JAMES Cracknell is no stranger to winning.
The double Olympic gold medallist and six-time world champion rower is better known for his sporting achievements than his political career, but he hopes to lead the Tories to success in Colchester.
On Monday, Colchester’s Conservative association announced Mr Cracknell will represent the party at the next General Election.
Speaking to the Gazette, the Team GB athlete said he is looking forward to starting his campaign to be the city’s next MP.
The 51-year-old likened Colchester to the United States because of its “can do” attitude.
“I really can get on board with that and some of the issues the people of Colchester face are things I’ve dealt with as well,” he said.
Mr Cracknell hopes his experience as the president of the London Road Safety Council and a position on the London 2012 sustainability committee will help him to address some of the issues with the city’s roads and infrastructure.
“You have to take a packed lunch with you to get from the north to the south of the city,” he remarked as he reflected on the issues he feels are important to Colchester residents.
He has also vowed to work closely with Colchester Council to address residents’ concerns, like the controversial introduction of garden waste collection charges, if he is elected.
Despite his party not gaining a seat in last week’s Highwoods by-election, which saw Mr Cracknell speaking to residents in the ward, he told the Gazette he was undeterred by the Lib Dem gain.
He said: “The hard work will be replicated. I believe the Conservative Party is better for Colchester and better for the country.”
The start of his campaign to be elected as Colchester’s next MP will see the dad-of-three relocate to the city.
“If I’m going to fight the campaign I want to fight then I can’t do it remotely,” he added.
“I want to be part of the community. I don’t think you can represent a community if you’re not part of it.”
He plans to get his hands stuck into city life in the coming weeks, meeting residents and business owners to help him further shape his vision for Colchester.
What is James Cracknell known for?
The sporting legend bagged two Olympic gold medals for Great Britain, first alongside teammates Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster, and Steve Redgrave at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and again four years later alongside Matthew Pinsent, Steve Williams, and Ed Coode in Athens.
His sporting career started long before the Sydney Olympics, with Mr Cracknell bringing home a gold medal from the 1997 World Rowing Championships.
It was the first of six world championship golds for James, who started competing several years earlier as a junior.
His achievements were recognised by Queen Elizabeth II who appointed him an OBE for services to sport in the 2005 New Year Honours List.
In more recent years, James has become a regular face at the London Marathon. His personal best of 2:43:12 in 2017 places him among the fastest well-known, but non-professional, marathon runners.
He was the first celebrity to be eliminated from the 17th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 and later competed in the third series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Is James Cracknell a politician?
Running for Colchester’s seat in Parliament isn’t Mr Cracknell’s first foray into politics.
In 2013, he announced his intention to stand in the European Parliament election the following year, where he stood as a Conservative candidate for South West England and Gibraltar but failed to be elected as an MEP.
In May this year, he entered the race to replace Henley MP John Howell, who had announced he would not be seeking re-election at the next General Election.
Mr Cracknell told the Sunday Telegraph that Henley had a “special place” in his heart as he had rowed there since he was 18, bought his first house there, and had his first child while living there.
“So many of my best personal and professional memories are from my time in Henley,” he said.
But he reiterated that Colchester is “an amazing part of the world” and an area he would be “honoured” to represent.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel