THE "king" of bodybuilding attracted people from far and wide to a St Helens gym last week.

Known as 'The King', Ronnie Coleman is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, with a joint record eight Mr. Olympia titles and 26 international titles.

Inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, Coleman has travelled the world to endorse products and meet fans after his retirement in 2007, and he made his first visit to a St Helens gym last week.

Attracting people from all across the country, Coleman spoke about his life and career in bodybuilding at Evolution Fitness on Thursday, November 21.

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People from across the country visited Evolution for the eventPeople from across the country visited Evolution for the event (Image: Evolution Fitness XL) With the St Helens 'meet and greet' acting as Coleman's only visit in the North West, this highlights the respected reputation that has been growing at Evolution.

Since its launch in 2021, the Duncan Street gym has been developing a reputation as a high-quality facility, and has attracted high profile names like UFC champion Tom Aspinall and strongman Eddie Hall to train at the gym.

Led by founder Mike Garner, the Evolution team are also eager to promote themselves as a community hub, with the gym opening as a warm hub, paying for haircuts for the homeless, delivering Christmas presents, and organising classes for special needs and badly-behaved kids.

Coleman spoke about his life and career in bodybuildingColeman spoke about his life and career in bodybuilding (Image: Evolution Fitness XL) Speaking about the event, Mike Garner said: "I never thought I would have 'The King himself down at Evolution Fitness. I can't can't believe how blessed I am and how far the gym has come. Thank you to all members, family and friends who believe in me and the brand.

"The event was amazing, Ronnie told his life story, how he started and how he got to where he was, as well as the injuries he encountered.

"He spent about four hours at the gym, answering questions and interacting with everyone.

"The atmosphere was amazing then he took pictures and signed goods with every single person who came to see him."

The Evolution team said it was to host Ronnie ColemanThe Evolution team said it was to host Ronnie Coleman (Image: Evolution Fitness XL)