Going the distance for future fitness leaders

Kelly McMullan brings passion, industry experience and purpose-driven teaching to UOW College’s fitness programs, empowering students to find their stride and hit their career goals.

---

If you’re out and about in Shellharbour, chances are you’ll spot Kelly running. Whether training for her next marathon or helping a personal training client chase their own fitness goals, she pours passion and determination into every step.  
 
It’s the same contagious energy she brings every day to her role as Fitness Program Manager at UOW College, where she has spent the last decade helping students find their path in the fitness industry.  
 
“There’s something really special about watching someone discover their own potential,” Kelly says.  
 
“A lot of people don’t realise what they’re capable of until they’re in the room, learning and giving it a go.”

Building strong futures

Completing her Bachelor of Exercise Science and Graduate Diploma of Science (Exercise Rehabilitation) at UOW, Kelly has spent more than 15 years in the industry as an exercise physiologist and personal trainer. She has worked extensively with clients with chronic and complex health conditions, general population clients, and sport-specific coaching. 
 
Kelly stepped into education when a colleague invited her to help launch a new fitness course at UOW College in 2015. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to build an industry-leading program that remains practical, relevant and engaging, delivering hands-on learning grounded in real-world experience. 
 
“We look at what the industry needs, now and into the future, and focus on what our students need to feel confident and have successful careers,” she says. 
 
“This goes beyond the skills and outcomes needed to gain their qualification and run a business. We also help them build soft skills like communication and empathy, which are vital to long-term retention of clients and gaining the word-of-mouth promotion that fitness businesses rely on.”  

Plugged into industry

Kelly and her diverse team of quality educators – including experienced business owners and national AUSactive Award winners – are joined regularly by industry speakers and mentors. Actively nurtured industry connections offer varied work placement pathways for students to translate learning into practice.  
 
“They get to see how it works in practice in a gym environment, and a high percentage of our students end up securing a role with the company they did work placement with after they graduate,” Kelly says. 
 
Companies often reach out to Kelly seeking students and employees, drawn by the program’s reputation for delivering high-quality training and producing job-ready graduates. 
 
“We’ve got so many amazing graduates, including Paige Pollard, whose Good Energy Run Club initiative began as a college assignment and went on to earn her a national AUSactive Award. Others, like renowned local personal trainer Jordan Bourke, have become leaders in their own right, and now take on our students and support them into the industry.” 
 
The program attracts a diverse mix of students, from school-leavers and career changers to mature students and even retirees, with students ranging from 16 to 70 years old. The program also supports school-based traineeships across the Illawarra and NSW South Coast, with a clear path to higher degrees in medical and health, exercise, or nutrition science at UOW.

Leading by example

Alongside her role at UOW College, Kelly is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and still trains regular clients. She is also a seasoned endurance athlete, competing regularly in half and full marathons.  
 
She has won her age group in the Shellharbour Half and Full Marathons and was part of the winning women’s team at the 2025 Australian Ironman in Port Macquarie. Next up is the Sydney Marathon in August, now one of seven international marathon events in the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series.  
 
“My goal is to tick them all off,” Kelly says.  
 
“It’s a chance to combine my love of running with travel and raising money for research and charities close to my heart. It’s also about showing my kids the value of staying active and that anything is possible if you work hard for it.”  
 
Kelly sees fitness as much more than just a job – it’s a way to change people’s lives for the better. 
 
“If I could get every single person on the planet physically active, I would,” she says.  
 
“The physical health benefits are obvious, but it’s the mental wellbeing, the confidence, the sense of achievement… that’s what I want students to pass on to their clients.”