Golden hero James at AFCB Business Directors' dinner

James Cracknell, who won gold with Great Britain’s coxless four in Sydney in 2000 and Athens four years later, will be at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium on 4 October.

The Directors’ Dinner, taking place in the Top Floor Restaurant and hosted by Harvey Thorneycroft, offers senior businessmen and women the chance to meet and network in a relaxed environment.

AFC Bournemouth commercial director Rob Mitchell said, “We are delighted to have a sportsman of the calibre of James Cracknell coming to talk to us. His speeches are known for being inspirational and motivational.

“It will be fascinating to hear about his successful rowing career alongside the likes of Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent as well as his subsequent charity challenges and his determination to overcome adversity.”

James, one of Britain’s most successful athletes of all time, with two Olympic gold medals and six World Championship titles, was awarded the OBE in 2005 for services to sport.

His charitable exploits have included rowing, cycling and swimming from Britain to Africa, trekking to the South Pole, rowing the Atlantic, riding a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London – the latter three with TV presenter Ben Foyle.

James suffered a near-fatal fatal accident after being struck from behind by a truck while cycling through Arizona, USA, for a TV programme in 2010. He suffered a major head injury and spent six months recovering. He is now vice president of the charity Headway and an advocate of cycle helmets.