Fiona Crackles hails Jeremy Clarkson for opening Team GB eyes to farm life hardships

By Tom Harle, Sportsbeat

Fiona Crackles hailed the documentary ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ for helping her Olympic team-mates understand the demands of her agricultural background.

Crackles is one of ten players in the 16-strong Team GB squad for Paris 2024 who are returning to the Olympic stage having won bronze at Tokyo 2020.

The 24-year-old, who grew up on a dairy and sheep farm in Kirkby Lonsdale, has seen her hockey squad’s eyes opened to the rigours of farm life.

“I think he’s done something really special and opened the public’s eyes to farming life,” said Crackles. “Quite a lot of the girls in the team have watched it, which is nice.

“I’m proud of where I come from and all of the girls know that. It’s nice for them to see what it is really like.

“It’s great to have so many people come up to me and be like, ‘I never knew farming was so hard or so complex or relied so much on the weather.’

“It’s really nice to see people taking an interest and learning about the highs and lows of farming. It’s an emotional job - a lot comes with it, it’s a lifestyle, not a job and the reaction to it all has been cool.”

Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme helps maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.

Ames’ family will be out in force in the French capital, giving him a chance to repay them for all of their sacrifices over the years.

Crackles only made her senior international debut in October 2020 and less than a year later, picked up an Olympic medal.

Since the whirlwind of Tokyo, she has taken time to develop on and off the field and has just completed a degree at Durham University.

Crackles will be able to attend her graduation ceremony just before the Games with her dissertation focusing on the perceived impact of female menstrual cycles on elite sports performance.

“It’s been really nice to grow and develop as a person, not just as a player,” said Crackles.

“I feel like my role in the team has changed. I’ve found my feet and my playing style a bit now, which is really nice, although I’m always trying to learn as much as I can and be a sponge.

“I was young when I joined the programme and I am still young, so I’m always constantly learning new things about myself, how I interact with other people and within the team. I feel like your twenties are for growing and developing and I feel like I’ve definitely done that.”

Crackles is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – this is vital for her pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.

Crackles is planning to bring her trademark tough-tackling and physical style to the table in Paris - although she is ready to rein things in too.

“I’m hoping to get a few less cards and I’m trying to time my tackles a bit better!” said Crackles. “I hopefully still have that gritty element to my game. My childhood was about getting stuck in and working as hard as I can.

“I’m hoping to bring a bit more technical ability alongside so that to not just be bumbling my way through, but that’s hopefully what I’ll be able to bring.”

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