At Women’s Fitness Education, we love sharing the real, inspiring journeys of female trainers who’ve carved their own paths in the fitness industry. Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kirra from Active Nation, and wow — her story is one so many women will relate to.

Spoiler alert: Kirra didn't grow up sporty, she hated PE classes, and she certainly didn't imagine she'd one day own her own gym... let alone a pink one!

How it All Started: Gym Anxiety and a Life-Changing Trainer

Growing up, Kirra wasn’t the sporty type. In fact, she used to write fake notes to get out of PE! Battling body image issues and low self-confidence, she left school early and started a beauty apprenticeship. But deep down, she knew she wanted to make a change for herself — especially as her 18th birthday approached.

After convincing her (very supportive) dad to join a gym with her, Kirra found herself battling full-blown gym anxiety — the feeling that everyone knows what they're doing except you. She'd stay on a cardio machine for five minutes and bolt. Eventually, they hired a personal trainer to help, and that's when everything shifted.

Kirra lost 20kg, gained a whole new mindset around fitness and food, and found her calling. As she told me, “Whatever you did for me, I want to do for others.”

That trainer changed Kirra's life — and unknowingly planted the seed for her future career.

The Rocky Start: Cert III and IV… Then Hitting a Wall

Kirra got qualified in fitness not long after her transformation. But back then, courses weren’t as supportive or specialized as they are now. She finished her Cert III and IV but felt completely unprepared to actually coach real people.

Standing in front of a group scared her half to death. “I’d have panic attacks before classes,” she admitted. Although she loved fitness, the transition from study to industry felt overwhelming, and eventually, she left fitness altogether for a while, trying different jobs in retail, schools, motels — you name it.

But nothing else ever felt right.

The gym was always calling her back.

Finding Her Feet (and Her Confidence)

Fast forward to 2015, Kirra stepped back into the fitness world as a group trainer. It wasn't easy. She still battled nerves, especially introducing classes or demonstrating exercises. But little by little, she pushed through the discomfort — even when her boss sat at the back of the room watching her!

“I loved it once the class started. It was just getting through those first few minutes.”

Kirra learned a key lesson early: confidence doesn’t just appear one day — it’s built through showing up, making mistakes, taking feedback, and doing the scary things anyway.

Over time, she picked up more classes, got into managing studios, started dabbling in PT, and realized she could make a real career out of it — as long as she backed herself.

The Big Leap: Moving, Managing, and Making It Work

Life threw a curveball when Kirra went through a tough breakup. On a whim, she emailed every fitness studio in Brisbane and landed a job within half an hour. That spontaneous decision turned out to be a game-changer.

She packed her car, moved states, and started building her career from scratch. Over the next few years, she coached, managed gyms, learned about the business side of fitness, and realized just how much she loved helping people — not just training them but really understanding their stories and goals.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. The early mornings, split shifts, and financial juggling were tough. But every challenge built her skills, confidence, and resilience.

Building Her Dream: The Birth of a Pink Gym

During COVID, when lockdowns forced everything to shut down, Kirra pivoted quickly. She started running outdoor sessions at local parks. What started with a few people quickly grew, and soon, she was juggling multiple sessions and dreaming bigger.

With a lot of hustle — and some late-night emailing — she found a small indoor space, then moved to a bigger one as her community grew. And finally, she opened her dream gym: Active Nation, a female-only strength gym, decked out in pink.

Owning a gym was never part of some big business plan. It evolved naturally because she said yes to opportunities and kept taking action — even when it was scary.

“I always dreamed of having a pink gym,” Kirra said. “I had it on my Facebook cover photo years ago. I never thought it would actually happen.”

But it did — because she kept moving forward.

Life Changes (and So Does Business)

In 2023, life threw Kirra another surprise — twins! Managing premature babies and running a full-time gym proved impossible, so she made the tough decision to close her gym earlier this year.

But true to her style, Kirra didn’t stop coaching. Instead, she found a way to run female-only group strength classes inside a commercial gym — giving women a supportive space to lift and thrive without the pressure of a traditional gym setup.

It’s a beautiful reminder that success doesn’t always mean sticking to the original plan. It means evolving, adapting, and staying true to your passion — even when life changes.

Kirra’s Top Tips for New Trainers

Kirra left us with two powerful pieces of advice for anyone just finishing their Cert III and IV:

1. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
   You will feel nervous. You will mess up your words. It’s normal. Show up, make mistakes, learn, and keep going.
   
   

2. Put yourself out there — even if it’s uncomfortable.
   Email gyms. Ask trainers if you can watch their sessions. Volunteer to help. Opportunities don’t just fall into your lap — you have to chase them.
   
   

And remember:
"If you don’t ask, the answer is always no."

Kirra’s story shows that success in the fitness industry isn’t about being perfect from day one. It’s about passion, resilience, action, and staying open to change.

Whether you’re a new student, a recent graduate, or someone dreaming about building a career in fitness — take a page out of Kirra’s book:
Be brave. Take messy action. Keep going. You never know where it might lead!

If you’re thinking about becoming a qualified personal trainer or group fitness instructor, check out our Certificate III and IV in Fitness. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!