Korin Koutsomihalis is an inspiring and tireless high achiever and award winner. Via her Gerringong-based small business SOUL FIT CO, located at the Gerringong Bowling Club, Korin proactively seeks out networking opportunities, active community events and awards programs, to inspire all Australians to move together. 

Korin primarily sees her passion for fitness, her awards and achievements as a means to fulfil her life’s purpose to help more and more people live long, healthy and meaningful lives. Korin has a particular passion for working with and helping older Australians.

Situated on Dharawal country, SOUL FIT CO is registered with the indigenous collective  Supply Nation as a multi award-winning fitness and wellness business. It was named Illawarra and South Coast’s Local Business Award Winner for Outstanding Fitness Service 2023, AUSactive Roll of Honour Award 2023, AUSactive National Personal Trainer of the Year 2023 and Break The Bias Platinum Award Winner 2023. The business  is currently a finalist in the National Australian Small Business Awards, with the winners to be announced later this month. 

Korin winning Illawarra and South Coast business award

SOUL FIT CO strives to foster equality, acceptance and support in a safe and socially inclusive space for people of any background, ethnicity or social group, age, ability or fitness level. Korin says SOUL FIT CO encourages everyone to work at their own pace, celebrate who they are and always empower each other to move together for a better life. Participants have included people with dementia, physical disabilities including visual impairments and Parkinsons, frail and aged participants, and those recovering from knee, hip and shoulder surgeries. Korin says the entire operation is about ‘bringing people together through connection-driven experiences where they can smile, laugh, sweat, challenge, share, meditate and move!’

 SOUL FIT CO’s regular classes are named according to their focus – ‘Strong’, ‘Golden’, ‘Woman’, ‘Spin’ and ‘Boxing’. 

I first met Korin in 2021 at SOUL FIT CO’s indoor/outdoor ‘Strong’ class, towards the end of the Covid lockdowns. Her positivity, drive and determination to encourage participants to push on and stretch ourselves was immediately evident and infectious. 

The tough workout was easier with her motivational words and sense of fun. 

Our hard work was rewarded at the end with a lovely, long, relaxed guided meditation in a beautiful setting at the back of the Bowlo, half under the stars with the sound of the surf as background. 

Korin aims for her classes to be ‘medicine for the body and therapy for the mind’.

Korin describes her ‘Golden’ session as ‘a class to celebrate the essence of feeling amazing as a mature and wise Werri local’. Undertaken standing or seated, or a combination of both, it offers strengthening exercises combined with elements of balance, core activation, Tai Chi, relaxation and mindfulness. 

Golden Class at SOUL FIT

Her star ‘Golden’ class participant, 103 year old local Bev Sherwood is active and healthy, and was a motivational speaker at the Australian Masters Games in late 2023. Korin describes Bev as ‘an inspiring local Australian, super senior and an incredible role model of healthy ageing’. Korin’s classes cater to all ages, and her youngest participant is 10.

Bev Sherwood at Golden Class

Presenting Korin’s award for Kiama Council Australian Citizen of the Year 2023 mayor Neil Reilly enthused ‘She is a worthy recipient of our Citizen of the Year Award for 2023’. Of her classes he said ‘Korin’s method of group fitness instruction focuses on diversity and inclusion. This goes beyond the profession to a sincere involvement in, and contribution to, the holistic health and well-being of our local community’.

SOUL FIT CO is currently working with academics from the University of Wollongong to collate exercise data on the older attendees of its weekly Golden class. Class attendees have so far documented their activity level and quality prior to taking classes, any history of falls and so forth, and have shared how participation in the Golden class has improved their health, fitness, quality of life and connection to community. 

SOUL FIT CO’s proprietor Korin Koutsomihalis is hopeful this will lead to a further regional health study which could increase access to mobility and movement classes nationally for thousands of Home Care and MyAgedCare registered participants, to aid in falls prevention and strengthening, and to enhance the community connection and participation for isolated and physically impaired older Australians.