Superstar gong for gym owner hit during floods

A gym owner forced to rebuild his business after two devastating floods has been inducted to the Martial Arts Hall of Fame for the third time.

- 

It was in 2006 that entrepreneur Garry Bell opened Contender Gym, in Stockton, having built the business from scratch. But last year, the gym, then in Yarm Street, was hit by two major floods in nine days.

The 44-year-old has had to completely rebuild and move to new premises, opening the doors to the Prince Regent Street gym back in January. Garry told Teesside Live: "Sometimes when you're at rock bottom, I believe you can come back stronger.

"We're coming back now and in the next six months I hope we'll be in an even stronger position than we were before the floods."