After graduating Kilgore High School in 2012, alumni Austin Head began his career in fitness and has been excelling.

Austin Head is self-employed as a fitness trainer and lives in Chicago, Illinois. He is a Master Trainer, Group X Trainer, as well as a Spinning Certified Instructor. In high school, Head was involved in football and theatre.

“I believe my class had the first musical in over 10 years at KHS,” Head said. “I played Ren McCormick in ‘Footloose’ & received Best Lead Actor in our annual competition with KHS Theatre.”

Fitness was not his career of interest while he was in high school; he found the interest soon after.

“I got into fitness after my senior year at KHS,” he said. “I was very active with football, then basically stopped all activity. I felt lethargic and wanted to get back in shape. I joined a gym close to my house and then fell in love with group fitness classes.”

Although he has not always been interested in fitness, Head says he has always been in “fitness,” and defines fitness as helping people.

He has had an example of helping others his whole life by watching his mother, Debbie Head, care for their family. He has a twin sister Peyton, as well as two older siblings who are twins.

“I grew up with a mentally handicapped brother, Josh, and helped my mom with him growing up,” Head said. “When I moved to Chicago, I felt this void in my life. I started personal training, and I knew that’s what was missing. I fell in love with helping people and the energy it provides.”

In the fitness business, Head has become well-known, and his business has reached across the globe.

“I own my own Virtual Bootcamp business with clients all over the world…from Chicago to Israel,” he said. “I am also on a lot of Chicago TV shows such as WGN’s Healthy Living Chicago, The Jam T.V., etc.”

The current pandemic has not slowed down business for Head, but rather helped it take off. He went from working at a gym in Chicago teaching 30 classes a week as well as training 15 clients at the same time and having a podcast, to being able to slow down and figure out exactly what he wanted to do.

“This pandemic has allowed me to take a deep breath and really evaluate what I want in my life,” Head said. “My vision is now
to impact as many people as I
can in Chicago, and this year my community has grown so much so that the Chicago Tribune wrote an article on me and what I’m doing in fitness.”

Head has been featured on multiple media outlets including

The Chicago Tribune, WGN “Living Healthy Chicago”, and Living Healthy Chicago’s Facebook “5 Tips to Staying in Shape at Home.”

Some advice Head gives students currently in high school is to find something that you like and stick with it. Whether it is running, cycling, group fitness, or anything else to keep you fit, just do it.

“Personally for me I love group fitness, but find something that you like,” Head said. “What helps me
is having a friend to workout with. Accountability is one of the biggest things, so having a friend you can count on is a huge win. And, you can always take a Virtual Bootcamp class with ME!”

Head has an Instagram account with the username @Austin_Head where you can see his Virtual Bootcamp and more info and advice on staying fit.

In regards to having a fitness career, Head gives advice to students interested in following that pathway.

“First, I would tell you IT’S THE BEST CAREER EVER! & start learning NOW,” he said. “Look up personal training certifications. (I am NASM certified) Then get involved at your local gym.”

Head is willing to answer any questions related to fitness or the fitness industry, and would love to help out.

The Mirror is proud to feature this lifelong Bulldog and hopes that his story can inspire our students