National Fitness Day
16th September 2026
National Fitness Day is an annual campaign that celebrates the role physical activity plays across the UK, raising awareness of its importance in helping people lead healthier lifestyles.
For this year's Powered By YOU campaign we're highlighting the inspirational achievements of some of our sports centre users.
Ethan
Ethan's Fitness Journey – Abertillery Sports Centre
When Ethan first joined BG Life at just 13 years old, he was completely new to the gym environment and needed some guidance to get started.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethan noticed he had gained weight and that his clothes no longer fitted as they once had. Determined to make a positive change, he set himself a goal of becoming fitter, stronger, and healthier.
Ethan's mam, Julie, contacted Tom Bradley at Abertillery Sports Centre (ASC), who took the time to sit down with Ethan and create a personalised training programme tailored to his goals, abilities, and experience level. With a structured plan in place, Ethan began building confidence in the gym while developing healthy habits that would support his long-term success.
The team at ASC provided ongoing encouragement and support throughout his journey, helping him stay focused and motivated. Regular weekly check-ins allowed staff to track Ethan's progress using the InBody body composition scanner. The results consistently showed positive improvements, with Ethan increasing his muscle mass while reducing body fat.
As his fitness levels improved, Ethan began incorporating HYROX classes into his weekly routine and soon discovered a passion for running. His commitment, determination, and consistency have played a huge role in his success.
Since starting his journey, Ethan has lost more than a stone in weight and continues to train hard every week. One of his most significant achievements to date has been completing his first 5K run, a milestone that once seemed far beyond reach.
Now, Ethan is aiming even higher. He has set his sights on taking part in the Newport 10K and continues to increase both his fitness levels and running distance. Looking further ahead, his goal is to complete a marathon, a challenge that perfectly reflects how far he has come since taking those first steps into the gym.
Ethan's transformation is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance, and the right support network. Everyone at BG Life and ASC is incredibly proud of his achievements, and we look forward to following his journey and celebrating his future successes.
Torpedoes
Tredegar Torpedoes Swim Squad and BG Life – Tredegar Sports Centre
Tredegar Torpedoes Swim Squad is delighted to be working in partnership with BG Life at Tredegar Sports Centre to organise and deliver another fantastic Triathlon event, giving children, young people and adults from our local community the opportunity to experience the excitement of multi-sport participation.
This partnership is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when a swimming club and leisure facility work together as a team. By combining our knowledge, experience, facilities and enthusiasm, we are able to create opportunities that go beyond traditional swimming and encourage participants to discover new sports and new challenges.
For our swimmers, the Triathlon provides an exciting opportunity to take their swimming skills into another sporting environment. Swimming is the first discipline of a triathlon, allowing our swimmers to see how the skills, fitness and confidence they have developed in the pool can be transferred into cycling and running.
We believe strongly that providing our swimmers with a variety of opportunities is important in helping them to remain involved in sport for longer. Not every swimmer will want to follow a traditional competitive swimming pathway, and offering alternative challenges can help keep young people engaged, motivated and active while allowing them to discover activities they may never have considered before.
The event will provide opportunities for junior, senior and adult swimmers to challenge themselves at their own level. For some, it may simply be about completing their first ever triathlon and enjoying the experience. For others, it may be the beginning of a new sporting journey.
Our adult swimmers can particularly benefit from this cross-training approach. Combining swimming, cycling and running provides an excellent way to develop fitness, strength and endurance and can open the door to future participation in triathlons, endurance events and Ironman competitions. For those who already have ambitions to compete in these events, the opportunity to develop their swimming alongside cycling and running can be an invaluable part of their preparation.
For our younger swimmers, the event is about much more than competition. It encourages confidence, resilience, teamwork, goal setting and a willingness to try something new. It demonstrates that the skills they develop through swimming can be used in many different ways and that sport can provide a lifetime of opportunities.
We are extremely proud of the partnership we have developed with Tredegar Sports Centre. Working together allows us to make better use of our facilities and resources and, most importantly, provides our local community with opportunities to participate in sport in a fun, supportive and inclusive environment.
We hope that the Triathlon will become another exciting part of the Tredegar Torpedoes calendar and that it will encourage many more people to have a go, challenge themselves and discover the enjoyment of multi-sport activities.
At Tredegar Torpedoes, we believe that swimming is not simply about what happens in the pool. It is about developing confident, active individuals and giving our members the skills, experiences and opportunities to enjoy sport throughout their lives.
Together with Tredegar Sports Centre, we are helping our swimmers take the next step from the pool to the wider world of sport.
The Triathlon at Tredegar Sports Centre is taking place on 3rd October.
