Kayla Itsines is an Australian personal trainer, author, entrepreneur, and fitness influencer known for her global online fitness career.
She first gained attention through her workout programs and social media content, especially her Bikini Body Guides, before building the Sweat fitness platform into a global business.
Who is Kayla Itsines?
Kayla Itsines is a fitness entrepreneur and personal trainer from Adelaide, South Australia.
She began her professional journey after completing her training at the Australian Institute of Fitness at the age of 18.
She initially worked at a women’s gym in Adelaide, where she developed a strong interest in helping women improve their fitness and confidence.
Her work later expanded beyond face-to-face training when she began sharing workout advice and client progress on social media.
Its popularity grew rapidly through social media, creating a large online community around her training approach.
Kayla success with BBG eventually helped lead to the development of the Sweat fitness platform.
Her influence also reached beyond fitness programs, as her Instagram presence helped turn her into a widely recognized fitness personality.
In 2016, Time named Kayla one of the 30 most influential people on the internet, recognizing her ability to use social media to build her fitness brand.
Kayla Itsines Early Life and Family
Kayla Itsines was born on May 21, 1991, in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. She grew up in a Greek family and has spoken about the influence of her Greek heritage on her life and food choices.
Her parents, Anna and Jim Itsines, were both teachers, and she has one younger sister, Leah Itsines, who also works in the fitness and food space.
Fitness became part of Kayla’s life through sports such as basketball and other physical activities.
She initially felt intimidated by the gym, but encouragement from a personal trainer helped her become more comfortable with exercise.
As she became more interested in training, she changed her career plans and decided to pursue fitness rather than her original interest in becoming a beauty therapist.
Her early experiences eventually shaped the training philosophy that became central to her career.
She wanted to create practical workouts that could help women feel stronger and more confident without making fitness feel inaccessible.
Kayla Itsines Age
Kayla Itsines is 35 years old as of 2026, as she was born on May 21, 1991. Her career has developed significantly since her teenage years.
By her early twenties, she had already qualified as a personal trainer and started building an online community around her workouts.
Kayla Itsines Nationality and Ethnicity
Kayla Itsines is Australian by nationality and was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Her family heritage is Greek, and she identifies herself as Greek.
She has also discussed how her Greek upbringing influenced some of her food preferences and lifestyle.
Her Australian upbringing and Greek family background have both remained important parts of her identity.
Despite building an international career, Kayla has continued to maintain strong connections to her family and her roots.
Kayla Itsines Education
Kayla Itsines completed her professional fitness education at the Australian Institute of Fitness. She graduated at the age of 18 and qualified as a Master Trainer.
Her education gave her the foundation needed to begin working professionally with clients and develop structured exercise programs.
After completing her qualification, Kayla began working at a women’s gym in Adelaide.
Her early professional experience gave her an opportunity to understand the fitness goals and concerns of women who were starting or improving their exercise routines.
This experience later influenced the type of workouts she created for her growing online audience.
Beginning as a Personal Trainer (2008–2013)
Kayla Itsines began her professional fitness journey in 2008, after completing her studies at the Australian Institute of Fitness.
Her official website provides more information about her fitness career and current programs.
She started working at a women-only personal training center in Adelaide, South Australia, where she gained hands-on experience helping women improve their fitness and strength.
She later moved into mobile personal training before eventually establishing her own personal training studio.
During these early years, Kayla developed a clear understanding of the challenges women faced when trying to stay consistent with exercise.
Her experience with clients also helped shape the practical and accessible training style that later became central to her online fitness programs.
Launching Bikini Body Guide (2014–2016)
A major turning point came in 2014, when Kayla created her Bikini Body Guide (BBG).
Her workout guide was initially designed as a simple way to give clients structured routines they could follow outside personal training sessions.
However, interest quickly grew beyond her local client base. Kayla began sharing workouts, fitness advice, and client transformation stories through social media, particularly Instagram.
Her content connected with women around the world and helped her build a large online community.
What started as a downloadable workout guide soon developed into a much larger fitness business and established Kayla as a prominent name in the emerging online fitness industry.
Building Sweat into a Global Brand (2017–2023)
Between 2017 and 2023, Kayla expanded her fitness career from individual training programs into a global digital business.
She worked with her then-business partner Tobi Pearce to develop the Sweat platform, which brought multiple workout programs together in one app.
Kayla continued to serve as a trainer and the main fitness personality behind the platform while creating programs designed for women with different fitness goals and experience levels.
The app eventually reached millions of women worldwide, while Kayla’s social media presence continued to grow.
Her work during this period transformed her from a personal trainer sharing workouts online into an international fitness entrepreneur.
Taking Back Ownership of Sweat (2024–Present)
In 2024, Kayla entered another major chapter of her professional journey after regaining ownership of Sweat.
The business had previously been sold in a deal reported at around US$400 million, but Kayla later returned as the sole owner.
She has described the decision as personally meaningful because Sweat began as an idea closely connected to her own training philosophy and mission.
Since returning to ownership, she has focused on developing the platform around the changing needs of women.
Her current work includes strength-training programs as well as pregnancy and post-pregnancy options.
Alongside her role as a business owner, Kayla continues to work as a trainer, content creator, and advocate for helping women become stronger and more confident through fitness.
Did Kayla and Tobi Buy Sweat Back?
Yes, Kayla Itsines and Tobi Pearce bought Sweat back from iFIT in 2023 after selling the fitness company in 2021.
This move marked an important change in Kayla’s role within the company, as she returned to the business with a stronger focus on its future direction.
Her interview with The CEO Magazine gives more insight into her return to Sweat and the personal reasons behind taking greater control of the brand.
Tobi later became a passive investor, while Kayla took active control of the business and eventually became its sole owner.
She now leads Sweat with a renewed focus on helping women build strength, confidence, and healthier routines.
What Happened to Kayla Itsines?
Kayla Itsines has continued working in the fitness industry and remains active with Sweat. After selling the company to iFIT in 2021, Kayla and Tobi Pearce bought it back in 2023.
Tobi later became a passive investor, while Kayla returned to an active leadership role and eventually became the sole owner, as she explained in a Forbes Australia interview
She continues to create fitness programs, run her business, and connect with millions of women through her online platforms.
Alongside her career, Kayla is also focused on her family life with her husband, Jae Woodroffe, and their two children.
Kayla Itsines Husband and Children
Kayla Itsines is currently married to Jae Woodroffe, an Australian personal trainer and fitness professional.
The couple began dating in 2021 after knowing each other as friends and neighbors for several years.
They became engaged in July 2022 and married on December 2, 2023, in an intimate outdoor ceremony in Adelaide, Australia.
Kayla and Jae have also built a family together and welcomed their son, Jax, in January 2023.
She is also a mother to her daughter Arna Leia Pearce, who was born in April 2019 from her previous relationship with Tobi Pearce.
Kayla and Tobi were together for around eight years, became engaged in 2018, and announced their separation in August 2020.
Despite their breakup, they continue to share a co-parenting relationship for Arna. Today, Kayla lives with Jae and their children while continuing to focus on her family, fitness career, and leadership of Sweat.
Is Kayla Itsines Still With Her Husband?
Yes, Kayla Itsines is still married to Jae Woodroffe. They tied the knot in December 2023 and continue to be together. There are no credible reports of a separation or divorce.
Kayla Itsines Ex-Fiancé
Kayla Itsines was previously in a long-term relationship with Tobi Pearce, an Australian entrepreneur and fitness professional.
Both met at a gym in Adelaide in 2012 and soon began building both a personal and professional relationship.
Tobi became an important part of Kayla’s early business journey, and together they helped develop the Bikini Body Guide (BBG) and later co-founded the fitness platform Sweat, which grew into a major global fitness brand.
The couple became engaged in April 2018 and welcomed their daughter, Arna Leia Pearce, in April 2019. After around eight years together, Kayla and Tobi announced their separation in August 2020.
Although their romantic relationship ended, they have remained connected through co-parenting their daughter.
Their business partnership also became part of Sweat’s larger corporate journey, with the company later being sold to iFIT in 2021 in a deal widely reported at around $400 million.
She later returned to ownership of Sweat, while Tobi continued pursuing his own business interests and fitness ventures.
Are Tobi Pearce and Kayla Itsines Still Friends?
Kayla Itsines and Tobi Pearce appear to remain on good terms after their split in 2020.
They continue to co-parent their daughter, Arna, and have maintained a friendly relationship despite moving on with their separate lives.
Do Kayla Itsines and Rachel Dillon Get Along?
Kayla Itsines and Rachel Dillon appear to maintain a civil relationship, although neither has shared many details about their personal interactions.
Rachel is married to Tobi Pearce, Kayla former fiancé and the father of her daughter, Arna.
After Kayla and Tobi ended their relationship in 2020, both moved on with their separate lives while continuing to co-parent Arna.
Rachel has also become part of Arna family life through her relationship with Tobi.
There is no reliable public evidence of a major dispute between Kayla and Rachel, but there is also limited information to suggest that they are particularly close.
Based on what has been shared publicly, they appear to keep things respectful while their families remain connected through Arna.
Kayla Itsines Net Worth
Kayla Itsines has an estimated net worth of $115 million as of 2026. She earns money through several sources connected to her fitness and business career.
Her main income comes from Sweat, the fitness platform she co-founded and later returned to ownership of.
Kayla also earns from workout programs, fitness guides, digital products, brand partnerships, social media collaborations, and other business investments.
Her large online following allows her to work with brands and promote fitness-related products and services.
She has also invested in property and other businesses, which provide additional sources of income outside her fitness programs.
Kayla Itsines Height and Weight
Kayla Itsines stands around 5 feet 5 inches which is equal to 165 centimeters or 1.65 meters tall. She weighs around 115 pounds which is equal to 52 kilograms.
Her athletic and lean physique reflects her background as a personal trainer and fitness entrepreneur, although her appearance and body weight can naturally change over time.
She has built her career around strength, fitness, and helping women develop sustainable exercise routines rather than focusing only on a particular body weight.
Kayla Itsines Plastic Surgery
Kayla Itsines has faced plenty of online speculation about whether she has had plastic surgery, especially as her appearance has changed over the years.
However, she has not publicly confirmed having major cosmetic procedures such as a nose job or breast augmentation.
Kayla has been open about some beauty treatments, including getting porcelain veneers and having lip blush tattooing.
She has also undergone surgery for endometriosis, but those procedures were medical treatments rather than plastic surgery.
Social Media Presence
Kayla Itsines has a strong social media presence, especially on Instagram, where she shares workout routines, fitness tips, family moments, and updates about her work with Sweat.
Her Instagram account @kayla_itsines has more than 15 million followers, making it one of her main ways to connect with women around the world.
She also uses other social platforms to share fitness content and promote her programs, helping her stay closely connected with her large online community.
Conclusion
Kayla Itsines has built a remarkable career from personal training to becoming a successful fitness entrepreneur and global influencer.
Her work with Sweat has helped her reach millions of women, while her fitness programs continue to inspire people to become stronger and healthier.
Alongside her business journey, Kayla has also embraced family life with her husband, Jae Woodroffe, and her two children.
Her story shows how a simple idea, combined with consistency and hard work, can grow into a global fitness career.