Vidafit Coach, Danielle Duke named Rockhampton’s best personal trainer | 2023

After being told personal training — her dream job — wasn’t a real career in high school, Danielle Duke has gone from working as a hairdresser to becoming Rockhampton’s best personal trainer.

With a lifelong passion for health and fitness, a former hairdresser has taken a leap of faith to pursue her dream career in personal training, only to be named Rockhampton’s best personal trainer of 2023 five years later.

Danielle Duke started her personal training journey in 2019, with the launch of Sporty Sisters, a group training session that she would host every morning with her six best friends (aka the OG Sporty Sisters).

The sessions continued throughout 2019 with the group fluctuating in size — growing, shrinking, and growing once more.

Even after moving on to other things, all the Sporty Sisters stayed in Rockhampton.

Danielle Duke has gone from working as a hairdresser and an athletic apparel retail worker to becoming Rockhampton’s best personal trainer. 

Now solely based at Vidafit — Rockhampton’s best gym of 2023 — Danielle coaches ‘essentially everyday’ at the gym and loves it.

“It was one of the best moves I’ve ever made,” she said.

From coaching small group training and skill sessions to multiple daily classes, including Vidafit kids (6 years and up) and the ageless active crew, Danielle juggles a dynamic routine, and ‘absolutely’ loves it.

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Born and raised on the Sunshine Coast, Danielle moved to the Yeppoon and Rockhampton region 31 years ago and has been settled ever since.

While fitness has always been her passion, personal training was a frowned upon profession by her guidance counsellors in high school, claiming ‘it wasn’t a career’.

Deterred from her dream job, Danielle worked as a hairdresser at Stefan Rockhampton for 16 years, and then as a manager at Lorna Jane for four years.

“I still have my Stefan family,” she said.

“I don’t regret it. I absolutely loved it but at the same time, I always had my heart set on fitness.”

It wasn’t until Danielle bit the bullet in 2019, that she followed her dream career.

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“I’ve been on bit of a whirlwind journey and done all sorts of things,” she said.

Danielle is dedicated to ensuring her clients and members receive the best possible service, pushing to continually better herself.

Grounded in a positive mindset and living by the belief that if you believe, you can make it happen, Danielle takes pride in facilitating positive changes in others, finding fulfilment in inspiring individuals to continuously evolve and become the best versions of themselves through the health and fitness.

“The feeling you get, it melts my heart to see someone coming for an essentially sedentary lifestyle to a couple months later, kicking goals and hitting new personal bests,” she said.

“Just knowing that you are helping them change their lives for the better, that is my favourite part of the job.”

Niss Ramm from Ready 24 Gym came runner up with 13 per cent of the votes.