Like so many children growing up in Hampshire, it was a 'rite of passage' for Roger Black to visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on a school trip. But the former Olympic athlete, who lived in Gosport, admits ­— to his shame – that he's not been back since. So he was delighted to visit recently after being asked to launch a series of new walking routes around the museum, following National Walking Month earlier this year. The new routes offer visitors the chance to take on an engaging way to step up and stay active while exploring the Dockyard’s rich maritime heritage, interactive stations, and the best points to stop for selfies onboard the iconic ships.

'I used to walk past it every day of my life to get to school,' remembers Roger of the museum.

'I used to live in Gosport and went to school in Portsmouth. I got the Gosport ferry every day from the ages of 11 to 18. I would see HMS Victory in the distance and get off the ferry to walk to school. It was part of my life every day.

'It was a rite of passage for every primary school kid in the area. If you lived in Gosport, Portsmouth or the surrounding areas, you'd go to see where Nelson fell. But I hadn't been back. It's not something you think of, it's just there.

'It's a great museum, especially the Mary Rose. I vividly remember the Mary Rose coming out of the water, but to see it now is incredible. I put my hands up – I live in Guildford now, but I hadn't thought of going back to Portsmouth Dockyard before this campaign.'

He admits it's probably the case for many locals, but hopes the new walking routes will encourage people to visit and explore the museum.

'It's an opportunity to enjoy the dockyard but ­— as you've got these walking trails – people don't just go there to look at stuff, but to walk around and see it as an actual day out.

'They've got phrases for each ship – things like the Mary Rose Mile. It's just more awareness. There's certainly an appetite for it, I noticed that when I was there. People of a certain age want to move, they're aware it's important.

'Some people measure their steps. It's more the consciousness of it, when it comes to walking. So much of exercise and health is whether it's at the front of your consciousness or not ­— when people are exercising without knowledge. We're not talking about strenuous exercise, but it's more the consciousness.'

With the campaign aiming to encourage people to get active, it was a natural fit for former athlete Roger, who competed internationally for Great Britain and England; winning individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympic Games and World Championships, two individual gold medals at the European Championships, and 4 × 400 metres relay gold medals at both the World and European Championships.

Although he admits he only became an athlete aged 18 'to win medals', he is a big advocate for the importance of keeping moving – particularly as he gets older.

'I'm 58 now,' he says. 'When I was an athlete, it was my job. But physically training to win medals is very different to being 58 now. When I became an athlete at 18 it was to win medals, not to become healthy.

'Then I retired and I had a window from the age of 32. You stay active, but the turning point is probably at 50, particularly for men. Things change physically. But I think there comes a point where there's this awareness of the importance of exercise. I don't mean intensive exercise, just moving ­— walk rather than drive. It's the accumulation of that over time ­— by the time you get to 60 or 70.

'I'm more conscious now of how hard it is to maintain health. For me, it's about where am I going to be when I'm 70? Because I will still want to be able to walk and do things. It's just making these changes on a daily basis. I'm aware of the importance of keeping moving.

It was best foot forward when athlete Roger Black encouraged locals to explore the new walking routes at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. (Image: Matt Sills) Since retiring from athletics, Roger has worked as a television presenter and motivational speaker, but says the most-asked question during Q&A sessions, perhaps unsurprisingly, relates to physical activity.

'The most asked question I get is "what exercise do you do now?" People don't believe my answer. The answer is I run most days of my life. That's a 20-25 minute gentle jog with my wife and my dogs.

'But the truth is, it's my wife that drives it. The reason it's more important to her than it is for me is not physical – it's a mental thing for her, going for a run changes her mental state.'

Roger believes now, more than ever, when everything we need is so easily accessible online, physical movement is such an important factor for good mental health.

'My kids are older now, but when I had young kids, they're on their phone all the time – getting them outside is not easy. It's really tough,' he says.

'So the importance of getting outside mentally is never as great as it is now – because we don't have to go outside any more.'

The other vital aspect of the campaign that Roger highlights is the social interaction gained by going for a walk around a place of interest.

'This was obvious on the day I was there,' he explains. 'You just go walking around with a group of people, a group of strangers. But there was a really nice atmosphere. People like to socialise with other people.

'Portsmouth Dockyard lends itself to that because most of it is outside. You're walking in groups and the socialisation of exercise is really important as well. It's a really safe environment. The moment you walk in there are cafes and restaurants, and you're by the water.

'Do you know what's nice about being down there? You're got two types of people when you go to the dockyard – you've got school kids, they're running around. I was that kid. When I was in junior school I went to HMS Victory, every kid did. You get that, then the other extreme, you've got lots of retired people who are really interested in history. It's a lovely combination.

'But, most importantly, it's all part of our heritage.' historicdockyard.co.uk