James Cracknell OBE

Two Olympic Gold medals? Check. Six World Championship titles? Check. The Strictly Glitterball? Let’s wait and see!

Rowing champ James Cracknell is facing yet another tough challenge this year as he steps out of his boat and into the Ballroom. But he’s used to putting in hard work on the road to success, having won Gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games.

He officially retired from rowing in 2006, but that didn’t stop him pursuing more high-octane adventures. Alongside friend Ben Fogle, James took on the notoriously tough rowing race The Race Across the Atlantic from late 2005 to early 2006, finishing in first place.

The pair also took on the gruelling Amundsen Omega3 South Pole Race in 2008, and regrouped in 2013 for BBC documentary Ben & James Versus the Arabian Desert.

In 2010 James attempted to cross America by cycling, running, rowing and swimming from LA to New York in record time, when he was struck by a truck in Arizona in a near-fatal accident. A tough six-month recovery period followed, but he returned to his adventures soon after, tackling The Coldest Race on Earth in the Canadian Yukon.

Alongside his long list of incredible sporting achievements, James is also the BBC’s commentator for rowing, offering his expert insight during the 2016 Rio Olympics. If that wasn’t enough, he’s currently studying for a masters in Philosophy from Cambridge University and is leading the Policy Exchange’s work to raise awareness around obesity and healthy living.

He’s also released several books about his adventures and starred in a whole host of TV shows and documentaries following his achievements.