THE ex-wife of Dragon’s Den star and health club entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne has launched her own gym - claiming her customers will achieve greater fitness than those of rivals.
Joanne McCue Bannatyne and her team have spent months renovating concourse space at the former Darlington FC stadium, now home to Darlington Mowden Park rugby club.
The gym, CrossFit DL2, opens with a taster weekend in June.
Ms McCue Bannatyne, who split from her multi-millionaire husband last year, said she did not want to waste the skills she had built up during their time working together.
She has completed a coaching course and teamed up with former Royal Marine Lee Howe, who runs a CrossFit centre on Teesside, to launch the Darlington gym.
Developed in the US, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning programme based around moves that aim to replicate the natural movements of the body.
Asked whether there was room in the crowded fitness market for her type of gym and the global health clubs operated by her ex-husband, Ms McCue Bannatyne replied: “Absolutely.”
She added: “I have been a businesswoman all my life, I might have been in the background, but Duncan and I were together for 18 years and I was a fundamental part of the business.
“I could not have allowed all those skills to go to waste by spending my days sitting at home or on the beach.
“You will never achieve this level of fitness in a health club gym. CrossFit and Lee’s programming has enabled me to become the fittest I have ever been.”
As well as creating 11 jobs, CrossFit DL2 is equipped with a defibrillator, in line with The Northern Echo’s campaign, A Chance to Live, which is calling for more of the life-saving devices in public places.
Ms McCue Bannatyne added: “We are a well-equipped gym, all staff and management are first aid and defibrillator trained, so we can deal with any emergency situation our members throw at us.
The Darlington gym will have a capacity of 400 to 450 members, with Ms McCue Bannatyne exploring opportunities to open CrossFit facilities in other parts of the North-East.
She is also developing Floribunda, an artisan bakery and cafe in Norton Village, Stockton, which will create 25 jobs when it opens later in the year.
The gym’s open weekend is being held on June 15 and 16, from 10am to 4pm. For more information, visit crossfitdl21dl.com
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