what day it was - i've just done almost 2 working weeks in 4 days, everything is a bit or a blur!)

Interviewer spent the build up going on about how crucial saftey helmets were and all I could think of was that it was going to set off the saftey helmet argument. Until I heard that his accident was caused by a truck passing at 80mph and its wing mirror cracking him in the back of the head/helmet! Pretty sure in that case its safe to say the helmet helped!!!

bites tongue....................and lip must not mention speed or helmet or effective must not rise to bait nnnnnngggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh

bigdave1963

JC is hard - having your big toe nail drilled to relieve blood presure underneath has gotta hurt!!! Only heard that once before when my cousin drilled his own thumb nail after giving it a full on whack with a hammer!!!!

bails87

Didn't Darius Vassell (VIlla player at the time, possibly also in the England squad) drill his own toenail once?
Fair play for wanting to sort a problem out, but when you've got top notch private medical healthcare available, you might as well use it!

Ollieda

BarryBonds wrote:

Ollieda wrote:

I heard his interview on the radio (can't remember what day it was - i've just done almost 2 working weeks in 4 days, everything is a bit or a blur!)

Interviewer spent the build up going on about how crucial saftey helmets were and all I could think of was that it was going to set off the saftey helmet argument. Until I heard that his accident was caused by a truck passing at 80mph and its wing mirror cracking him in the back of the head/helmet! Pretty sure in that case its safe to say the helmet helped!!!

bites tongue....................and lip must not mention speed or helmet or effective must not rise to bait nnnnnngggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm not convinced as to how effective they are when you come off at speed, point is in his accident the head injury occured before he came off and was the reason for him comming off. If my head was hit by a large heavy object travelling at 80mph, I would hope I was wearing a helmet for any level of protection

Tonymufc

Aggieboy wrote:

I know he's been discussed on here before and some have disliked his attitude on tv programmes, but did anyone see him on BBC news discussing his Discovery channel show and bike accident this morning? I knew he had the accident but I was quite shocked to see how badly it had affected him and how long his recovery/rehabilitation has been tbh. Still by no means right either by what I saw. Anyhoo, good luck to him re his full recovery.

The man is an endurance machine. The first programme last Thursday was really good. The next one shows his accident. I think he was lucky to survive it.

upperoilcan

Im looking forward to tonight's programme as last weeks was a good watch,but ive not made my mind up on him yet.......

He's motivated though,i'l give him that !!!!!

andrewjoseph

I've seen a few of the fogle/cracknel programs, and cracknel comes across as so committed and obstinate, that he is blind to the practicalities.

Good luck to him though, and to john-e-big-guns above.

it's not a good place to be when your life is turned upside down through no fault of your own.

keep on keeping on.

andrewjoseph

I've seen a few of the fogle/cracknel programs, and cracknel comes across as so committed and obstinate, that he is blind to the practicalities.

Good luck to him though, and to john-e-big-guns above.

it's not a good place to be when your life is turned upside down through no fault of your own.

keep on keeping on.

kettrinboy

While i admire JC for all the things he has done,I wonder where he goes from here, i mean he,s done just about every endurance test you could think of,in running ,swimming and cycling,it not like he,s got anything left to prove in that respect, what else could he do,perhaps spending more time with his lovely wife and kids would be a good thing, as they seem to have been through hell after the accident.

inkyfingers

kettrinboy wrote:

While i admire JC for all the things he has done,I wonder where he goes from here, i mean he,s done just about every endurance test you could think of,in running ,swimming and cycling,it not like he,s got anything left to prove in that respect, what else could he do,perhaps spending more time with his lovely wife and kids would be a good thing, as they seem to have been through hell after the accident.

Whilst I agree that spending time with family is important, there are some people in this world who are only happy when they have a challenge and Cracknell is clearly one of those people. His wife would have known what he is like before she married him and you may find that their relationship would actually suffer if he tried to fit into the 9-5 grind.

derbygrimpeur

I'm predominantly a runner although not too shabby at cycling and found his marathon des sables a fantastic watch. The attitude of some of the exeperienced runners was a disgrace (really patronising to an Olympic athlete) and I was really glad to see JC do so well.

Looking forward to tonights programme. The accident stuff will likely be a bit scarey but at least we know he's made/making a good recovery. Best of luck to him.

I agree with inkyfingers about the family situation. I can't see Cracknell stopping this type of stuff until his body says no.

springtide9

inkyfingers wrote:

Whilst I agree that spending time with family is important, there are some people in this world who are only happy when they have a challenge and Cracknell is clearly one of those people. His wife would have known what he is like before she married him and you may find that their relationship would actually suffer if he tried to fit into the 9-5 grind.

+1

I'm sure his wife loves him for being JC rather than a 9-5 office bod. Some people just have it - an immense drive and determination to succeed at anything.

Haven't seen the programs as I'm unfortunately not a Sky subscriber, but have just found it on LoveFilm - so it's now on the list!

Great to hear he is in recovery.

cougie

Hmm five mins in and he's shaved his bum and seemingly ridden through a red light. I've done neither of those in my years of cycling.

Buckled_Rims

kettrinboy wrote:

While i admire JC for all the things he has done,I wonder where he goes from here, i mean he,s done just about every endurance test you could think of,in running ,swimming and cycling,it not like he,s got anything left to prove in that respect, what else could he do,perhaps spending more time with his lovely wife and kids would be a good thing, as they seem to have been through hell after the accident.

+1

JC was a superb athlete and his determination is incredible. If he was doing this as a single person with no cares in the world, great, I'd be for him all the way. However, he has chosen to marry and have children. I think it's his duty to care and think for them first and foremost.

It seems incredibly selfish to be near so many "death" sequences (ie Antarctica, Sahara, Death valley, etc) and not really think about his children's future. I've just watched the program and you can clearly see his wife's despair, despite the fact she loves him.

I still wish him a speedy recovery, but would like him to put his family first.