His father, John William Pritchard, served as a Detective Chief Superintendent and had a notable career as an investigating officer in the Great Train Robbery case in 1963.

During his time at Cambridge, he served as the President of the Hawks' Club, following in the footsteps of Rob Andrew, the former England Rugby player.

In the 1984 race, the crew in which he rowed famously hit a barge moored above Putney Bridge resulting in the much-broadcast image of a sinking boat.

He was a director of the British Olympic Association and is Chairman of Right To Play, an international charity which supports children in war-torn and deprived parts of the world through sport.

[citation needed] In 2014, he rowed the length of the Mississippi river in a traditional Thames racing skiff.