Last week, I stood inside Parliament House in Canberra with 50 other leaders in fitness and health, invited to the first-ever AUSactive Leadership Summit. This blog won’t cover all the speakers (there were 10 – each with a great message) – but will share with you the story arc of how we got there and what it means next.

Seven years ago, when Barrie Elvish first stepped into the CEO role at AUSactive (then still Fitness Australia), our very first conversation was about dismantling the boys’ club that was firmly rooted at Fitness Australia and its partner event – FILEX. 

Barrie told me that it was his very intention to do this.

And he meant it.

Fast-forward to now — that office is full of powerhouse women in leadership roles, driving serious change. Billie, Mariana, Rain, Chloe — all quietly getting sh*t done on behalf of the industry.

You might ask yourself, why does this all of matter to me?

I learnt a long time ago and from being a relief (sometimes called a supply) teacher at many schools – across New Zealand, Japan and England – that the vibe in the staffroom is wholly reflected in the vibe in the playground. Leadership matters.

I had challenged Barry’s predecessor (Bill Moore) at Fitness Australia about the gender inequalities in both leadership and on the main stage at FILEX.

Bill (or Billy to his mates) was unfazed and literally told me that the average of women on boards was around 20% (at the time) and so Fitness Australia was doing “fine” in reflecting that. And as for FILEX, I was told they simply couldn’t find women to present on the topics that they wanted. Women’s Health was not a priority. 

Oh, how that made my blood boil.

It made me so cross that I created the Women’s Health and Fitness Summit – for 4 years, this championed women’s health and its speakers.

In fact, one of my proudest achievements in this industry was creating

The Platform (as part of WHFS) – which nurtured 4 new speakers to the stage. Many have gone on to continue to excel in public speaking.

As an aside, I continue this legacy at Women’s Fitness Education – where I organise the monthly webinar for our students. About 75% of these presenters are new, or relatively new. I work with them in a mentoring capacity to ensure that their presentation is a) pitched at the right level for our students who are new to Cert 3+4 in fitness and b) on completion of this mentoring process, they finish with a presentation that they could absolutely give on a bigger stage, such as FILEX.

But, I digress…

That conversation with Barrie was seven years ago.
Today, as he passes the baton, the organisation he’s leaving behind looks nothing like the one he walked into. The culture has shifted. The purpose has deepened. And AUSactive has grown up — not just as an industry body, but as a credible advocate.

And last week, I watched that advocacy in action, at Parliament House.

What Happens in Canberra Doesn’t Stay in Canberra

I was one of approximately 50 people invited to the AUSactive Industry Forum at Parliament House in Canberra.
Ministers from both sides of politics were there. They weren’t vague about the issues that the Australian health system has now, and into the future, if we don’t start doing something different. They flat-out said: the health system is cracking under pressure. Chronic disease is costing the country — financially, emotionally, and systemically.
And they’re finally naming something we’ve known all along:
Exercise is part of the solution.

The Work Started With “Fit for Office”

One of AUSactive’s smartest advocacy plays in recent years has been the Fit for Office campaign — getting parliamentarians to actually engage with movement (and let’s face it, tapping into their love of competition). That campaign built the foundation for relationships to help another objective of AUSactive: lobbying to have gym memberships made FBT-exempt — removing the fringe benefits tax and making it easier for employers to offer gym access as a benefit.
You can read more about that here.

We’re not there yet. But this is precisely how policy traction works:
Relationship by relationship. Year after year. Lobby by lobby.
It’s playing the long game. It’s strategic.

And from Fit for Office, we’ve now seen the launch of Million Moves — a campaign now in its 3rd year and has received funding in WA, Queensland, Ballarat and Wollongong, encouraging Australians to log movement as part of a visible, trackable push to move the dial on public health.

The data around non-active Australians getting a taste for movement via this campaign and feeling inspired to join their local gym is clear.
The goal: to have this funded and promoted across Australia.

GLP-1s: The Risk Beneath the Headlines

There was no avoiding the hot topic in the room: GLP-1 medications. Fast-tracked, widespread, and very effective at cutting weight. What does this mean for the fitness industry when prescriptions written for these drugs are on a rapid rise?
One very clear correlation is inevitable muscle loss that makes up this weight loss. It’s alarming.
Studies show 10–40% of the weight lost is lean mass — the kind of loss that mirrors two decades of aging in less than two years.
That has long-term implications — falls, frailty, sarcopenic obesity, poor metabolic recovery. And yet… no one’s talking about what rebuilds muscle.
Here’s the answer: movement.
More specifically: progressive, coached, resistance-based exercise.

And we need to be shouting that from every rooftop. The leadership in the room were able to see the connection between prescribing these effective weight loss drugs, alongside exercise, to make this a long-term health solution for the current and rising obesity levels.
The call to action was clear – make relationships with your local dr.’s who are prescribing these drugs, to share the important work you do.

Calling Out Silence – Because Silence is Where Power Hides

At the forum, we were encouraged to ask questions. I asked Dr. Michael Wright — President of the RACGP — about the government’s $700 million funding boost for women’s health. Specifically, a portion that has been earmarked to upskill GPs on menopause —currently a topic that GP’s receive very little information and many are still not recommending hormone therapy because of their own misguided biases.

He dodged the question.
I asked it again, and again he dodged.
Interestingly, at the dinner later that evening, he approached me to ask if he had answered his question.
No, I said, and held his gaze. But you can now.
For a third time, he refused to answer and filled the air with words.

And look, I’ve been around long enough to know that asking the uncomfortable question doesn’t win you popularity.
But it does build pressure.
And pressure is how policy gets made. It’s how old systems get cracked open.
So yes, I’ll keep asking. And, if you are feeling brave, or post menopause feisty, so should you.

Advocacy takes time

It takes time to see the value in these relationships. Be patient.
We have to be in it for the long game.
If you’ve ever thought, “Why are we wasting time on politics? My clients don’t care about Canberra,” you’re not alone. I have also heard that sentiment expressed inside the AUSactive Suppliers Advisory Group, of which I am a part.

But let me tell you: if we don’t get loud in the rooms where decisions are made, we stay stuck on the sidelines. Any advocacy for our industry at this level, has massive upsides for our fitness professionals and honouring the important work that they do – improving the lives of ordinary people. Helping people stay out of the health care system. Helping people stay active.

The Leadership Hand-Off: From Barrie to Ken

Leadership transitions can be sticky. They can undo momentum.
But this one? This looks very promising.
Ken Griffin has just been announced as AUSactive’s incoming CEO. His background? Health advocacy. Nursing policy. System change.
I believe Ken is the right person to carry the baton forward. To keep this momentum going, we need someone with experience — someone who can be an effective advocate for health in the rooms where decisions are made.

This Isn’t Too Big For You. Get Involved.

You don’t have to be on the board.
You don’t need to be in Parliament House.
You don’t even need to know what FBT stands for (although now you do).
You just need to care enough to act:

• Invite your local MP or councillor to your gym.
• Talk to your local GP about referring patients to exercise professionals.
• Host a Million Moves event and invite your community.
• Start the conversation. Make the contact. Be the squeaky wheel.

Because that’s how change happens. Not through perfect plans — but through persistent people.

Final Word

There were years — I’ll be honest — when I could understand why Fitness Professionals felt disgruntled with the membership fee of Fitness Australia / AUSactive.
But this? This is different.
This is momentum. This is political traction. This is real.
And if you’re still on the sidelines, the only question I’ve got for you is:
What will your MP, your GP, or your community know about your work by the end of this month?
Because if they don’t know — they can’t fund it, refer to it, or fight for it.
And let’s face it — no one else is going to do that for you.

Thanks for reading to here… but wait there is more…

I extended my Canberra trip to include two other events — the first being teaching my Menopause Training Matrix™ and inducting another round of incredible women into my Leadership Program. These women will go on to lead and present in their own communities, sharing credible, engaging menopause education. This is how we shift culture — not just by knowing more, but by being a powerful communicator.

I also went on the Canberra edition of the She Shapes History walking tour. I’m not going to lie — I bloody love me a walking tour. And it didn’t matter that the temp was sub-arctic (as only Canberra can manage) because the vibe was solid gold. Exploring the area through the lens of what it meant to be a woman in a very male and powerful institution.

Fun fact: Parliament House didn’t get its first women’s toilets until 1974. Until then, women MPs had to leave the chamber and run halfway across the building. I learnt that fact from my walking tour. And I learned about Edith Lyon, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. First woman in the federal Cabinet. She raised twelve kids (yes, twelve) and still took a seat at the big table — advocating for family welfare, women’s role in public life, and national health priorities. I did think at once of her pelvic floor.

And Dorothy Tangney? She wasn’t a big woman, but you could just tell she was mighty. Here’s a photo of me beside her statue — this one is made in exactly one-to-one ratio – a diversion of the traditional 1 to 3 ratio of most (male) statues.

Today, we’ve got equal representation across the current Labor Government, and the highest investment in women’s health this country has ever seen. Is it enough? No. I’d love to see organisations like Birth Trauma Australia appropriately funded.

But don’t mistake progress for coincidence — this shift happened because quotas were introduced in Labor in 1994, and they’re now paying dividends. Where attention goes, the money flows.
But make no mistake: we need representation at the table.
That’s precisely what AUSactive is doing — building long-game relationships with the people already at that table.
But you don’t need to wait for an invitation.
Start your own relationship with your local MP.
Do they know what you do? Have you invited them into your gym? FYI: Shadow Ministers are hungry for grassroots right now.
Educate your MP. Educate your doctor. Talk about GLP-1s. Talk about menopause. Ask about their health. Other countries have passed legislation that makes prescribing exercise part of standard healthcare.

It’s not that far off.
So, channel a bit of Dorothy. Or Edith. Get involved.

P.S. If you have read this to the very end. I commend you… it was a biggie. And if the idea of presenting (and being mentored) to my community at Women’s Fitness Education – I would love to hear your ideas. There is a 6 month waiting list – but this might be the hand up you need to go next level in sharing your goodness with the world. Reach out – hello@mishwright.com.