Sunshine Coast Black Wolf Fitness coach and former military sniper Michael Paulger eyes off business empire

After serving as a military sniper and protecting people in Afghanistan, a young Sunshine Coast trainer is bidding to create Australia’s next major fitness empire.

After serving as a military sniper and protecting people in the heart of Afghanistan a Sunshine Coast man is now on a mission to grow the largest fitness service in Australia.

Michael Paulger, 30, is the founder and coach of Black Wolf Fitness which launched in 2020 offering personal training and a subscription fitness app where he creates tailored and evolving workouts for clients of all ages and abilities.

Mr Paulger, who served as a sniper for the Australian Army for two years, said his interest in personal training was sparked while working for a private security agency where he protected Australian diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2015 to 2019.

While this wasn’t in his job description, Mr Paulger said he enjoyed training the diplomats who were keen on getting into shape.

“That’s when I realised I could do this for a living when I come home,” he said.

In 2019, he flew home to the Sunshine Coast because he missed his family.

Mr Paulger said he then decided to become a personal trainer at Jetts in Mooloolaba, using the money he’d earnt overseas to launch Black Wolf Fitness in 2020.

Mr Paulger said he had built a strong mindset after surrounding himself with top soldiers and private security agents overseas, a skill he was now transferring into his successful fitness service.

Black Wolf Fitness owner and coach Michael Paulger in Afghanistan. Picture: Supplied.

He said he was today coaching and managing about 180 people in total across in-person training and via his app.

Mr Paulger said his app was a unique service where people received video tutorials, free messaging access to him, and customised fitness programs, which were updated every eight weeks depending on their progress.

He said part of his success so far was because of his wide background, including CrossFit, body building, and Muay Thai.

While he was successful in the military and overseas, he said this company was one of his “proudest” achievements – and he said he wanted it to become one of the biggest in the country.

“I want [it] to be as big as Chris Hemsworth’s app,” he said.