She established the gym with Thomas Willoughby in 2012, where they "hoped" it would do well in a rural area.

The pair initially worked for the original owner of Plus Fitness as teenagers in the Macarthur region before it became a franchise.

Two years after opening in Mittagong, they welcomed people to another gym in Moss Vale.

"It's like a little family and that's exactly what the Highlands is," Mrs Turner said.

The business partners have "created [their] lives" in the region and have loved forming connections with their supportive customers.

Read more:

"It's why we show up every single day, work seven days a week, the people support us," Mrs Turner said.

"Even when we opened Moss Vale, there is something about the community having each other's backs."

Tanika has loved seeing families grow and has seen customers lives change, and have milestones like graduations.

"We're just lucky to be a part of it, they've let us in from the get-go, and that's what made us do Moss Vale," she said.

Memberships have increased over the last two years even when people have moved away.

It has not only been a joy with customers - Mrs Turner is also thankful for the core staff.

"We're so proud, it's been something we didn't realise we could achieve," she said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters