Two gyms are reopening in London. You likely know the guy they’re named after 

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Damian Warner apologized for being late to a news conference honouring him. He was working out.

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“Sorry for running a bit late. I was doing a workout that was a tough one. I was on the track in pain,” he said with a laugh.

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A now-shuttered pair of fitness clubs in London will reopen soon bearing the name of the Olympic decathlon champion. The former Movati Athletic clubs in the city will be renamed Damian Warner Fitness Centre.

The clubs were bought by development firm Southside Group and its owner Vito Frijia. Warner was brought on by Frijia and will have input into how the new fitness clubs operate.

“I would never imagine my name would be on the side of a building, a gym. When Vito came to me, I thought it was a cool opportunity,” Warner said.

“It is not just my name. He wanted my input. I want it to be better than other gyms in the city. It won’t be easy, but there is a path to us being the best in London and I am excited to see that come to light. It is exciting.”

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The changes Warner wants to encourage include group-style circuit training with teams pushing one another, he said.

“It is a leap for me. There is pressure that comes with your name being on something, but that is just motivation for me to make this the best gym possible,” he said.

Warner, a 2020 Olympic champion and three-time world medalist in track and field, is not retiring from sport, he said Tuesday at the media event at the club on Wonderland Road north of Oxford Street.

“My focus is on the Olympics, but this is potentially an opportunity to do more when I age out of the sport. I feel like I am a partner in this,” Warner said.

He is training for the 2024 Summer Olympics and the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in 2023.

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Movati Athletic abruptly closed its north and south London fitness centres on Aug. 31, leaving more than 100 people without jobs and thousands without a gym membership.

The fitness chain cited “unique circumstances, isolated to London” in its decision to close the clubs. Movati Athletic continues to operate 16 clubs in Ontario and Alberta.

Southside Group through its subsidiary Wonderland Power Centre Inc. filed at $2.5 million lawsuit against Movati Athletic. The lawsuit has been resolved, Frijia said last week.

Frijia confirmed last month his business, which was landlord for both Movati locations in London, was taking over the businesses and Movati is no longer involved.

“It is a great opportunity to provide a service that is needed in London and reopen these clubs and make them better than they were,” he said.

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Both clubs, more than 4,650 square metres each, will reopen Jan. 2 featuring their usual group classes, free weights, pool and yoga classes.

“I’ve been in business 40 years and we are always looking for an opportunity. We thought this would be a great addition to Southside Group and we thought it was a great way to bring Damian into Southside Group. If he wishes, he will be management here when he is done training,” Frijia said.

The new fees for the clubs will be announced later this week.

Christy Cruikshank, who managed the Movati clubs, will stay on to manage both the Damian Warner facilities. The club is reaching out to former employees and looking to hire new staff, she said.

“This is an excellent opportunity to do what we are passionate about,” Cruikshank said. “We have flexibility to add things to the facility, to go with trends and we are excited to play that out.”

The north gym is at 755 Wonderland Rd. and the south one is at 3198 Wonderland Rd.