WA Woman in Fitness Leader of the Year
Meet Amanda:
Nominee Name: Amanda Munrowd
Business/Organisation (if applicable): Roar Active
Contact Email: amanda@roar.com.au
Q&A – part 1
My leadership journey in the fitness industry has been shaped by both personal transformation and the experience of building a business from the ground up.
Growing up, I was not the sporty child and I wasn’t raised in a healthy sporty family. Health and fitness were not a large part of my environment until I was around 18 years old when some friends from school introduced me to the gym and that experience quickly shifted my perspective. I discovered how powerful movement, training and healthy choices could be in helping someone feel stronger, more confident and capable in their everyday life.
That early shift in my own life eventually led me into the fitness industry. In 2014, at 26 years old, we began planning what would become Roar Active. In the early days my role was very much a jack of all trades. I was involved in everything from running sales tours and making coffees to posting on social media and managing supplier accounts. We were building the business while learning as we went, and looking back those early years taught me an enormous amount about resilience, problem solving and the realities of running a business.
What began as one club with a team of around 25 people has since grown into six clubs and a team of more than 320 staff. As the business expanded, my role as a leader had to evolve as well. In 2016, after opening our second club in Canning Vale, I recognised the need to invest seriously in my own leadership development. I joined a mentoring and business network called K2 led by Kerwin Rae. Over the two years I spent in that program I developed significantly both personally and professionally, gaining frameworks and support that helped us strengthen the fundamentals of the business.
As Roar continued to grow we experienced both exciting progress and significant challenges. Taking over and redeveloping our Bibra Lake site required a major step up in leadership capability. I moved from being involved in everything operationally to focusing more deeply on systems, culture and scalable structures. During that time, we implemented projects such as new payroll systems, structured onboarding processes and more defined leadership and meeting cadences to support a growing organisation.
One of the most defining moments came in 2020 when COVID-19 forced gyms to close. Overnight our entire team faced uncertainty, and many staff suddenly found themselves without work. During that period leadership was less about strategy and more about stability, communication and supporting people through a very difficult time while making complex business decisions in an environment of constant change.
Over the past twelve years my view of leadership has evolved significantly. In the early stages I believed leadership was mainly about driving outcomes and building the business. Today I see it much more as creating the environment where great people can do their best work. I often describe my role as being the thermostat of the organisation. Leadership sets the tone for culture, standards and energy, and those elements shape how a team performs.
In the past two years in particular I feel I have grown into a far more confident version of myself as a leader and executive. At the beginning of 2025, during a period of transition within the organisation, I stepped into the CEO role and took a more defined leadership approach across the business.
My philosophy today is a blend of leading with heart while also pursuing competitive excellence. I am deeply focused on building a culture where people feel they belong, where they are supported as individuals but also challenged to grow. I spend a large portion of my time collaborating with leaders and teams across the business, and the rest staying connected to the clubs themselves, training, walking the floor and engaging with both staff and members.
I am not a distant or purely financial leader. Knowing the people in our organisation matters to me. I make a conscious effort to stay close to the team and the community because I believe strong culture is built through presence and genuine connection.
A philosophy that guides both my leadership and the Roar culture is the idea of becoming one percent better every day. Continuous improvement is something I apply to myself and encourage throughout the organisation. My goal is to ensure that when people join Roar they grow in skill, confidence and leadership while they are with us.
At the same time, I feel a strong responsibility to continue pushing the industry forward. Part of my role is thinking about what comes next for fitness and wellness and how we can continue to innovate through new training concepts, recovery spaces and community experiences.
One of the most significant milestones in the past two years was stepping into the CEO role after previously operating more behind the scenes as a gym owner. Since taking on that responsibility, I have focused heavily on strengthening both the performance and the structure of the business.
During this period we have achieved key business targets while also introducing new leadership cadences and communication rhythms across the organisation to improve clarity and alignment for our growing team. We have implemented several AI platforms across different departments to improve operational efficiency and decision making. Internally we have also seen measurable cultural improvements, including higher team eNPS scores and reduced staff turnover.
Alongside operational improvements, we have delivered a number of significant projects and initiatives across the brand. At Roar Bibra Lake we launched The Oasis, a dedicated recovery and wellness space, and completed the development of The Arena, which will serve as a future events venue for the community. We also completed a full renovation of our Canning Vale club and successfully launched a strength and conditioning program at our Cockburn site which has received strong member feedback.
We have continued to expand the brand’s reach and impact. Over the past 24 months we have welcomed thousands of new members across our clubs and opened two additional sites under our MMA brand. We also introduced HYROX training at our Bibra Lake facility which has been extremely well received by members.
From a commercial perspective, revenue across the business has grown by more than 14 percent over the past two years. While wages have also increased, this has been a deliberate strategy to position Roar as a leading employer in the fitness industry, ensuring we attract, retain and develop exceptional talent. We have also restructured parts of the organisation and introduced new roles designed to enhance the overall member experience.
One area I am particularly proud of is turning around a major department within the business that was previously operating at a loss. Through focused leadership, restructuring and clearer accountability we have transformed that department into a profitable area of the business, now performing at approximately 450 percent of its previous average results.
Beyond the core business, I also launched a homeschool program within Roar Bibra Lake for primary-aged children. The program integrates daily sport, fitness and martial arts activities and reflects our broader mission of encouraging healthy, active lifestyles within the community.
Across the brand we have also seen growth in our personal training team, an increase in the number of sessions delivered and higher participation levels across our group training services. Together these outcomes reflect both the continued growth of the business and the strengthening of the culture and systems that support it.
My leadership work spans fitness, motherhood, entrepreneurship and education and with 12 years’ experience across these areas I thoroughly enjoy mentoring and supporting other women in all aspects of life and business.
The largest motivator for me in leadership and in my role is to create opportunities for other amazing women to do great things. I love hiring and promoting new female leaders into Roar and I am proud of the gender diversity we have in our leadership team today. I also love recognizing talent in others and empowering them to step up into roles they didn’t think they were capable of, then developing them into bigger capacities.
A big focus in my day to day role is empowering and guiding other women at Roar through challenges, difficult conversations, motherhood and career overlap and development pathways. I love seeing others in the workplace build and grow their confidence and step into bigger things.
I strive to role model my values at the highest level and empower others to learn their values and do the same, being grounded and confident in yourself and letting that shine through. I don’t see gender in the workplace, I see people for who they are, what they stand for and what they are capable of and it’s great working amongst so many amazing female leaders, fellow mothers and wives.
Outside of direct mentorship, I try to share my own experiences vulnerably, especially the hard moments so that my transparency can help others feel less alone.
For me, empowering other women is about sharing my stories and leading from the front with visibility so I can continue creating environments where other women are supported, challenged and given the space to step into their full potential.
As a female CEO, multi business owner and mom I hope to demonstrate that it is possible to build a meaningful career while also balancing family life and your own personal wellbeing.
Over the years I have led a number of initiatives focused on improving both the employee experience and the member journey at Roar Active. My goal has always been to build a strong culture internally while creating facilities and services that genuinely improve people’s health, confidence and sense of community.
One of the most impactful initiatives has been expanding Roar’s service offering to create a more complete health and fitness ecosystem for our members. This has included launching Reformer Pilates, developing our own Strength and Conditioning program, introducing HYROX training and bringing The Oasis recovery space to life at our Bibra Lake facility. These initiatives have added multiple new training and wellness modalities that support members through every stage of their fitness journey, from beginners to competitive athletes.
The scale of our facilities has also allowed us to deliver unique experiences within the fitness industry. Our Bibra Lake location has evolved into a multi-service health and wellness hub incorporating gym training, group fitness, aquatics, recovery, martial arts and hospitality experiences. This has created a destination facility that supports thousands of members each week and has helped Roar grow into a community serving more than 15,000 members.
Another major focus of my leadership has been building a strong leadership culture where people feel a genuine sense of belonging and opportunity. Today Roar employs more than 320 staff and regularly works with over 100 contractors across our sites. We have invested heavily in leadership development, structured onboarding systems and team communication frameworks that support growth while maintaining strong culture. As a result we have seen improvements in employee engagement scores, lower team turnover and stronger internal leadership pathways.
Operationally, I have led the development of several systems and processes designed to support sustainable growth. This includes introducing structured planning methodologies, leadership meeting cadences, NPS tracking and more recently integrating AI tools across the business. One example is the creation of an AI powered knowledge base for team members and Roar members, designed to improve access to information, support staff confidence and create a more consistent member experience.
Innovation has also extended beyond traditional gym services. I launched a hybrid homeschool sport and fitness program at our Bibra Lake site which integrates daily physical activity, sport and martial arts for primary aged children. The program reflects our broader belief that fitness environments can play an important role in shaping healthy habits for the next generation.
Collectively these initiatives have contributed to significant measurable outcomes for the brand. Over the past two years we have welcomed thousands of new members across our clubs, expanded our service offering, strengthened our leadership structure and continued building a business that positively impacts thousands of people across Western Australia each month.
One lesson I have learned over the years is that expectations can set you up for success or failure. It is important to have fair and realistic expectations while also operating within your circle of influence. I have learned to anticipate the hard moments, the stress and the struggle, and over time I have proven to myself that I can handle difficult situations by actually working through many real challenges.
Some of the hardest moments in my leadership career, such as navigating COVID and stepping into the CEO role, have ultimately been my greatest teachers and periods of growth. When you come out the other side and recognise the silver lining, you begin to understand that those challenging seasons are often where the most development happens. In many ways, you begin to welcome the hard moments because you know they are where growth occurs.
During difficult periods there are a few practices that help me stay resilient. I create space for reflection and time alone to think clearly. I lean on my husband and my mentor for support so I can talk through the toughest challenges. I focus on separating what I can control from what I cannot, and I continue investing in learning from other leaders through books, podcasts and ongoing personal development.
I believe strongly in facing problems rather than avoiding them. My approach is to focus on solutions, try new ideas and keep evolving. Some things work and others do not, but continuous experimentation and improvement are part of building resilience in business.
To demonstrate resilience as a leader it means being open about the challenges I face and acknowledging that I do not always have all the answers. Transparency helps me create trust within the team. I also coordinate and host regular training sessions to help equip our team with the skills and mindset needed to navigate pressure, build resilience and grow through the challenges they encounter in their own roles so we are all growing our resilience tool kit together.
At the end of every hard day I remind myself that I have faced it, grown through it and shown up for both myself and the team. That commitment to simply show up and keep moving forward builds the grit needed to lead through uncertainty.
The gym environment reinforces this mindset as well. Anyone who consistently shows up to train and pushes through difficult workouts is building mental fortitude. Those same habits of discipline and resilience carry over into how people face challenges in life and in leadership.
Q&A – part 2
Innovation has always been central to Roar. The business was originally created to bring something different to the Perth fitness market, inspired by the large, multi-service gym environments I grew up around in Texas. When Cam and I began building Roar in 2014, we did so with a clear vision to move beyond the traditional gym model and create facilities that combined multiple health, fitness and lifestyle experiences under one roof.
From the beginning, our approach to innovation has been continuous rather than project based. Each year we review how the fitness and wellness industry is evolving and look for ways to expand the experience for our members. Roar was an early pioneer locally in integrating services such as infrared sauna spaces, pole fitness studios and Reformer Pilates within a broader gym membership, helping move the concept of a gym toward a more complete health and lifestyle offering.
A key part of my role in innovation is staying closely connected to the clubs themselves. Rather than operating at a distance, I regularly train and spend time in our facilities as a member would. This allows me to see both the larger strategic opportunities and the small details that can improve the overall experience. Many of our innovations have come from observing how members actually use our spaces and identifying opportunities to expand or improve them.
Over the years I have been involved in the design and execution of many of Roar’s major development projects. This includes large-scale renovations and expansions across our key sites in Canning Vale, Cockburn and Bibra Lake. At Cockburn we launched a purpose-built performance training space and developed our own Strength and Conditioning program to provide structured, results-driven training alongside traditional gym access.
At Bibra Lake we have created one of the most ambitious projects within our brand. The site spans more than seven acres and has evolved into a multi-service health and wellness destination. It includes large gym facilities, immersive group fitness studios, Reformer Pilates, performance training spaces, martial arts training areas, aquatics, recovery facilities, hospitality venues and family-friendly spaces. The development of The Roar Arena at this location will also allow us to host large-scale competitions, workshops and industry events in the future.
A major innovation within this site is The Oasis, our dedicated recovery and wellness space. Opened in 2025, it includes infrared and traditional saunas, ice baths, ice showers, a snow room and relaxation areas. One of its most unique features is our custom-built magnesium and vitamin C infused ice baths with an automated ice delivery system designed to create a consistent and elevated contrast therapy experience.
Innovation has also been reflected in our membership model. Rather than offering a single gym service, Roar operates as a multi-discipline ecosystem where members can access Reformer Pilates, Strength and Conditioning, HYROX-style training, CrossFit, Olympic lifting, recovery facilities and more within an integrated membership pathway.
Over the past year we have also expanded into the broader wellness category by introducing services such as red light therapy, cosmetic treatments, IV therapy and other recovery and lifestyle offerings that support members beyond traditional exercise.
Technology and artificial intelligence have become another important area of innovation. I have led much of our AI strategy work within the business, working with internal team members to build custom systems that support lead management, retention tracking and personalised member journey automation. These tools allow us to better understand member behaviour and improve the way we support people throughout their time with Roar.
Delivering these initiatives requires strong project management, structured team communication and collaboration across departments. Many of our innovation projects involve coordinating internal teams, external partners and complex development timelines to bring new concepts to life.
Ultimately our goal with innovation is to consistently create world-class environments and experiences that inspire people to train more, train better and stay engaged with their health for the long term.
For me, professionalism and ethical leadership start with personal responsibility. I believe the tone of a business is set by its leaders, so I work hard to model the behaviours I expect from our team. That means communicating respectfully, treating people fairly and making decisions that I would feel comfortable explaining openly to our staff and members. When mistakes happen, I believe in addressing them honestly, learning from them and improving the systems around them rather than shifting blame.
Over the years we have grown significantly, and as the business expanded it became important that professionalism was supported by strong structures, not just good intentions. We have implemented clear governance, safety and compliance processes across our facilities to ensure both staff and members operate in a safe and respectful environment. This includes daily operational checks, structured incident reporting and regular health and safety audits so that standards are consistently upheld.
A key part of ethical leadership for me is making decisions that protect long term trust. In business there are always moments where a short term option may look easier or more profitable, but I believe reputation and integrity are far more valuable. Whether the decision relates to staff, members or partners, I try to approach it with transparency and fairness so people understand not only what we are doing but why.
Culture also plays a huge role. It is not enough for one person to act professionally if the wider team does not share those standards. We place strong emphasis on leadership development, accountability and open communication so our team understands the responsibility that comes with representing our brand. We encourage people to speak up, raise concerns and support one another in maintaining a respectful environment.
Ultimately, professionalism and ethics are not something we treat as a checklist or a document. They are embedded in the way we lead, the way we communicate and the standards we expect every day across our business.
One of the ways I have worked to elevate standards in the fitness industry is by rethinking what a fitness facility can be and what people should expect when they walk into one. When we started building Roar Active, my goal was not to create another gym with equipment and classes. I wanted to create an environment where training, recovery, community and hospitality all exist together, so members feel supported in their health and lifestyle, not just their workouts.
Across our facilities we have invested heavily in creating high quality training environments and integrated recovery spaces that go well beyond what is typically expected in a gym. Members can train, recover, socialise and spend time with their families in the same environment. This approach helps people stay connected to their health long term and shifts the experience from simply attending a workout to being part of a community.
Another area I have focused on is raising the standard of professionalism within the team. I strongly believe the fitness industry improves when we invest in the people working within it. We have built structured onboarding, leadership development and training systems to help coaches and staff build meaningful careers rather than treating fitness as a short-term job. This includes clear expectations around service, professionalism and member care.
Member experience has also been a major focus. We have introduced structured onboarding processes, feedback systems and performance metrics so we can constantly improve how members are supported. By tracking member satisfaction and operational standards across our sites we aim to hold ourselves accountable to delivering a consistently high level of service.
Finally, I believe elevating industry standards also comes through running a fitness business with strong governance and transparency. We place significant emphasis on safety systems, operational processes and clear communication with staff and members so the business operates with professionalism and integrity.
For me, raising the bar in the industry means demonstrating that fitness facilities can deliver exceptional environments, strong career pathways for staff and a member experience that genuinely supports people in building long term health.
I believe it is important for business owners in the fitness industry to contribute beyond the walls of their own organisation. Over the years I have stayed actively engaged in the WA fitness community through collaboration, mentoring and creating opportunities that bring people in the industry together.
One way this shows up is through supporting and mentoring other operators. Several team members and people within my network who have worked in or alongside our business have gone on to open their own gyms or fitness related businesses. I have always been open in sharing lessons from building and scaling Roar Active, and I enjoy seeing others grow and succeed within the industry.
Through Roar Active we also host and support events and competitions that bring together athletes, coaches and members from across the wider fitness community. These events help create connection between different gyms, training styles and communities rather than operating in isolation.
Collaboration with other health and fitness aligned brands is another important part of how we engage with the industry. We regularly work alongside meal preparation companies, supplement brands, activewear companies and health service providers. At our facilities we share spaces with physiotherapy, chiropractic and other wellness services, and we frequently cross promote services and run collaborative initiatives that benefit both businesses and members.
More broadly, I stay connected with other gym owners and leaders through industry events, networking and regular conversations where we openly share ideas, challenges and insights. I believe the fitness industry improves when operators are willing to collaborate and learn from each other rather than compete in isolation.
My goal has always been to contribute positively to the wider WA fitness community and help lift the overall standard of what the industry can deliver for both professionals and members.
I believe I should be recognised as Woman in Fitness Leader of the Year because my leadership has focused on building something that creates lasting impact for both people and the fitness industry.
Over the past twelve years I have helped grow Roar Active from a single concept into one of Western Australia’s largest and most diverse health and fitness communities. Today our facilities support thousands of members and a large team of professionals across multiple disciplines including training, hospitality, wellness and health services. What I am most proud of is not simply the scale of the business but the environment we have created for people to improve their health, build meaningful careers and feel part of a strong community.
My leadership style is deeply people focused. I believe great businesses are built by developing great people. Many of the leaders within our organisation today started in entry level or junior roles and have grown into management and leadership positions through mentorship, opportunity and trust. Creating pathways for others to succeed has always been one of the most rewarding parts of my role.
I have also been passionate about pushing the boundaries of what a fitness facility can offer. Through Roar Active we have worked to create environments that integrate training, recovery, community and hospitality in one place, helping people view fitness not as a short term activity but as part of a long-term healthy lifestyle.
Beyond our own organisation I remain actively engaged in the wider fitness community through collaboration, mentoring and supporting other operators and emerging leaders. I believe the industry improves when we share knowledge, support each other and raise the standard together.
Ultimately, this recognition would represent not just my journey but the collective effort of the incredible team and community that bring Roar Active to life every day. My goal has always been to lead with integrity, develop future leaders and contribute to a stronger, more professional and more impactful fitness industry.