Double Olympic gold medallist rower, James Cracknell OBE has today been unveiled as Riverside Counselling Service’s first Patron.
In July 2010, James was hit by a petrol tanker during an attempt to cycle, row, run, swim from Los Angeles to New York in 18 days. He suffered a contrecoup injury to the frontal lobes of his brain which left him with epilepsy, a lost sense of smell and taste, and had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing.
James is delighted to be supporting the launch of the charity’s new ‘Friends of Riverside’ asking supporters to sign up to a monthly donation for as little as £10 a month. As a thank you, the first 60 supporters will receive an exclusive invitation to join James on a VIP champagne evening river cruise on 13 May aboard Hobbs of Henley’s Hibernia.
James said, “I am honoured and proud to become Riverside’s Patron to support the incredible work that they do.”
“During my time as an Olympic rower, as teammates we supported each other, and I was a little sceptical of mental health services. Following my accident, the occupational health support I received along with the therapeutic support was invaluable in my recovery. 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.”
“What I really like about Riverside Counselling Service is that they offer local people access to affordable counselling services, so it is completely inclusive.”
Riverside’s CEO Sophie Wellings said, “We are delighted that James has agreed to become our Patron. James’s story about his mental health struggles resonates strongly with so much of our work. We are very excited about the opportunity that James’s profile and understanding of our work will bring in terms of raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental wellbeing. Riverside Counselling Service started out in Henley and having one of this country’s most successful Olympic rowers as our Patron who is back living in Henley feels incredibly apt. We are very confident that James will make a wonderful spokesperson for our cause.
To sign up to the Friends of Riverside, go to https://www.riversidecounsellingservice.co.uk/home/friends-of-riverside/