Jonny Callender

Heeeeeeeere's Jonny.........

Born and raised in Bedford, a town just north of London, I have been an eager and energetic person from a young age. I was always the kind of child (and now man) whose legs would physically ache if I were to sit still for too long, so activity and sport were naturally great outlets for my excessive energy. During my school years I played many sports, representing clubs and my school in football, basketball, athletics and rugby. I always revelled in the idea that I could be the fastest, the most accurate or, as I often phrase it ‘the main man’.

Both my passion for developing as an athlete and the strong influence of my great uncle Mike swayed my next move in sport. You see, my uncle Mike has dedicated his life to his passion, the sport of boxing. Mike competed in over 300 contests, winning more than 250 of them and his highest achievement in boxing was a bronze medal at the 1958 Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games). A true ambassador for his sport, uncle Mike has long since retired but remains a regular visitor to the local boxing club where he continues to coach. His contribution to the sport was recognised by Her Majesty The Queen in 2007 as he was honoured with an MBE at Buckingham Palace.

Naturally, Uncle Mike was always keen to get his nephew involved in boxing and he would encourage my involvement at every possible chance by sending me gloves, headgear and of course skipping ropes. I remember one particular Christmas when Uncle Mike visited; we would spend cold afternoons outside in the garden developing speed and rhythm with the skipping rope. He would enthuse about how skipping was to be enjoyed, to express myself and stay light on my feet.

Having felt tired of the lack of self-satisfaction gained from playing team sports, at the age of fifteen I decided to pursue my ambition of boxing. Boxing, depending on how you look at it, is a very lonely sport. Having progressed well in my amateur career, my life often consists of many long late-night runs and time spent with nothing but the sound of a whooshing speed skipping rope for company. Further from that, when you’re in the ring, it’s just you. You have a coach in the corner, but between the bells, it’s you and you alone.

I am therefore well aware of the benefits of skipping. For me personally, skipping is a routine activity that adapts itself to my needs. For example, if I need to shed a few pounds for an upcoming contest, I am able to wrap-up in layers and skip at a medium pace for an hour or so to get the job done. On the other hand, if I need to warm-up quickly and get the blood flowing, a few short bursts of double-under skipping will suffice. Perhaps more importantly though, when I get my traditional achy legs from sitting down for too long, being able to pick up a rope and express myself by trying new tricks and having fun with my skipping has time and time again proved a perfect remedy.

Now that I have completed my BA in studies in Sports Media and Culture, joining the team at skip-hop is an exciting opportunity for me to encourage others to develop and benefit from the positives of skipping. I really believe in what the team are trying to achieve and I’m hoping to add to their delivery of an already outstanding service. Never before has personal fitness and health been such a dominant theme in our society and many people can benefit from skipping in many different ways. I therefore encourage anyone thinking about getting involved to do so and look forward to meeting you.

Jonny Callender

 'Just a quick message to say a huge thank you for a fantastic day.  Jonny was Great .  The kids and teachers thought he did a fantastic job and I just wanted to pass this message on. Thanks again'  Jo Smith, Head Teacher, Snaresbrook Primary School.