James Cracknell has opened up about his shock split with wife Beverley Turner, after 17 years together.
The couple, who share three children, stunned fans with news of their split last month.
Former Olympic rower James, 46, today admitted that he and Beverley, 45, tried 'everything we could to keep it together.'
He also said that things had been a 'struggle with three kids and two careers.'
Their marriage had always appeared solid, with Beverley nursing James through a terrifying brain injury in 2010.
While filming a show in which he cycled across America, James was hit by a fuel truck travelling at 70 mph, which left him with epilepsy and a changed personality - including a short temper.
His radio-presenter wife rushed to be at his side, leaving their young children at home with family in the UK.
At the time Beverley said she was determined to stick with her husband through the hard times after a neuropsychologist warned them that 75% of people with brain injuries divorce.
"We’ll do everything not to become part of that number. We’re still toughing it out," Beverley vowed.
James Cracknell and wife vowed to never divorce like most brain injury couples
Revealing how the incident did impact his marriage, James said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live on Thursday: "It’s not like the accident was last year, it was nine years ago but I guess there’s an element of if you’re the partner you always judge your other half through the prism of what has happened.
"We’re also, as any couple is, different people from who you were 17 years ago and we can look back and say we did everything.
"We still get on really well and that’s the most important thing for the kids.
"It’s never a good time for either Bev or I, or the kids. Hopefully in the long run it will all be alright.”
James Cracknell splits from wife of 17 years who nursed him back to health
James also admitted that sometimes he wasn't the easiest person to live with.
He explained: "As a sportsman you are slightly single-minded and stubborn, which is great if you’re a sportsman but not great to live with.
"So if you become more of that, that’s an issue. What is really important is for your partner and friends and family to be really honest with you. Their support comes from an unconditional place of love and trust.
"I found I was getting a lot of sympathy but you need someone to tell you straight and that’s a large part of why I recovered as well as I did and exceed what a lot if neurologists expected," he added.
"If I told them nine years later I’d be at Cambridge and doing the Boat Race, they’d have gone ‘yeah but maybe not’. Bev’s pushing and support was really important," James added.
Today, James made history as the oldest person to ever compete in the Boat Race.
The former Olympian joined the Cambridge University team after recently enrolling as a mature student in MPHil in human evolution.
He took the Cambridge light blues to victory as they trounced Oxford on the Thames.
James told Five Live he was looking forward to the race as it was the first time his children have seen him compete.
"They never saw me row before, they may go, ‘it’s a bit rubbish rowing, why are you doing that?’”
James and his wife Beverley released a joint statement last month confirming the news that their marriage had come to an end.
They explained they decided to separate last year and their children Croyde, 14, Kiki, 10, and Trixie, eight, remain their priority.
"We can confirm that sadly we separated last year," the statement read.
"Together, we remain committed to our amazing children, they are our absolute priority and wish people to be kind and mindful of this."
