Canberra mother-of-three and philanthropist Jess Peil is a force of nature.
She's lost count of how many marathons she's completed. She thinks she's up to number 61.
She's also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity by running marathons, including more than $650,000 for Bravehearts, which promotes awareness about child sexual abuse.
Jess and her husband Richard also sponsor Running for Resilience in Canberra, personally donating $100,000 a year to the run club charity which is a mental health initiative focused on suicide prevention in the ACT.
Now, Jess has opened a gym in Tuggeranong - and intends to give away half of its profits to charity.
Anytime Fitness Erindale is in a bright, airy two-storey space in Gartside Street, Wanniassa.
It opened four weeks ago and already has more than 300 members.
Jess, 49, says the club combines her two biggest passions - fitness and philanthropy.
"I'm incredibly proud to launch a club where Canberrans can give back and make a massive, measurable difference to the community around them," she said.
"Not only will our community improve their physical and mental fitness, they'll be able to help others improve their lives simply by working out. We want our members to feel part of an inclusive, welcoming club where their membership goes a long way."
Anytime Fitness is part of the family.
Jess' husband Richard is the co-founder of Anytime Fitness in Australia. She co-owns the Anytime Fitness in Deakin as well. But Erindale is all hers.
"Other AFs do donate heavily but this will be the first one to give away 50 per cent of profits and to have it as announced," she said.
Every six months, Jess and the Anytime Fitness Erindale team will work with its members to select and vote on the next charities to receive funds, ensuring their impact is widespread.
The first charities to benefit will be Bravehearts and Running for Resilience, of which Jess is a board member.
A previous ACT Local Hero award nominee, Jess completed the gruelling Bravehearts 777 marathon challenge for the eighth time. That's seven marathons in seven states in seven days.
And she also conquered an epic 212km marathon across Thailand as part of Anytime Fitness Australia's inaugural Fitphoria expedition.
She says fundraising through running a marathon means there is more to celebrate at the finish line.
"I like to think of it in that way rather than, 'I have to go and do this really hard thing'," she said.
Anytime Fitness Erindale is now open. For more information or to join, visit www.anytimefitness.com.au
