Sisters Brianna Morgan and Natalia Holmes to open women's fitness studio First Base Townsville

While Michael Morgan chases Origin glory and Valentine Holmes pursues his NFL dream, their wives, sisters Brianna Morgan and Natalia Holmes, are busy kicking their own goals in Townsville.

SISTER duo Brianna Morgan and Natalia Holmes are carving out their own space in fitness, opening a women’s gym in Townsville.

The pair, married to North Queensland Cowboys captain Michael Morgan and NFL hopeful Valentine Holmes respectively, are putting the finishing touches on First Base Townsville, a women’s group fitness studio offering 25 sessions a week with an in house physiotherapist, nutritionist and massage therapist.

Sisters Brianna Morgan and Natalia Holmes, wives of NRL stars Michael Morgan and Valentine Holmes, are launching a women's fitness studio in North Queensland called First Base Townsville. Photo: Alix Sweeney

“I lived in Sydney for two years and I felt Townsville lacked what Sydney had, the variety of boutique, funky training studios was endless and we want to bring that to Townsville,” Holmes, 23, said.

With Valentine leaving the Cronulla Sharks to pursue a career in the NFL late last year — and subsequently signing with the New York Jets practice squad — Natalia had the chance to re-join her sister in their hometown of Townsville, where they had been growing their Minoma Training brand since 2016.

When the devastating Townsville floods forced them out of their rental space in February, the duo set out to design their own space.

Holmes and Morgan have been building their Minoma Fitness brand since 2016, but living in different cities slowed their development. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“It was the push we needed to go out on our own,” Morgan, 25, said.

“We explored the option of training both men and women but for us, we felt we were able to connect with our clients and build better relationships with women. We love introducing females to resistance training who haven’t ever done so before and watching how it can transform their whole self

Brianna married Michael, who will take the field for Queensland in the State of Origin opener on Wednesday, in October and Natalia wed Valentine in a surprise wedding over Easter.

Natalia married Valentine Holmes in Townsville on Easter Sunday. Photo: Instagram / @nataliaaotoole

“No one knew but us and our immediate family until the week before, so it seemed to happen so fast to many people,” Natalia said.

“We have been together for 9 and a half years so we knew it was coming … but let’s just say, I may have a future career in wedding planning, specialising in short turn arounds,” she added with a laugh.

Natalia said she will move to New York to join her new husband at the end of the year once she is “satisfied that First Base is established and Brianna has found her feet.”

Michael Morgan and Brianna tied the knot at Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island, in October, 2018. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“Once I go I will manage our business from a Wi-Fi cafe in New York and Bri will do the early wake ups,” she said. “That’s another advantage of working with your sister who is married to a man with a similar career as yours, she gets me and is supportive of my move.”

Morgan added: “It is crazy how it has worked out but we wouldn’t change a thing. We have both been with the boys for 8 plus years. We loved them when we were just young kids and could never have known that they would both end up at an elite level, it was just a coincidence.”

“Taking such a big step is much easier when you have the support of your sister because it means that regardless of whether or not we succeed, we have each other.”

Originally published as Sisters Brianna Morgan and Natalia Holmes to open women's fitness studio First Base Townsville