Bodybuilder gives back to community with food bank help
A world champion body builder has spent his lockdown helping people in his local community.
Daniel Jay Smith Junior rose from a troubled upbringing in Heath Town in Wolverhampton to become a two-time World Bodybuilding champion and personal trainer.
Having moved back to the city in 2016, the 29-year-old started his own business Fit Fast Fitness, providing personal training services to the people of Wolverhampton.
When lockdown began, Daniel found himself with more free time as his clients moved online, so he decided to do something to help the community by volunteering
Daniel has been supporting the work of Excel Church in Bilston, which has been running a food bank operation to send food parcels out to vulnerable families and individuals across Wolverhampton.
He said: "When the Covid-19 pandemic started, the gyms closed and all my clients moved online.
"It freed up some time for me to give something back to the city that I love.
"My house has become a food bank donation drop off point and clients are just leaving boxes and bags of shopping on my doorstep for the foodbank.
"The best thing about supporting Excel Church has been seeing the look of relief on some of the faces which I’ve delivered food parcels to."
John Raj, who runs the Church’s food bank, spoke about what Daniel's involvement with the food bank had meant to everyone.
He said: "Daniel has been a great help to us and has raised over £500 and used his bodybuilding following to promote what we are doing and get us hundreds of pounds worth of food donations.
"He’s been instrumental in helping us deliver over 1,500 parcels in the city and 1,000 hot meals.
"We can’t thank him enough."
