Two Greek Australian ladies have made the recent list of the 50 most influential personalities in South Australia as selected by a panel of leaders from The Advertiser, SA’s largest newspaper.
In the results that were published in the paper’s recent poll, 28-year-old fitness guru and personal trainer Kayla Itsines, ranked number 13 as one of the most influential personalities not just in SA but worldwide.
Itsines along with business and life partner Tobi Pearce was also the youngest person on the Australian’s Richest list published last year.
The pair were worth $487 million after being in business for five years.
“Not only is Itsines a standout example of a tech entrepreneur, she inspires millions of people across the world to get healthier and happier.
She has 12.1 million Instagram followers, has been rated a Top Fitness Influencer by Forbes and was named one of Time’s Most Influential People on the internet,” explained the editors of The Advertiser.
Based in Adelaide, Kayla travels across the country and abroad to Europe and the United States to run large scale fitness events and train with followers of her programs.
READ MORE: Two Greek Australian entrepreneurs ranked among nation’s richest under 40
Last year, Kayla and Tobi welcomed their first baby, a little girl who was named Arna after Kayla’s mother.
Greek Australian Chair of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), and one of SA’s most active holders of community and government board positions, Mary Patetsos was once again included in the list ranking number 44.
“It’s great to be recognised but ultimately it is what you do with that recognition that is the test,” Patetsos said in an interview with Neos Kosmos.
“The most critical aspect of recognition is never personal. For me it reflects the importance of contribution to the common good. My capacity to create opportunity for others is what it is all about. The consistent theme is that family and community is important, and it is these that allow individuals to flourish.”
According to The Advertiser, Patetsos’ FECCA role gives her influence in Canberra whilst she has managed to secure the respect of some influential Liberals despite her Labor links.
Married to former federal Labor minister of Migration, Nick Bolkus, the daughter of two post WWII migrants from the island of Lesvos who worked hard to achieve a comfortable life in Australia says that being on the list is an important recognition of the massive contribution that all Greek migrants play in social, cultural, civic, political and economic terms.
READ MORE: Who are the richest Greeks in Australia?
“It is an ode to every story of migration, hard work, commitment, passion and belief in Australia. Our pay back to this country is enormous, arguably immeasurable,” Patetsos said.
The dynamic and tireless mother of two young women, whose work focuses on those who are vulnerable and excluded, encourages all young people to remember who they are and where they have come from.
“I know it can be hard at times, but embrace all that is available, take calculated risks, be brave and do good. You have yourselves, your community, your nation and the planet to look after and we need you, the young generation, to move forward,” Patetsos said.