Matt Morsia
{{Short description|British weightlifter and television personality}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name= Matt Morsia
|birth_name= Matthew Morsia
|nickname="MattDoesFitness"
"Legend"
|image=Matt_morsia.jpg
|image_size=160px
|country= {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Great Britain
|club=
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1986|01|19|df=y}}
|birth_place=Barnet, South East England, England
|hometown=Kent, South East England, England
|height=6 ft 1 in
|weight=96 kg
|alma_mater = University of Kent
|occupation = {{hlist|Bodybuilder|fitness influencer|television personality}}
|turnedpro=
|sport= Long and triple jump
|retired=
|pb= Long jump: 7.15
Triple jump: 15.13
|olympics=
|worlds=
|highestranking=
|updated=
}}
Matthew Morsia (born 19 January 1986) is an English YouTuber, bodybuilder, fitness coach and television personality, known for appearing as "Legend" on the British sports game show Gladiators. He is a former track and field athlete and powerlifter, and is known by his social media profile "MattDoesFitness".
Early life
Matthew Morsia, born on 19 January 1986,{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/matthew-morsia-14371742 |title=Matthew Morsia|website=World Athletics|accessdate=31 March 2024}} in Barnet, Southeast England, attended the University of Kent.
Career
Morsia competed as an athlete in the long jump and the triple jump. He has described his early attempts at managing his body weight whilst competing as disordered eating.{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Roberts|url=https://www.joe.co.uk/fitness-health/fitness-influencer-eating-disorder-259391|website=Joe.co.uk|accessdate=31 March 2024|date=30 December 2020|title=Fitness influencer opens up on his battle with an eating disorder}} After suffering a stress fracture to his spine in 2012 he became a powerlifter. He won a silver medal at the European Championships in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/gladiators-legend-life-off-screen-31964324|title= Gladiator's Legend's life off screen from PE teacher past to stunning wife|first=Eve|last=Upton-Clarke|date=27 January 2024|website=OK|accessdate=31 March 2024}}
In 2013 Morsia began building up an online fitness clientele using the moniker MattDoesFitness. By 2017 he was a PE teacher at Folkestone Academy. The success of his fitness coaching led him to leave his teaching job.{{cite web|url= https://www.kentonline.co.uk/hythe/news/how-kent-dad-went-from-being-pe-teacher-to-gladiators-star-299780/ |website=Kentonline|accessdate=31 March 2024|title=Legend on Gladiators is Kent dad Matt Morsia who has gone from teaching at Folkestone Academy to starring in new BBC One show|first=Phil|last=Hayes|date=9 January 2024}} In 2020 was given a YouTube Creator Award for gaining a million subscribers.{{cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/how-kent-dad-became-uks-top-fitness-youtuber-221686/|website=Kent Online|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= MattDoesFitness YouTube channel creator Matt Morsia quit teaching job to become UK's number one fitness vlogger|first=Phil|last=Hayes|date=10 February 2020}} The channel later had two and a half million subscribers.{{cite web|url= https://gymfluencers.com/5-facts-about-gladiators-star-matt-legend-morsia/|website=Gymfluencers|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= 5 Facts About Gladiators Star Matt 'Legend' Morsia|date=14 January 2024 }} His book The 24/7 Body was published by Century in 2020.
In January 2024, he began appearing as "Legend" on British TV endurance sports game show Gladiators,{{cite web|first=Anqie|last=Quinn|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/tv/gladiartor-legend-used-pe-teacher-28442169.amp|website=My London|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= Gladiator Legend used to be a PE teacher before finding fame as hunky fitness influencer|date=13 January 2024}}{{cite web|first=Kate|last=Neudecker|url=https://www.menshealth.com/uk/entertainment/a44061254/gladiators-bbc-line-up/|website=Men's Health|accessdate=30 March 2024|title= Full Gladiators Line up, Including MH Elite Coach Zack George and Former Cover Star Lee Phillips|date=23 February 2024}} where he is best known for his arrogant and self-obsessed character that has been popular with the show's viewers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/national/uk-today/24111769.bbc-gladiators-fans-react-legend-playing-villain-role/|title=BBC Gladiators: Fans react to Legend playing up villain role|website=East Lothian Courier|date=10 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/24207160.bbc-gladiators-viewers-love-legend-rabbit-excuse-game/|website=Dunfermline Express|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= BBC Gladiators: Viewers love Legend rabbit excuse in game|date=24 March 2024}} Morsia's Legend has so far appeared to be one of the toughest male gladiators to face on the show, as he excels in most of the events{{fact|date=March 2025}}, naming The Edge as his favourite. He described the role as a "lifetime ambition", having been a huge fan of the original show when he was a child.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/gladiators-cast-legend-matt-morisa/|website=Radio Times|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= Who is Legend? Gladiators 2024 star and personal trainer|first=Katelyn|last=Mensah|date=13 January 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/mattdoesfitness/reel/C5IpJPSySkQ/|title=Instagram}}
Personal life
Morsia is roughly {{convert|6|ft|1|in|m}} tall{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4SHDkSjY3SmymMZk65gwlL4/legend|title=BBC One - Gladiators - Legend|website=BBC}} and weighs {{convert|96|kg}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001x0qj/gladiators-series-1-episode-8|title=Gladiators - Series 1: Episode 8|website=BBC iPlayer|publisher=BBC|at=(occurs after Hang Tough event)}} He is married to Sarah, and they have two sons, Luca and Mauro. They live in Hythe, Kent.{{cite web|url= https://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/inside-gladiators-star-s-new-dream-house-built-on-kent-coa-301243/|website=Kent Online|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= Gladiators' Legend and YouTuber Matt Morsia opens doors to dream house in Hythe|date=4 February 2024|first=Joe|last=Walker }}{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/bbc-gladiators-stars-wife-says-28630369.amp|website=Birmingham Mail|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= BBC Gladiators star's wife says 'don't' in warning after son almost drowns in bath|date=14 February 2024}}{{cite web|first=Danni|last=King|website=OK|accessdate=31 March 2024|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/breaking-gladiators-matt-son-hospital-32119986|title= BBC Gladiators star's son, 2, rushed to hospital after seizure|date=14 February 2024}} He trains up to six days a week with bodybuilding and powerlifting.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gladiatorstv.com/gladiators/bbc/legend/|title=Legend (Matt Morsia) {{!}} Gladiators|website=GladiatorsTV}}
References
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Category:Place of birth unknown
Category:Sportspeople from Kent
Category:21st-century English people
Category:English male weightlifters
Category:Alumni of the University of Kent