Worthing fitness instructor, 82, who teaches five classes a week is awarded British Empire Medal

An 82-year-old fitness instructor who teaches five Popmobility classes a week has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in Worthing.
Celia Powis from Worthing still takes five classes a weekCelia Powis from Worthing still takes five classes a week
Celia Powis from Worthing still takes five classes a week

Celia Powis said it was ‘absolutely brilliant’ to be named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

“I didn’t expect it at all!” she said. “I was just blown away.”

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Celia has been teaching Popmobility fitness classes since the programme was developed in 1970 by Ken Woolcott, an amateur athletics coach for Great Britain.

She said Popmobility was 'a marvellous form of fitness'She said Popmobility was 'a marvellous form of fitness'
She said Popmobility was 'a marvellous form of fitness'

She used to teach classes of up to 300 people and says she has introduced ‘hundreds of thousands of people’ in Worthing to the fitness programme over the years.

With the support of her husband Jack, she still takes five classes a week – including one at Worthing Leisure Centre – and organises two Popmobility weekends a year in Bournemouth.

And Celia has no plans to stop anytime soon.

She said: “I’ve never taken a session I haven’t enjoyed. I’ve never talked about it as work. So this BEM is an incredible bonus!”

Celia said Popmobility was ‘a marvellous form of fitness’.

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“It keeps you really fit and yet you don’t suffer with it all,” she said. “You don’t come out of a session gasping and wanting to lie down.

“You work as hard as you want to. I don’t go around cracking the whip – you leave out anything you can’t do.

“If you’ve got the sort of background where you enjoy music, it’s just brilliant.”

Celia has lots of regulars attending her classes every week, with many in their 60s or older – but the sessions are far from easy.

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“I haven’t played it down,” Celia said. “We don’t jump up in the air and touch our toes now, but it’s still a high standard.

“We do pushups, we still do high kicks.”

As well as helping the people of Worthing keep fit, Celia has raised money for various charities over the years through Popmobility events.

Celia’s award nomination reads: “Her classes are still as vigorous, enthusiastic and physically demanding as they were in the beginning.

“She shows no signs of slowing down and is a true inspiration to others, showing that age is not a bar to fitness.”