Skipping Sikh awarded MBE for inspiring exercise videos

A 74-year-old man dubbed the skipping Sikh for starring in exercise videos that inspired his community during lockdown has been awarded an MBE.

Rajinder Singh was concerned that the closure of Sikh temples, or Gurdwaras, would lead to his fellow worshippers in Slough, Berkshire, feeling isolated.

His resulting videos proved a hit on social media and also helped raise more than £14,000 for NHS charities.

He received the honour for services to health and fitness on Wednesday.

Speaking after the ceremony at St James's Palace - hosted by the Prince of Wales, Mr Singh said: "I'm very grateful for this honour.

"I spoke with Prince Charles and he said he will try skipping, and then he said we were born in the same month. He was very pleased."

He added he would happily give the heir to the throne skipping lessons.

Mr Singh, who lives in Hayes, west London, moved to England from Punjab in the 1970s and became a Heathrow Airport driver.

He said his father, who was a soldier, taught him to skip at the age of five, and his daughter, Minreet Kaur, who attended the ceremony with him, encouraged him to share his skipping videos on Twitter.

"The turban makes it harder to skip because you have to raise [the rope] higher," he said.

"But my advice to old people is to just try - do whatever you can, even if it's sitting down exercise - and don't give up."

Later this year he will be taking part in the London Marathon for Mencap, which supports people with learning disabilities.

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