Team USA gym kit gifted to community trainer
University of East London’s SportsDock donates Olympics 2012 gym kit to alumna to help her community training in Woolwich
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University of East London’s SportsDock donates Olympics 2012 gym kit to alumna to help her community training in Woolwich
Published
30 November 2022
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After Team USA trained at the University of East London during the London Olympics in 2012, they donated their gym equipment to the University's SportsDock.
The equipment has been used by over 30,000 people over the last ten years and after its recent gym refurbishment, SportsDock has now passed on some of that equipment to Shannia Richardson Gordon, a former student, to help her community boxing training business in nearby Woolwich.
The equipment including 14 training bikes, a running machine and Olympic weights are now being used at Shannia’s Power Mobile Gym at Woolwich Common Community Centre.
Shannia, 22, has won Gold and Silver medals at the Amateur Boxing Association championships in the 65+kg category and is one of the youngest boxing coaches in the UK. She graduated from the University of East London with a BA (Hons) in Social Studies last year.
As well as coaching boxing, Shannia teaches life skills to young people from the Woolwich community, including cookery and CV and interview preparation. She started her gym in March and has worked with 1,000 young people.
Shannia responded to a social media offer of the gym equipment from East London Sport at the University.
David Cowell the East London Sports Centre manager at SportsDock said he was delighted to help Shannia and her community work.
We’re very proud of East London Sport and the University of East London’s connection to the London 2012 Olympics and its legacy as Team USA trained with us during the games and many of the athletes and staff lived on campus," he said.
"We also hosted the Team GB medical team and we manage the Olympic archive for the British Olympic Association so the connection is a strong one and to see the legacy continuing with Shannia and through another local gym that received some of the other equipment that Team USA originally donated to us after the Olympics in 2012 is amazing."
Shannia’s future plans include expanding her gym’s range of activities by helping more young people through supporting some of their costs by providing transport to other boxing clubs for competitions.
She said “East London Sport and SportsDock have been so helpful. The equipment is excellent. It will get a lot of use and help a lot of young people using the gym.
"I love helping young people. Boxing is a great discipline and even though many of the young people I meet have some qualifications what they aren’t prepared for are ‘life skills and getting themselves into the best place they can be to apply for jobs. "
"I do whatever I can to help. The gym gives them a ‘safe space’ to spend some time, get fit and meet other young people from the area. I visit schools and meet young people there as well and talk to them about boxing and making the best of their lives."
"It’s humbling at times when their parents come to visit the gym and thank me. I appreciate it but making a difference in the lives of the young people I and the other boxing coaches at the gym meet are all the thanks we need."
For further information please contact: Richard Prescott - East London Sport at University of East London.