AT 80, the Forest Fitness Centre's John Callanan must be the oldest practising weight training instructor in the country!

This week saw John celebrating his birthday at the Cinderford Centre with many of the young men he helps with exercising.

He still attends the Centre two nights a week to coach in the free weights area where he uses his vast experience as a former world-class power lifter to help other people.

John has a long and varied history in sport, coming into the competitive arena relatively late in life. In his 30s, he took up rugby, playing for Widden Old Boys, and in his 40s he took up judo at a high level. At 50, in order to lift his disabled first wife, he took up weight training at the Forest Fitness Centre which had just opened at the old High View Community Centre in Cinderford.

Within two years he was the British Masters Power Lifting Champion. He went on to defend his title and represented his country twice in World Championships. He was part of the winning GB Masters team in Norway in 1985 and then won a silver medal in the World Championships in Peru in the following year.

At that time he also held the British and Commonwealth records in the squat.

In the mid-1980s John became a trustee of the Forest Fitness Centre and was one of the group who oversaw the move to Heywood.

At the age of 60 he trained as a bodybuilder and competed several times in the WABBA Championships in Wales, twice being placed second in fields of very experienced younger men.

There followed a brief retirement caused by health issues until his early 70s, when his long-time friend and coach, Alan Elliott, coaxed him into returning to the Centre to help out with evening sessions.

"It was the best thing that could have happened for John and the Centre," said Alan.

"I needed help and John needed to have a new driving force in his life. John has a unique style of coaching that you won't find in any training manual – rather it comes from the Callanan book of life experience!"

In his mid-70s he took two young men off to Belgium where he coached them to world titles and new world records, and at the age of 78 he went back-packing around Italy with his brother in law.

Alan says: "Like the great Frank Sinatra he has made several comebacks and has certainly done it 'my way'.

"The trustees and members of the Forest Fitness Centre would like to thank John for his wonderful support over the years. We wish him a very happy 80th birthday and a continued long, healthy life with his wife Sylvia."