AN impressed Paralympian piled on praise as she officially opened a newly-extended gym.

Sportswoman Louise Hunt said she was 'overwhelmed' by facilities at White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre in Abingdon, which has been transformed after a £1.7m extension.

The wheelchair tennis player, who competed at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 games, starred at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday where she encouraged people to 'come down and give it a go'.

She said: "The gym extension is brilliant, when I came in here I was overwhelmed at how adaptable and accessible the equipment is to use. The range is great and available for everyone to use."

Vale of White Horse District Council has ploughed cash into the centre in Audlett Drive, which is used by 800,000 visitors each year according to the council's statistics, alongside the centre's operator Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).

The extension provided an extra 290sqm of space packed with sports machines, which will allow at least 50 more people to use the gym at the same time.

Changing rooms have also been spruced up with new toilets and showers, while a new outdoor area has been provided for young children using the centre's crèche.

The main entrance has also been brightened by a themed canopy inspired by the centre's location within Science Vale enterprise zone.

Abingdon Town Council leader Mike Badcock also joined the ceremony in his role as chairman of the district council.

He said: "The £1.7m gym extension is the single largest investment by the council on a leisure project since this centre opened in 2002.

"This highlights our commitment to providing great leisure facilities for all our residents, helping them to lead healthy and active lives.

"People in the Vale should be very proud that we have this outstanding facility in our district.

"I hope that existing and future customers enjoy the equipment and the benefits it will bring to them in improving their health and wellbeing."

The transformation took more than six months and comes as the centre celebrates its 15th anniversary.

To mark both milestones it has invited families to an open weekend on April 1 and 2, which will offer free events and the chance to test out the new equipment.

GLL's deputy managing director Peter Bundey said: "We are delighted that the strong partnership with the council has meant we have been able to extend these already impressive facilities and look forward to welcoming the community, young and old, to try out the equipment."

Gym-goers on the leisure centre's Facebook page have also been positive about the refurbishment, commenting that the facilities are 'simply brilliant' and 'look amazing'.

For details visit better.org.uk/leisure-centre/vale-of-white-horse.