21-year-old man has turned his “downward” life around and is now famous for teaching grannies how to box

Meet the 21-year-old man who has built an empire keeping older people fit by teaching them how to box.

Bailey Greetham-Clark has gained millions of online viewers with his commitment to getting people into exercise. The young man from Grimsby in Lincolnshire founded his company Be Great Fitness in 2020 at just 17 years old and now helps thousands of people.

The fitness expert told The Mirror he had a “tough childhood” which resulted in him having problems and being expelled from school. He was taken in by his grandparents and his “mental health deteriorated”. Housebound and feeling unmotivated, he decided it was time to get on the right track. So he went running wearing everything he had – jeans and trainers – because he believed “something had to change”.

After his life, school grades and mental health improved dramatically, Bailey wanted to make it his life's goal to improve other people's lives. “I really wanted to help other people,” he said. Bailey began working with people with special needs and teaching physical education before starting his wellness company, which makes exercise and fitness accessible to nursing homes, hospitals, schools and community centers.

Bailey said: “A group of adults with special needs reached out to me after seeing my work. I fell in love with this group and realised how incredible they were.” After this experience, he realised that people from a number of vulnerable groups do not have the same access to sport as others.

“I definitely felt like I could make a difference,” he added. Now, his schedule is packed after becoming a viral sensation and launching his business, Be Great Fitness.

He commented: “I started my business to help people exercise and get fit, so it just felt right and it all came together. We started working in care homes and it just felt great. And then we started posting on TikTok and now I'm getting millions of views and doing incredible stuff.”

Bailey is now best known for going into nursing homes and bringing boxing gloves for the residents to wear, then having them punch pads. The exercises have been described as “so sweet,” “amazing,” and “heartwarming” by his many followers on his TikTok page @_baileygreetham.

In one of his recent videos, Bailey shows how he helps an elderly man named David who suffered a stroke. Bailey gave him boxing gloves and had him throw 10 punches with his right hand before introducing moves on the left side.

Bailey said: “He's lost a lot of mobility on the left side of his body. The last thing I want is for David to feel uninvolved or included in our session. So we did a bit of assisted work to stimulate blood flow.”

When asked why he is so passionate, the trainer explained: “It's difficult because the fitness industry can be so scary. But you have to find something that you enjoy. There's no point in going to the gym if you don't enjoy it and the rest of it puts you off. Just try lots of different things.”

Speaking about his popularity, Bailey said: “Social media has gone crazy and I don't know how these videos get so many views. It's a dream come true for me.” Two women he has worked with even nominated him for a King's award last year.

He continued: “We get recognition for the great things we do. I can't believe I'm doing this at 21. We enjoy it and it's nice to be able to do it.”

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