A three-time gold medallist for Team GB joined thousands in celebrating the completion of a North Herts' £1.1 million leisure centre project.

Sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey joined more than 3,500 attendees on Saturday to celebrate upgrades across three new leisure centres.

The free community day took place at North Herts Leisure Centre, Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre and Royston Leisure Centre.

Harry, who is a member of the Team GB sprint relay team, participated in a meet and greet to talk about his career. He won three gold medals at the European Championships and golds at the Commonwealth Games.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey headlined the three leisure centre open daysHarry Aikines-Aryeetey headlined the three leisure centre open days (Image: Everyone Active) On Saturday, September 21, Harry officially opened the brand-new £750,000 refurbished gym at North Herts Leisure Centre, which now includes Life Fitness cardio equipment, advanced resistance equipment and brand-new free weights, benches, dumbbells and squat racks.

Chris Williams, contract manager at Everyone Active across North Herts, said: "We were absolutely thrilled to have Harry Aikines-Aryeetey join us for our open day on Saturday!

“Harry is hugely enthusiastic about fitness and he inspired visitors of all ages and backgrounds with his insightful sporting knowledge and advice - alongside his behind-the-scenes stories of popular BBC shows."

Visitors were able to enjoy free gym access, free PT taster sessions and gym challenges.

Everyone Active also hosted several complimentary sessions, including gymnastics, soft play, pickleball, walking tennis, swimming sessions and taster lessons.

Meanwhile, at Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre, visitors had the chance to try the inaugural sessions at Everyone Active’s first ever Reformer studio.

The state-of-the-art Reformer pilates studio cost over £100,000.The state-of-the-art Reformer pilates studio cost over £100,000. (Image: North Herts Council) An avid Reformer fan, Harry - who joined the first session of the day - said: “Reformer is amazing. I’ve been using Reformer for a very long time and I’m so glad it’s here in Hitchin.

"It gives you the strength to be a better person – in terms of being functionally fit, performing well. It’s a little secret I’ve been training with for years."

At Royston Leisure Centre, the community enjoyed the refurbished cycling studio which has doubled in size along with its number of bikes.

In addition, Royston offered its visitors the opportunity to trial sessions in judo, CPR training and ActiveAntz, a programme designed for under 5s which incorporates singing, soft play exploration and crafts.

Mr Williams added: “We were also delighted to unveil our upgraded sites to the local community.

"We hope that those who attended – whether long time members or first-time visitors – left feeling energised and motivated to embark on or continue their fitness journeys with us."