A Chester hairdresser has become a stylist to the stars as a result of a heart-warming friendship.
David Hurine of Regis first met Olympic coach Val Rutter 10 years ago and has been supporting her and her athletes’ efforts by offering free haircuts and styling to them ever since.
Val, who lives in Frodsham, has trained many famous faces during her career, including Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Kate Anson, Katia Lannon and, most recently, Kelly Massey.
Salon owner David said: “Coaches don’t get paid a salary and instead work hard to support themselves. Val has put her heart and soul into training world-class athletes and we wanted to give something back and show her that we’re supporting her efforts.
“As a gesture from Regis, Val is welcome to use the salon whenever she wishes with no financial limit and has therefore become a familiar face over the years.”
Last week Val visited the salon, in The Grosvenor Shopping Centre, with Great British 400m champion Kelly Massey.
Staffordshire-born Kelly, who recently received an invitation to The Sports Personality Of The Year Awards, took silver in this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Val, who has been training Kelly for five years, said: “Kelly is an amazing athlete who shows 100% commitment to all aspects of training and competitions.
“This was Kelly’s first time at Regis Chester so it was great to introduce her to David and the team and, of course, get our hair done while we were at it. It’s safe to say we both looked very glam at training that afternoon!”
Grosvenor Shopping Centre manager Julie Webb added: “The community is at the heart of what we do and so we’re extremely proud of the friendship that David has formed with Val. It’s a great feeling to support and see home-grown talent pass through our doors and we wish Kelly and Val the best of luck for their next event.”
