Former rower who had brain injury is first charity patron

A FORMER Olympic rower who overcame a serious brain injury has become the first patron of a counselling charity in Henley.

James Cracknell will support and represent the Riverside Counselling Service, which is based at the Friends Meeting House, Northfield End.

The mental health charity provides affordable counselling for adults and young people in the community.

Cracknell, who lives in Henley with wife Jordan, said he was “honoured and proud” to take on the role, adding that the cause was deeply personal to him.

The double Olympic gold medallist struggled with his mental health following a cycling crash in America in 2010. He sustained a contrecoup injury to the frontal lobes of his brain after being hit by a petrol tanker while attempting to cycle, row, run, and swim from Los Angeles to New York in 18 days.

The damage left him with epilepsy, a lost sense of smell and taste, and had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing. Cracknell described the occupational health support as well as therapeutic support he received following the accident as “invaluable” to his recovery.

He said: “During my time as an Olympic rower, as teammates we supported each other, so I was a little sceptical of mental health services. But 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.”

Last year, Riverside provided more than 5,400 counselling sessions to children, adults and the elderly in South Oxfordshire. They work on a “long-term model” to help clients through highly complex issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, bereavement, social isolation, gender identity, abuse, domestic violence and drug and alcohol issues.

The counselling service is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and all its counsellors work within its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. The charity has recently launched a new scheme Friends of Riverside, where people are invited to sign up to make a monthly donation of £10 to the charity.

As a token of thanks, Riverside has said that the first 60 supporters will be invited to join Cracknell for a VIP evening river cruise with champagne aboard Hobbs of Henley’s Hibernia on Tuesday, May 13.

Sophie Wellings, chief executive of Riverside, said she was delighted to welcome Cracknell aboard as patron.

She said: “James’s story about his mental health struggles resonates strongly with so much of our work.

“We are excited about the opportunity that James’s profile and understanding of our work will bring to raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental wellbeing.

“Riverside started out in Henley and having one of this country’s most successful Olympic rowers as our patron who is back living in Henley, after some time away, feels incredibly apt. We are very confident that James will make a wonderful spokesperson for our cause.”

Suzy Hobbs, who runs Hobbs of Henley with her husband Jonathan, became a trustee of Riverside in 2022.

She said: “James’s journey aligns very well with our charity and is a positive step in increasing awareness and much needed funds for Riverside.”

For more information, visit www.riversidecounsellingservice.co.uk