INSIGHT
News, views and lessons learnt
NETWORK
CELEBRATES
30 YEARS
OF LEADING
THE WAY!
At the recent FILEX 2017 fitness industry convention, Australian
Fitness Network celebrated three decades of leading the way in the
fitness industry.
During the event’s Opening Ceremony, Network’s CEO, Ryan
Hogan, took the company’s directors by surprise when he went
off-script to present an emotive film celebrating their achievements
over the past 30 years. Nigel Champion , Lisa Champion and Greg
Hurst accepted a bespoke 30 th Anniversary book to commemorate
the occasion, as an auditorium packed with their industry peers and
protégés gratefully acknowledged the impact that their leadership
has had on the Australian, and global, fitness scene.
From the vantage point of 2017, where fitness pervades all aspects
of our lives, from wearable tech and Instagram fitspiration to reality
television, it’s easy to forget that ‘fitness’ hasn’t always enjoyed such
a high profile.
In 1987 the fitness ‘industry’ in Australia was in its infancy. Along
with old-school boxing gyms and sports clubs, ‘exercise to music’
classes were springing up in community halls, inspired by the Jane
Fonda-led aerobics explosion in the US (see Nigel's feature on the
facing page).
While there was boundless passion on the part of those
10 | NETWORK WINTER 2017
teaching classes and running gyms, there was no coherency of
message, standard of qualification, or opportunity for professional
development.
The need for a leader with the vision to unite, support and develop
the industry in a way that would benefit both those working in it and
those they served – the Australian public – was met by the team that
created The Fitness Leader Network, as it was originally known.
Since its formation thirty years ago, Network has played a pivotal
role in equipping the nation’s army of fitness professionals with the
qualifications, skills and confidence to become the diverse and
mature industry that it is today.
Throughout FILEX 2017, which was held at the brand new ICC
Sydney after its 3-year relocation to Melbourne, members of the
industry, both old and new, overwhelmed the company’s directors
with their congratulations and expressions of gratitude. From stories
of lifelong careers inspired and enabled by Network, to personal
health and life transformations, the influence of the fitness industry’s
leaders was evident for all to see.
Watch the film and view the online version of the book
commemorating Network’s 30 years of leading the way
at fitnessnetwork.com.au