Rajinder Singh, MBE, more popularly known as the 'Skipping Sikh', is a British-Indian septuagenarian health and fitness personality.[1]

Rajinder Singh
MBE
Born1946 or 1947 (age 77–78)[1]
India
NationalityBritish
Notable workHealth and fitness videos

Career

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During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Singh started sharing exercise videos to inspire older members of the Asian community[2] to stay healthy whilst also raising money for the NHS.[3]

In 2021 Singh was invited to watch tennis in Wimbledon from the royal box.[4] In the same year he also fulfilled a lifelong dream by running his first marathon at the age of 74.[5][6]

He arrived in the UK from India in 1970 after his father, a soldier in the British Indian Army, encouraged him to build a better life abroad.[7]

Awards

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  • He was awarded an MBE in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to health and fitness[8] which he dedicated to India.[9]
  • He was awarded a Points of Light award in 2020 from the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Skipping Sikh awarded MBE for inspiring exercise videos". BBC News. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  2. ^ "'I'm nothing': Skipping Sikh's modesty at MBE honour for charitable efforts". Sky News. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  3. ^ Ben Church, CNN Video produced by Celine Ramseyer, for (18 April 2020). "Meet the 73-year-old 'skipping Sikh' raising money for the NHS". CNN. Retrieved 2021-12-16. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Skipping Sikh invited to Royal Box at Wimbledon". EasternEye. 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  5. ^ "A new start after 60: 'Exercise is my lifeblood – so I decided to run my first marathon at 74'". the Guardian. 2021-09-03. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  6. ^ Skipping Sikh: I'm running the London Marathon at 74, retrieved 2021-12-16
  7. ^ Kaur, Minreet. "The 'Skipping Sikh': A story of faith, loss and racism". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  8. ^ "73-Year-Old "Skipping Sikh" Honoured For Raising Funds For UK's National Health Service". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  9. ^ "As old as Independent India, 'Skipping Sikh' dedicates MBE to home country". The Indian Express. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  10. ^ "Skipping Sikh awarded by British PM for fundraising efforts". Hindustan Times. 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  11. ^ "'Skipping Sikh' honoured by Boris Johnson for raising thousands during lockdown". ITV News. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-12-16.