Olympic taekwondo star Lutalo Muhammad to attend free family fun day at The Dunstable Centre

The former Team GB star, who won silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at London 2012, will be meeting the local community at the centre, run by Everyone Active on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council.

Lutalo will lead two beginner sessions in the sports hall in which he will demonstrate his impressive taekwondo moves and inspire kids as they have a go themselves.

He will also be available for autographs and selfies and chatting to the public at the event, due to take place from 10am-2pm.

Among the free activities on offer will be swimming, badminton, table tennis, squash and pickleball – a cross between tennis and table tennis which is fast growing in popularity.

In addition, there will be group exercise taster sessions, a DJ in the gym, a bouncy castle and face painting. Activities can be booked via the Everyone Active app.

Gary Foley, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming the local community to The Dunstable Centre for this exciting event.

“We have put together a varied activity programme which will have something for everyone, no matter what your age, interests or ability.

“It will be a huge privilege to welcome Lutalo to the centre, someone who has won medals at the highest level and is a huge inspiration to youngsters.

“His sessions will be fantastic and we would encourage people to sign up as soon as possible.”

The most successful male competitor in British taekwondo history, one of Lutalo’s career highlights came when he won middleweight gold at the 2012 European Championships in Manchester, accompanying his bronze and silver medals in London and Rio, respectively.

He acquired a wider following when he worked as a pundit for the BBC on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with fans enjoying his explanations of the nuances of taekwondo, as well as his humour and passion.

Lutalo subsequently retired in September 2022 but remains one of the most important figures in the sport in the UK.

The 32-year-old is an Elite athlete on Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, which provides training facilities and mentoring for up-and-coming athletes from Central Bedfordshire and around the country.

As part of his role, Lutalo shares his wisdom and expertise with the Sporting Champions, guiding them every step of the way.

Applications for the 2024-25 iteration of the scheme closed earlier this month, with the accepted athletes from Central Bedfordshire due to be announced soon.

Olympic 110m hurdles silver medallist Colin Jackson is an Ambassador for the initiative, with Lutalo’s fellow Elite athletes being Lauren Steadman, Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, Kadeena Cox, Richard Kilty and Maisie Summers-Newton, who have all starred on the Olympic and Paralympic stages.