Last Friday night, the Annual Fitness Australia Industry Awards were held in Brisbane. With over 360 fitness business owners and professionals it was a night for the industry to celebrate personal, business and industry success.

In fact, it was a celebration of Fitness Australia’s decade of service to the fitness industry. To mark such a milestone, the Board of Fitness Australia announced the Fitness Industry Honour Roll. In the inaugural year, the Board approved the induction of a group of people whose contribution to the development of Fitness Australia has been significant.

I was one of the 15 inductees and OMG! 

I am so honoured to be part of such a group of people. Nigel Champion, Greg Hurst, Robbie Parker, Julie Johnson, Susan Kingsmill and the late Monty Dortkamp are some people I have admired for their tireless energy to improve the fitness industry. I never considered myself an equal contributor.

I am humbled by this award.

Other inductees were Elizabeth Bennett, Helen Benson, Dean Ewington, Mark Forrest, Dale Martin, Maria Osborne, Renae Sands and Lauretta Stace.

Every single person has made a huge commitment to making the fitness industry body more professional and more credible – in the eyes of the media, the politicians and the general public.

I started as the President of the Fitness Centres Association in 1993 and worked with the NSW Government to form FitnessNSW. I was appointed as the inaugural President in 1994 and then elected for 3 terms as President of FitnessNSW until 2001. During which time I was also Vice President of Fitness Australia. Returning to the Board in 2006, I was the final President of FitnessNSW before the amalgamation of the state bodies to Fitness Australia in 2008.

The people I have worked with over the years have had enormous passion for the fitness industry. They gave up their time, as they knew the industry needed to be galvanised if it were to achieve anything in the future. There are hundreds of people I have been fortunate enough to work with. And each one of them has contributed to my recognition. I appreciate their support, counsel and guidance.

This is a great honour and I am not 100% sure what it will mean in the future – perhaps being asked for more voluntary assistance? But I do know, it was a privilege to be standing side by side with some of the people who have shaped the Aussie fitness industry!

Thanks Fitness Australia!