James Cracknell

James Cracknell is one of Britain's most successful athletes of all time, with two Olympic Golds and six World Championship titles. His Olympic rowing finals - in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 - were epic battles, won by inches, that have gone down in history as two of the most watched sporting contests.

But it is since retiring from his 13 year international career that James has distinguished himself as a very special sportsman.

Unwilling to get a 'proper job' in 2005, James teamed up with TV adventurer Ben Fogle and set off in a 7m boat to race across The Atlantic. Despite their ocean-rowing inexperience, coming second was never an option for James, and after 49 torturous days at sea, the pair were first to arrive in Antigua. On their return, James and Ben wrote the critically acclaimed The Crossing and the BBC transmitted RTS award-winning documentary series Through Hell and High Water.