Olympic badminton player Gail Emms opens new gym at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice
Olympic silver medallist Gail Emms opened the new Thorpe Hall Hospice and Headway Cambridgeshire gym by jumping on an exercise bike.
Badminton player Gail spent time with staff, volunteers and gym users from both organisations as she marked the official launch of the new facility in Thorpe Hall’s West Wing on Monday last week.
She said: “I trained all my life just to play badminton and I lived in a bubble with all this support and help.
“Being able to raise awareness of this kind of facility is about me stepping back into real life. The effort, time, patience, empty and support that goes into making these facilities work for people is just - wow!
“Seeing people set themselves personal goals and then seeing the pride they feel when they achieve them is just brilliant.”
The gym is already in use by Headway and Thorpe Hall clients and patients under instructor Dan Chamberlain.