Bannatyne Group

Two members of senior staff at Bannatyne Health Club and Spa York are hoping to make their mark in two challenging sports events.

General manager Kevin Easley, 47, who lives in Harrogate, is doing trail running events of 50 miles in May and 105 miles in July.

Gary Burke, a deputy general manager and senior fitness adviser at the club, came second in the Northern bodybuilding championships, which means he has qualified for the British Championships in June.

The 33-year-old, who lives in Leeds, started lifting weights at the age of 14 and took up bodybuilding seriously eleven years later.

He said: “Watching WWF wrestlers and strongmen from an early age I wanted the physique of the wrestlers, but the power of the strongmen. And having the sporting backing from playing rugby league at a high level I wanted to give myself that challenge again.”

Gary’s training is divided into two parts – weights and cardio, which includes spin classes at the club, which is based The Millfield, York Business Park, White Rose Close, Nether Poppleton,

He will be entering Class 2, which is a maximum height of 178cm, at the British Championships, which take place in Bradford on June 4.

He said: “The benefit of bodybuilding is that the regimented lifestyle keeps me on track, not just with the gym, but also with everyday life.

“It helps with both my physical and mental wellbeing as it lifts my mood, reduces stress and makes sure I am in tip top shape.”

Kevin, a father-of-two, has worked at Bannatyne Group for 16 years and been in charge of the York club for six years.

The 50-mile course is in the Yorkshire Dales and the longer trail in the Lake District.

Kevin started trail and fell running about ten years, found his love for long distance challenges and completed a Bob Graham Round in 2014.

A few years ago, he stepped up to try to complete the 100-mile distance over the Lake District hills.

He completed the Lakeland 100 race (105 miles around the Lake District) last year, which took him 37 hours, and he is going back to try to better that time.

He trains by running up to 60 miles a week as well doing functional and strength work and cross-training at the health club.

He has picked the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales to do the runs because they are stunning parts of the country to run, hike and walk around.

“They also offer a wide range of terrain to run on from very technical rocky sections to nice smooth trails - this variety makes it more enjoyable and means you have to concentrate harder at times. It is nice to test yourself and see how far you can push your limits.” he said.

He believes he gets a wide range of benefits from running such distances including clearing the mind, helping to manage any stresses, and releasing endorphins through exercise.

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF BANNATYNE GROUP

CONTACT: Caroline Walker on 01325 363436

Notes to editors:

The Bannatyne Group operates 70 health clubs, 47 spas and four hotels. It is owned by Duncan Bannatyne OBE, who is also known for his appearances as a business angel on the BBC programme Dragons’ Den. The health clubs have around 200,000 members.

Bannatyne health clubs can be found in towns and cities throughout the UK, with a particularly strong presence near residential areas of large towns. They place a strong emphasis on wellbeing and exercise forming a central part of living a healthy lifestyle.

www.bannatyne.co.uk