AnnaFit founder recognised for rural health and wellness

When Anna King entered the NZI Rural Women Business Awards, she did not quite realise the scale of what she was stepping into.

A client had suggested she apply, and King, founder of Pilates and movement business AnnaFit, decided to give it a go.

“I didn’t even know about the Rural Women Business Awards. It was one of my clients who told me about it,” King says.

“When I applied, I actually didn’t realise how big it was. I just thought, that looks really cool, and off I went.”

Now, King has been named winner of the Rural Health and Wellness Excellence category, joining seven other category winners from across New Zealand.

“I couldn’t really believe it,” she says.

“I was kind of like, that’s crazy.”

For King, the recognition is about more than an award. It is a chance to step back and take stock of a business she has built from a rural hall and a garage into a growing health and wellness brand with two studios, one in Methven and one in Ashburton, as well as an online offering.

“It did take quite a bit of work,” she says.

“My business is about working with people, so sitting at a computer and pulling everything together was a massive challenge. But I saw it as a really good challenge to look at my business from every avenue.”

King had previously been a finalist in the Ashburton Business Awards, an experience she says helped fuel her confidence to enter the Rural Women Business Awards.

The application process, and later the interview, gave her the chance to explain what AnnaFit is really about.

“It was really lovely to actually be able to express what I was about and for them to find out about me.”

Winning, she says, felt like being seen.

“When you’re chipping along doing your thing, you just get on with it. You hope people are getting something from what you do.

“To have someone else look at your business and say, you are doing a good job, we see you, that was really special.”

AnnaFit began from both a personal need and a rural community need.

King grew up on a farm and understands the isolation that can come with rural life. After working for Air New Zealand and struggling with the demands of flying and time zones, she took six months’ leave without pay to study full-time as a personal trainer.

She started by running local circuit classes  in her garage and the Lauriston Hall.

“It was more for me as well, a bit of connection,” she says.

“I grew up on a farm. I know how isolated it can be. It was about bringing people together.”

Pilates came later, after the birth of her third child, Ollie.

King says her body was not able to do the things she loved, and there was no one nearby offering the kind of movement support she needed.

“So I thought, we are going to do this, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.

“Just because we were working out of a garage in a rural setting, it didn’t mean people couldn’t have access to the absolute best I could provide.”

That philosophy still sits at the heart of AnnaFit.

King says the business has always been driven by a desire to share movement that helps people live better, not just exercise harder.

“It came from a personal need, and then it became, I’m really passionate about what this can do for your body. How can we help as many people as possible?”

AnnaFit now operates two studios, one in Methven and one in Ashburton, and offers reformer and mat Pilates, strength-based movement and on-demand classes. Its clients range from teenagers to people in their 80s, and include both women and men.

While the business has grown, King says the client stories that matter most are often the simple, everyday ones.

“We have amazing clients and amazing stories, but they are very real stories,” she says.

“Things like, I can lift my child out of the wheelchair. I can play in the backyard with my grandson. I can play cricket again.

“That’s all they wanted to do.”

King describes Pilates as a whole-body workout that builds strength, flexibility, balance, stability and core function.

“Pilates is really good at everything,” she says.

“If you want to be a runner, you need to run. If you want to be a swimmer, you need to swim. But Pilates supports everything.”

She says the right studio and the right instructor are important, particularly for people who may feel unsure, injured, ageing or overwhelmed by the amount of health and fitness advice online.

King says she is also always learning.

“I have studied different styles of Pilates over many years. I have a diploma in clinical Pilates through an Australian education provider, and I am looking at university study next year if I can get entrance.

“For me, it is about continuing to learn and continuing to offer the best I can.”

“There is too much information out there, and it is too overwhelming,” King says.

Her approach is deliberately simple.

“Do what makes you happy. Keep it simple. Eat in moderation, eat what you enjoy, exercise the way you enjoy, get to bed early and move your body.

“Consistency is the most important thing.”

King says women, particularly those in midlife, are often caught between conflicting advice about strength training, nutrition, supplements, menopause and fitness.

She believes there is value in cutting through the noise and helping people find movement they enjoy and can stick with.

“We are really normal humans,” she says.

“I’m 49. I eat normal food. I’ve got a bit of perimenopause and menopause going on. I’m exercising, I’m getting good sleep, and let’s not get too caught up in the noise.”

At AnnaFit, King says clients are progressively challenged, but in a way that is safe, supportive and functional.

“We are progressively overloading our clients. They are getting stronger because they keep turning up.”

For King, rural access to high-quality health and wellness services matters.

“Just because we are rural doesn’t mean we can’t have the best.”

King will travel to Wellington for the Rural Women Business Awards Gala Dinner at Parliament on July 23, where the Supreme winner will be announced.

She will be joined by two of her instructors, Kristy Gilchrist and Liz Johnson, along with members of her family.

“We just want to celebrate not only me and my achievement, but everyone else in the room,” she says.

“To be at Parliament, and to celebrate rural New Zealand women, that is what I’m really looking forward to.”

Rural Women New Zealand National President Heather Sorensen says the awards celebrate women building strong, innovative and impactful businesses in rural communities.

“We had a tough job as judges and were extremely impressed with the quality of entrants,” Sorensen says.

“It is fantastic to see these dedicated businesswomen from across the country leading such successful enterprises.”

Sorensen says the depth of talent among rural women in business continues to impress.

“Going through each application was an absolute privilege and the depth of talented rural women in New Zealand never ceases to amaze me,” she says.

NZI EM Agencies and Schemes’ Christina Chellew says the awards recognise the vital role women play in the success of rural businesses and communities.

“This year’s entries were of an exceptionally high calibre, reflecting the depth of capability in rural, women-led businesses across New Zealand,” she says.

Alongside King, the other 2026 category winners are Karen McGrath of Southern Alp Sprouts for Love of the Land, Kate McDonald of Davaar for Creative at Heart, Kathryn Jackson of Career Balance for Innovation, Kylie Dorr of Southern Reproductive for Emerging Enterprise, Millie Aitken of Bar M Custom Tack for Young Businesswoman, Philippa Cameron of What’s for Smoko for Rural Champion, and Sonia Minnaar and Liz Henderson of Canopy Camping for Experience Rural.

For King, simply being among them is something to celebrate.

“I’m really excited to celebrate the room, the event, the occasion, and Rural Women New Zealand.”