British sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, aka “Nitro” in BBC sports endurance competition Gladiators, once used his platform to help his partner Lauren’s mum raise funds for a breast cancer charity.
Harry had to drop out of season 2 of Gladiators after injuring his knee.
He previously took part in Celebs On The Farm, on MTV. The BBC dubbed him Young Sports Personality of the Year way back in 2005.
Alongside taking on his fellow Gladiators over the festive period, Harry took to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor for the show’s Christmas special. He’s been a busy bee!
Gladiators and Strictly star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey joined wife Lauren’s breast cancer appeal
In 2016, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey posted on Facebook that he was “very sad” to say a “very strong, thoughtful and wonderful woman” had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Lisa Cooper is his wife Lauren’s mum. A doctor diagnosed her with the cancer in October 2015. She was in her 40s then.
Lauren was his girlfriend at the time – they married in 2019. She took part in The Marsden March in March 2016 to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, where Lisa was undergoing her breast cancer treatment.
He extended the Cooper family’s appeal to “anyone touched by this awful illness or aware of the effects it has on people and their loved ones”, and added in the post that they “all know she will beat it”.
At the time, Lisa had already had three operations to remove the tumour, and was awaiting her fourth.
“We are so thankful that our mum is one of the ‘lucky’ ones,” Lauren wrote on the JustGiving page she’d set up to raise the money. “She will win this battle with the help of the Royal Marsden and all of the love and support she has from her family and friends.
“However this does cause you to reflect upon all those other people that unfortunately aren’t as lucky for various different reasons and makes you want to do something, anything to help beat cancer!”
Harry Aikines will not appear on Gladiators series 2
Unfortunately, Harry had to pull out of the second season of Gladiators. A setback ruled him out, as he shared on Instagram in December.
“Speed is my thing, but sometimes life throws a curveball!” he put on social media at the time, per Yahoo. “During training for series 2 earlier this year, I picked up an unexpected knee injury, which means I’ll be shifting gears this series and sitting out the events.
“But don’t worry, I’m recharging and more energised than ever! You’ll still catch me bringing the Nitro spirit to your screens, hyping up my fellow Gladiators, and keeping the energy sky-high. Bring on series 2 of Gladiators!”
He has indeed been active since, promoting his involvement in Richard Osman’s House Of Games, among other things.
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and then let us know if you’ll be tuning in to Gladiators season 2, despite Harry’s absence!