Jay Cracknell: "You have seconds to decide, 'Do I stay left or do I go right?'"

Over £100,000 is set to be distributed to 23 local athletes as part of a new performance scheme helping islanders to excel in their chosen sport.

Jersey Sport this month announced that a total of £103,500 has been allocated to allow the athletes – who compete 11 different sports – to access professional development workshops on the Performance Sport Programme.

Pictured: Jay Cracknell is one of the local athletes who will benefit from the new grant scheme.

One of the athletes set to benefit from the new scheme is Jay Cracknell – a keen mountain biker who works as an active travel officer at Jersey Sport by day.

The 22-year-old will be using his Performance Sport Programme funding to compete in the Three Nations Cup in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany this year – all before he joins the Team Jersey squad at the Orkney Island Games in July.

Express sat down with Jay to chat about his sporting ambitions, and how the new funding programme will help him to achieve them…

Can you tell us about your sporting journey so far?

I’ve always had a passion for sport since I can remember, playing any sport I could in primary and secondary school, team sports, individual sports – the lot!

I slowly narrowed down to two sports as I reached 18, and finally decided to pursue cycling as my primary sport.

Whilst cycling can be perceived as an individual sport, it can most definitely also be a team sport on many occasions. I like to go all in and fully commit myself to anything I do. You could say this is reflected upon my progression within cycling.

I started cycle racing in 2019 here in Jersey, competing in races on-island, only venturing off island at the end of 2021 to compete in my first Mountain Bike Cross Country National Championship race in the UK.

Since then I have taken part in 17 further national races through 2022, 2023 and 2024, with more racing coming up in 2025.

Through these years, I have progressed from the baseline category of sport to expert and last year progressing into the elite category – the highest level of UK Mountain Biking there is.

Along with racing in the UK, I have competed in Spain numerous times in longer events over multiple days, which really tests your endurance.

I will tackle Andalucia Bike Race at the end of February before starting my UK National season in early April.

Did you expect to get this far in your sport?

I have always cycled but only ever for leisure, or to get from A to B at a younger age.

I had never thought about racing – it wasn’t until my uncle persuaded me to give it a go, that’s when I got hooked.

Pictured: Jay Cracknell started racing on his bike locally in 2019, and competed in his first national competition in 2021.

Since then I have always thought about riding my bike full-time, like any athlete.

To do the sport they love everyday is a dream, and with the performance pathway, I feel like this is most definitely a step in the right direction to aid my performance.

What do you love about your sport?

I love the adventure mountain biking brings.

You turn a corner in an environment you may have never been in before, and you just have to tackle it, ride what’s in front of you with the skills you have.

This really comes into play in the longer racing I have taken part in in Spain.

When you have never ridden a single path you are on, you have seconds to decide, thinking ‘do I stay left or do I go right on the trail?’.

These decisions all make the racing that little bit more exciting.

How do you feel about being chosen to benefit from the Performance Sport Programme?

Excited, elated and motivated to show our island that with a little bit of support you can do and be anything you want to be!

How will the programme assist your sporting progress?

The program will assist me through numerous channels – key ones being the in-house support that Jersey Sport are supplying, including nutrition, psychological and strength workshops throughout the year.

Pictured: Jay has competed in 17 national races in the last three years.

All these programmes help to increase our performance and get those marginal gains that are so important at the top of each sport.

What is your sporting dream?

My sporting dream would be to represent Jersey at the Commonwealth Games and fight for a chance at medaling.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The performance pathway has enabled me to access new racing, which will bring new experiences and hopefully raise my performance to the next level competing against European riders.

Furthermore, I am very excited to be representing Jersey as part of a strong team at the Orkney Island Games.

I hope we can come away with something to show for the hard work put in!