A TALENTED young Newport boxer has opened his own fitness gym after saving up throughout his time at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Leon Goodman, 21, gained a 2.1 in Sports and Physical Education at Cardiff Metropolitan university last year, and opened Functional Fitness on Commercial Street in October, just a few months after graduating.

Mr Goodman, who has been boxing since the age of nine, won five Welsh national championships and three gold medals at the British championships, but has not fought for about 12 months.

Like so many other Newport boxers, Mr Goodman was trained by St Joseph’s boxing guru Tony Borg throughout his teenage years, but he decided against opening a gym purely for a boxing-only gym work-out.

The former St Joseph’s High School student, who achieved three A-levels in English, maths, and PE, said: “I’d always wanted to be a pro boxer but I fell out of love with it. But my boxing past has really given me the drive to go ahead with this.

“All throughout uni I stayed at home and worked at the Pen and Wig pub in Newport. I was saving up ever since I started but wasn’t sure for what.

“I looked for financial backing everywhere but couldn’t get any so I’ve started this all on my own really.

“Most of my family are self-employed and have started their own business and they have given me advice so I guess that’s good.”

His personal training approach also seems to be hitting the spot for most of his clients.

“When people join I set up a personal fitness programme for them individually because everyone wants to achieve different goals whether it’s weight loss or gaining muscle,” he added. “I think that’s the main concept of the gym.

“It’s similar to a personal training programme, and because the gym is only small, it’s pretty much all one-on-one sessions – the whole aim is that people reach their own goal. Things are going well.”

The gym has two different memberships, one which is £20 a month, and the other which includes all the fitness programme elements for a monthly fee of £30 with no contract or joining fee.

To find out more visit the gym’s new website at functionalfitnessnewport.com, or call Mr Goodman on 07712 305455.