Athletics legend Daley Thompson believes the same secret that helped bring him two Olympic gold medals can lead to success with his new high-end gym venture: making training fun.

Thompson, who has opened Daley Fitness in Putney with co-owner and company CEO Gavin Sunshine, believes the key to keeping members happy is bringing joy into their gym experience.

“The only real difference we’re bringing to the fitness business is we’re trying to make it fun,” Thompson told Health Club Management, adding that enjoyment was the key to maintaining his rigorous training regime during a decade at the forefront of world athletics.

“There are a lot of people out there in gyms working really hard, but they don’t seem to be having a good time while they’re doing it. I think you can work hard and have a bit of fun as well, which in turn keeps you motivated.”

Thompson expects his carefully recruited team of trainers to bring a lot of the fun, but there is also an abundance of high-end fitness equipment to play with, plus an “old school” training studio designed to replicate the gym hall from Thompson’s school.

“A fundamental that we’re pushing is that we are not following fads and that kind of stuff,” added Thompson.

“There are lots of great training regimes out there, and lots of bad ones too. I started off doing all my fitness at school in a little space just like our studio where you jump over things and pull yourself up things and I just think it’s about sweating and having a good time and not over-complicating things.”

The first Daley Fitness site opened in May and there are plans to open further sites across London in the next couple of years.

To read the full interview with the Daley Fitness team, check out the forthcoming September 2015 edition of Health Club Management magazine.