The Advertiser announced the list with the 10 most inspirational people in South Australia for 2015,  honouring 10 people who come form all walks of life that have inspired us the most this year. A Greek Australian fitness queen and award-winning personal trainer is among the list. Kayla Itsines with her fiance Tobias Pearce, started her journey towards fame eight years ago and has now built a fitness empire with more than 4.2 million followers on Instagram and as much on Facebook, including models and Hollywood celebrities.

“We want you to be healthy, fit, strong and confident,” Kayla says. That is the aim of the company she runs with partner Tobias Pearce. Aged in her mid-20s, Kayla has taken the Bikini Body Training Company from an idea she had as a stand-in gym instructor into a global e-commerce business with exercise programs, diet plans and recipes for healthy eating and fitness merchandise. Kayla has more than 4 million followers on Instagram, nearly the same again on Facebook and runs bootcamp classes that attract hundreds of women to workout together in US, European and Australian cities.

The phenomenal success of the Adelaide-based business was recognised in the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, with the Bikini Body Training Company winning the national prize as Australia’s emerging business of 2015. The E&Y judges were very impressed by Kayla and Tobias’ tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit.

“Dinner is my favourite meal of the day. I get to relax at home with my boyfriend and puppy. It’s so cold in Adelaide at the moment, so I’ve been making my favourite winter dish — Avgolemono. It’s a fluffy lemon and rice soup with chicken. It’s our favourite dish and relatively easy to make. I’m Greek also, so it’s tradition for me.”

See the whole list:

1. Quinn Walsh

2. Sarah Snook

3. Tanya Monro

4. Steve West and Clare Salter

5. Ethan Hall

6. Libbie Hopwood

7. Chris Blowes

8. Augustinus Krikke

9. Kayla Itsines

10. Walter Silzer

Read more about Kayla Itsines