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When was James Cracknell’s car crash and what injuries did Cambridge Boat Race rower sustain?
Former Olympian suffered serious injuries when attempting to cycle, row, run and swim from LA to New York in 18 days
JAMES CRACKNELL is one of Great Britain's most celebrated Olympic athletes.
The 46-year-old two-time gold medallist was part of the Coxless four team that triumphed in 2000 and 2004 - and will now be taking part in the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge.
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When was James Cracknell's car crash?
SINCE retiring from elite level competition, Cracknell has attempted a number of endurance feats.
In 2010, he undertook a gruelling 18-day challenge which involved trying cycle, row, run and swim from Los Angeles to New York.
Early in the morning of July 20, during one of the cycle legs, he was hit from behind by an oil tanker on a quiet stretch of Arizona highway.
Cracknell was badly injured and believes that the cycle helmet he was wearing prevented him from serious harm or even death.
The incident occurred whilst shooting a programme called Cracknell's Race Across America, but wasn't caught on camera.
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What injuries did he sustain?
AS a result of the accident, Cracknell suffered a number of serious injuries.
He had a skull fracture and bruising to his brain, which resulted in memory loss and personality changes.
The force of the impact moved his brain inside his skull like a bell hammer, resulting in further damage to the frontal lobes.
After the accident, Cracknell revealed that he would "get frustrated, lose my temper and train of thought" quicker than before the crash.
He told the Mirror: "The accident is something that happened to me, but I’m not going to let it define me – in the same way, the Olympics is something I did but that’s not all I am."
In 2012 Cracknell and his wife wrote a book called Touching Distance about his life before and after his brain injury, in which they revealed how the incident had left him with epilepsy and personality changes.
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