The original founder of British Military Fitness (BMF), Harry Sowerby, has reassumed the top rank having been appointed as the company’s new managing director.

Sowerby recently returned to the company as chair, 11 years after he left to serve as a section commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. He replaces previous MD Rob Love, who is to remain with the company in a reduced capacity as he tends to family commitments, a spokesperson told Health Club Management.

Sowerby first conceived the BMF concept while working on the set of Hollywood blockbuster Saving Private Ryan. Having recently completed his Army PTI (Physical Training Instructors) course, Sowerby was asked if he would be interested in setting up a company to deliver British Army-style fitness classes in parks across London, prompting the first class to be held in Hyde Park in April 1999.

After nearly five years of heavy involvement, he left to serve his country in 2003, later joining Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) as project manager, providing support on all Ministry of Defence sites across Afghanistan.

Sowerby takes on the role 16 years after BMF’s inception, at a time when the company is training up to 13,000 weekly participants in over 140 parks around the UK.

“I am so proud of how far the company has come since its creation in 1999 and even prouder to be trusted with the reigns of such a large and successful operation,” said Sowerby.

“Taking a step back from BMF has allowed me to gain a lot of valuable experience in other roles, which I’ll be bringing to my new position. I’m looking forward to taking the helm and seeing BMF continue to grow from strength to strength over the coming years.”