Shannan Ponton is best known for his starring role as team coach on The Biggest Loser Australia. Over the last 20 years, Shannan has acquired extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of health, wellbeing, mindset, exercise, fitness, nutrition and people management.

During Shannan’s career he has developed and delivered innovative personal training, fitness, motivational and general life solutions to thousands of people. He has worked at a National and International level with some of Australia’s elite athletes and professional sporting teams including former World Champion professional boxers Billy Dib, Sakio Bika and Kerry Foly. The Fiji National Rugby League Side, The North Sydney Bears Rugby League Team and many more.

Shannan’s whole life has been dedicated to health and fitness in one way or another. As a kid he loved playing footy, but after many injuries he was told he was never going to be able to play again. Whilst devastated, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise giving him an introduction to the fitness industry as he took on the role of the strength and conditioning coach for the North Sydney Bears in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Shannan started out as a carpenter, but it was the fitness industry that he was really passionate about and he ended up working full time as a coach, gym instructor (teaching 25 – 30 classes weekly, before PT was around), Les Mills Instructor Trainer, International Presenter, Personal Trainer, Director of my own personal training business and the trainer of the Blue Team and the most successful team coach on The Biggest Loser Australia.

After working in the industry for more than 20 years and being part of the massive transformations that have taken place on the show, Shannan is still in awe of the resilience of the human body and spirit and amazed at how much and how quickly the body can change with the right diet, exercise and self-belief. Shannan is still ‘frothing’ about training himself and gets excited before every session. He is eternally grateful for the opportunities to get to transform people’s lives.

In 2014, Shannan had to fight back from a torturous year of injuries and ill health. Three shoulder surgeries, whooping cough and cortisone injections into his spine tested him to the limit and he had to crawl back to fitness from the bottom of the ladder. Those tests were lessons for Shannan and gave him a priceless insight into just how hard training and exercise can be. Shannan is back fitter, stronger and more determined than ever but with a renewed empathy for those who are doing it tough.