Barry McGuigan is spearheading a campaign to get residents from the Olympic host boroughs fighting fit. Picture: Ian West/PA Wire

Barry McGuigan spearheads Olympic legacy fitness campaign

Saturday, March 2, 2013
11:21 AM

Barry McGuigan is the frontman for a scheme to improve the fitness of residents from the Olympic host boroughs.

The former World Boxing Association featherweight champion is stepping back into the ring in a battle to try to get 12,000 people into shape.

It is part of the Take 12 Challenge for the east London residents of the Olympic boroughs which staged the 2012 Games.

The challenge got under way with the McGuigan team, including his boxing trainer son Shane, leading the first boxing sessions for 100 people at Score Community Centre in Waltham Forest.

They are being asked to complete either 12 hours of physical activity or cover 12km over a 12 week period as part of the sporting legacy efforts, backed by the sports charity Gold Challenge and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).

Mr McGuigan, who is providing up to 1,200 people with a training session through his boxing academy, said he was “totally committed and determined to build upon the Olympic legacy to create a sustainable future for all our citizens through sport”.

He said he wanted to get involved because the 2012 legacy project taps in to his belief that sport can be used “to inspire and motivate people of all ages and to send a clear message that sport is for everyone”.

Olympic swimmer Adam Whitehead also launched the Total Swimming campaign’s free lessons season for more than 1,000 people in Waltham Forest, which runs until April 11.

LLDC chairman and London mayor Boris Johnson described the academy and the challenge as “two great examples of how we hope to turn the inspiration of our 2012 athletes into a lasting legacy for London, making the capital fitter, healthier and happier”.