Jordan Field and Carrie Baldwin are two young entrepreneurs busy making a mark in the fitness and business world.
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Ms Field recently acquired Ms Baldwin's dance fitness business called The Jungle Body Konga.
As part of the changeover, the two women are holding a fundraiser on May 27 to help fund a trip to Spain for 2015 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Australasian Masters Champion Kerrie Lawrence, who has been chosen to represent Australia in the Arnold Europe Classic.
Ms Baldwin sold the business to concentrate on her other venture, Streamlined Salon.
"Last year, we landed work from the Just Cuts and now we provide them software," she said.
"I didn't have time anymore for the choreography, but I really like the dance class, and I still wanted to be able to do it."
Ms Baldwin said her software company was going well and kept her busy.
Ms Field is only 18 months out of high school, but has already showed her potential. In 2014, she was named Illawarra TAFE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year and immediately started using that award to encourage other indigenous youth.
The year before, she was named 2013 VET Student of the Year. She also took out the VET Student of the Year School Based Trainee Education Support Award at the 2013 Illawarra Schools Excellence in Vocational Education Awards.
The former Warilla High School student wanted to become a teacher, after completing a Certificate III in Education Support at the Nowra campus of TAFE as part of her school studies in an initiative known as TVET. She came to TAFE in a program taking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into the teaching profession.
That program enabled her to complete a school-based traineeship with Shellharbour Primary School, working two days a week as a teacher's aide.
Earlier last year, she started a bachelor of education at the University of Wollongong as the final step in her dream of becoming a primary school teacher.
She will continue to follow that dream while running her fitness business. She has also been doing some modelling work, but chose education as her career, because she loved working with children as a dance teacher.
"I found my passion through teaching dance [jazz, tap, hip-hop and ballet]," she said.
That turned into a part-time job providing before and after school care working with children. She grew to love it because of how it helped children achieve, grow and thrive.
That is what she wants to continue to do as a primary teacher and a dance fitness business owner.
That business will now be known as The Jungle Body With Jordan.Classes are run at Wollongong City Surf Life Saving Club at City Beach and Flinders Child and Community Centre behind Flinders Public School.
Konga is described as a wild mash up of boxing, cardio, pop, rock pilates and disco.
The two-hour Jungle Body event at Illawarra Sports Stadium in Hooka Road, Berkeley, includes a one hour Jungle Body dance fitness class and small business fitness expo. Entry is $20 and go to http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/jungle-body-with-jordan-launch-fundraiser-tickets-16798794647?aff=efbevent for registrations.
Ms Baldwin said she was being mentored by Ms Lawrence as she prepares to enter a fitness model competition in September.
Ms Lawrence said without their help she wouldn't be going to Spain.
"They are making a dream come true," she said.
