Sunshine Coast weight loss: Inspiring fitness journeys and transformations

From car crash recovery to living with chronic illness, Sunshine Coast residents have shared the motivation behind their fitness overhauls. Read their inspiring stories.

From car crash recovery to living with chronic illness or wanting to keep up with their children, Sunshine Coast residents have shared the motivation behind their incredible weight loss.

Together, these eight men and women have lost nearly 250kg combined.

They shared what prompted the change, what kept them on track and some incredible photos of their transformation.

Motivated mum

A mum-of-three who became a personal trainer after losing nearly 30kg said she was motivated by her children to lose weight.

Emma Jane Crawley, 37, said she was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries which also meant her body did not break down sugar in the way it should.

Emma Jane Crawley wanted to lose weight to keep up with her children.

The Caloundra West resident said after having her third child something needed to change and she lost about 30kg over 18 months.

“If you’re ready to do it yourself, you’ve got more drive to turn up, do the workouts and stick to the food,” Ms Crawley said.

The motivated mum became a personal trainer during her own fitness transformation and works at Anytime Fitness in Currimundi.

Emma Jane Crawley lost about 30kg in a year-and-a-half after realising she could not keep up with her children. She became a personal trainer in the process. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Healing process

Mum-of-two Karla Beggs has lost more than 50kg over a 10-year period, most of it in the past four years when she decided she needed to heal physically, mentally and spiritually.

Karla Beggs started hiking before she joined a gym.

At first, Ms Beggs said the gym was not for her and she started hiking instead.

She joined Suncoast Fitness in Maroochydore, in February, 2022, and has started focusing on building strength following her weight loss.

Car crash recovery

Hairdresser Keira Salton, 28, of Nambour said she put on about 40kg after she was injured in a car crash and could not exercise.

Keira Salton put on weight following a car crash.

The hairdresser said she became quite depressed and that once her physiotherapist gave her the all clear to start exercising, she was keen to get back to the gym.

Ms Salton said she had found a “family-like” team at Fitstop Coolum who helped her modify exercises for her injuries and she lost about 30kg over 18 months.

Her advice to others was to tailor exercise to individual needs.

“Find the environment that works best for you,” she said.

“Don’t cut out foods.

“I still have chocolate, I never cut out carbs, dairy or sugar, just have it all in moderation.”

Baby weight gone

Fellow Fitstop Coolum member Eliza Weis said she was at the heaviest she had been in her life when she joined the gym in 2019.

Eliza Weis is back to a size eight.

“I had two small kids and in the pursuit of meeting their needs I was no longer meeting my own,” she said.

The mum said she had lost 16.5kg since 2020 and had gone from a size 12-14, to a size eight.

Ex-army private sheds kilos

A dad-of-two who shed 40kg in a year and will run in the Sunshine Coast Marathon was inspired to lose weight after he could not keep up with his sons.

CJ Flood lost 40kg in a year.

When Townsville man CJ Flood, 32, could not jump on the trampoline with his oldest son or walk him to the skate park, and as his three-year-old started to move more, he knew he had to lose weight.

“It was like they were getting away from me,” he said.

Mr Flood will run 10km in the Sunshine Coast Marathon and Community Run festival on August 14 with his online coach Travis Jones.

Eye on portions

Danielle Godwin was at her heaviest following the birth of her daughter and a marriage breakdown when she decided to join Fitstop Warana.

“I just wanted to be a good influence on my daughter and get back to a healthy and happy place,” she said.

Danielle Godwin started her fitness goals because she wanted to be a good influence on her daughter.

The 38-year-old Wurtulla woman lost about 25kg over a year.

She said finding a gym that was an enjoyable place to visit was important, and she also kept an eye on her portion sizes.

“I haven’t really changed anything I eat,” Ms Godwin said.

Consistency key

Melissa Tabulo, 26, of Nambour said a colleague at work peer-pressured her into going to the gym so they also joined Fitstop Warana.

“I’m a very routined person so once I got into that routine, there were obviously mornings I didn’t want to get up, but I liked what I was seeing so I kept going,” she said.

Melissa Tabulo enjoys the routine of working out.

The Nambour woman lost 23kg in 18 months.

Her advice to others was to choose a goal and work out smaller goals to achieve the bigger one.

Find the science

Kirstie Caravani has lost more than 30kg since 2020 and said she would continue her weight reduction.

Kirstie Caravani with her husband, Federico.

The Currimundi woman first started to exercise for her mental health and then her fitness goals evolved.

She said she was most proud of her husband, Federico, because he loved her no matter her size.

Ms Caravani said because of her scientific background, she had focused on the science behind food consumption.

“My relationship with food has changed a lot, I see it as food fuelling me,” she said.