Like most Aussies, I didn’t grow up dreaming of a corporate career. But by the mid-2000s, I’d somehow stumbled into IT (I’m still not sure how that happened) and found myself living in Melbourne, clocking up frequent flyer miles, working ridiculous hours, and answering emails at all hours of the night.  Conference calls within Australia?  No problem.  Between Australia and the US?  No problem.  Between Australia and Europe?  No problem.  But if you want to get Australia, US and Europe ALL on one call?  That’s gonna suck for at least ONE of those regions…

That said, on paper I have to admit it all looked pretty good. Traveling the world! Managing a big team! Living the dream! In reality, it was the kind of life that leaves you exhausted, disconnected, and wondering, “Is this it?”

Then one day, in the middle of the chaos, I stumbled into a gym called Boxingfit not far from where I lived in Melbourne. It wasn’t flashy, but it was alive. The group sessions were full of energy, sweat, and banter. People weren’t just there to tick off a workout—they were there to connect, laugh, and push each other. It wasn’t just fitness; it was fun.  For the first time in a LONG time – and I had been training at different spots all over the world – I felt like I’d found what I was looking for—something that wasn’t about deadlines or deliverables but about showing up, giving it a crack, and leaving better than you came in.

The Crazy Idea That Wouldn’t Go Away

The more I trained, the more this little idea grew in my head. Could I create a gym like this? Something where people actually enjoyed showing up? But not just a copy of what I’d found—I wanted to add my spin:

• Group sessions for everyone.
• Boxing at the core, but with variety—new sessions every day.
• Classes morning, noon and night – so whether you were an early bird or needed to train AFTER the kids had gone to bed, well – you had an option.
• Boxing at the core, but adding in some specific strength and cardio-based work.  (You know – bikes and barbells are things!)

So, I started sketching out a plan. By day, I was flying between cities, managing a team of 165 people, and putting out fires. By night, I was scribbling ideas for training models and Googling “how to start a gym.”  Actually – it was 2005 – so maybe I was using Alta Vista or Yahoo rather than Google???  As that family photo up above shows, it was a LONG time ago!!

Back to Perth, Back to Reality

In late 2007, we moved back to Perth. The smallest family member (the one who’s a baby in that photo and is now 18) had just turned 1 and it was time for him to spend some time with his grand-parents and our extended family.  While it was great to be home, my IT job followed me. And let me tell you, it’s a little further from Perth to Sydney than it is from Melbourne to Sydney and those five-hour ’emergency’ trips were getting old fast…work all day, jump on the midnight horror, try and sleep on the plane, straight to the office when you land…GET EXCITED!!! But the move gave me more motivation to make the gym idea happen.

Except… I had no clue how to actually do it.

Turns out, managing a massive corporate team doesn’t exactly prepare you for running a small business. I had no idea how to set up timetables, pay people, or even open a business bank account. I’d spent years leading meetings and creating strategies, but when it came to the nitty-gritty—like remembering to pay the electricity bill—it was like being thrown into the deep end without floaties.

Banks kept rejecting my business plan. The City of Cockburn wanted answers to questions I didn’t even know existed. Every time I thought I’d taken a step forward, I’d find myself stuck in another round of paperwork or scrambling to fix a problem I hadn’t anticipated.  As for great advice like ‘build relationships with the people at the council’…well, yeah, I can share some stories about how that goes if you like.  I’m pretty sure the knife scars are still there on my back for all to see.

Finally, We Opened the Doors

But I kept pushing. After years of dreaming, planning, and what felt like fighting every bureaucratic system in the country, Round 1 Fitness opened its doors in 2010.  Were we ready to open the doors?  Hell no.  Did we open the doors anyway – WAY before acceptances?  Yep.

The first few months were a blur. I was coaching classes, mopping floors, managing memberships, and Googling “how to run payroll” late into the night. But despite the chaos, well…it was pretty good.  And more than that – despite our complete inability to get organised – people showed up. Every day.  They didn’t just come to train—they came to connect. They cheered each other on, shared laughs, and bonded over shared struggles (mostly burpees). The vision I’d had all those years ago in Melbourne was finally real.

Why I Do This

Have there been changes?  Oh man – the gym is unrecognisable (for a start, it’s twice the size!).  But at its heart, Round 1 Fitness isn’t about having the fanciest equipment or the most hardcore workouts. It’s about people. It’s about creating a space where everyone—from first-timers to fitness fanatics—feels like they belong.

It’s the kind of place where the coach explains the workout, then joins you in the trenches. Where you can sneak in a cheeky breather when no one’s looking, and your mate will still give you grief for it later.

We train together, laugh together, and push each other to be better. And for me, there’s no greater reward than watching someone walk out of a session feeling stronger, prouder, and more confident than when they walked in.

See you in the gym,

Michael.