More than 5,600 visitors flocked to Abbey Leisure Centre on Saturday for a free family open day featuring Team GB athlete and TV personality Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
The Commonwealth gold medallist, known for his recent appearances on Celebrity Masterchef and Strictly Come Dancing's Christmas special, spent three hours at the event showcasing the centre's newly renovated fitness facilities and engaging with local residents.
The packed event saw residents flocking to the centre to check out the new gym facilities, with free access available throughout the day.
266 residents took advantage of free family swimming sessions, while another 166 participants joined a variety of group exercise classes throughout the day, ranging from high-energy Zumba to calming yoga sessions.
Other visitors enjoyed complimentary personal training sessions in both the main and women-only gyms.
Children were entertained throughout the day with face painting and balloon modelling, while local DJ Missy Dee created an energetic atmosphere in the gym.
Hasan Romel, Area Contract Manager at Everyone Active, said: "The turnout exceeded our expectations, with thousands of local residents coming to experience our new state-of-the-art facilities.
“Harry brought his trademark energy and enthusiasm to the event, spending time meeting visitors and putting our new equipment through its paces.
“As an elite athlete, his seal of approval for our upgraded gym facilities means a lot, and it was fantastic to welcome him to our site. The atmosphere throughout the day was electric, and we couldn't have asked for a better way to showcase our enhanced centre to the community."
Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, added: “It was a brilliant day and great to see so many residents pumped up and ready to enjoy the range of exercise classes and activities held throughout the day. I look forward to seeing many more residents check out the new facilities and enjoy this state-of-the-art leisure centre for years to come!”
Harry is also an ambassador for Everyone Active's Sporting Champions programme, a talent development initiative that provides promising athletes with free access to training facilities.
Having trained at his local Everyone Active centre in South London for over a decade, he is passionate about supporting the next generation of athletes through both world-class facilities and mentoring. Applications for the next intake will open in the coming weeks.