The woman who introduced Zumba to Australia has new ways to get you in shape

Ten years after Venezuelan entrepreneur Deborah Goldberg helped introduce Zumba down under, she's now looking to connect Australians to suitable fitness trainers through innovative apps.

File image of a Zumba class Source: Getty

It has been an arduous but rewarding journey for Venezuelan Deborah Goldberg since she helped launch the fitness program Zumba to audiences in Australia and New Zealand in 2009, along with her Mexican business partner, Maria Teresa Stone.

Zumba Fitness & Piloxing brought her in as a distributor and marketing manager for the exercise program, created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Pérez during the 1990s.

Deborah Goldberg Source: Supplied

Ms Goldberg was in charge of the business aspect of the project which has since created tens of thousands of jobs.

Like many businesses, Zumba didn't grow overnight.

"It took us two years to bring it (Zumba) to the region and represent them, to train the instructors and give them licenses so they could teach it," she recalls.

Now, Deborah is seeking to grow other brands that she's helped launch in the region.

She created Morfus, a phone application that connects clients with qualified trainers who are registered with Fitness Australia.

Another application under her wing is Subaclass, which assists fitness instructors find other qualified trainers to backfill their group fitness classes and gym clients when they're off sick or in need of a holiday. 

Deborah feels Australians are "very open" minded about different fitness options, which drives strong growth in the industry.

"Australian culture is very focused on the sports itself, and in business terms, it's a very mature market in the for the fitness industry," she explains.

Employment in the Australian fitness industry grew significantly between 2010 and last year. A 2018 report from the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) forecasts this upward trend to continue for up to four years.

Instructors represent 9 per cent of the fitness workforce, and the employment levels are expected to grow by 18.4 per cent by 2023.

Ms Goldberg wants to encourage more women to enter the market and follow her steps towards leadership and entrepreneurship, to change the face of this male-dominated industry. 

To do this, she’s spearheading the FUEL Women’s Fitness Business Summit in Sydney on July 26.