Denise Austin is a fitness expert who has created a multimedia career showcasing her diverse exercise and nutrition philosophy. Since the early 1980s, she has sold more than 20 million exercise videos and DVDs, authored many books and hosted TV shows on ESPN and the Lifetime Television Network.
Denise Austin Biography: Early Years
Denise Austin was born February 13, 1957 in San Pedro, California, a waterfront community south of Los Angeles. She attended the University of Arizona on a gymnastics scholarship where she earned a top-ten NCAA ranking. Austin later transferred to California State University at Long Beach and graduated in 1979 with a degree in Physical Education.
Denise Austin Biography: TV Career
Denise Austin made her first TV appearance in 1981 as co-host of Jack LaLanne's long-running fitness show. A year later, she got her own program on KABC in Los Angeles. In 1984, she began a four-year stint on NBC's Today Show and eventually launched her own program, Getting Fit, on ESPN in 1987. After a 10-year run, Getting Fit was renamed Denise Austin's Daily Workout, and relocated to the Lifetime Television Network in 1997. Austin's career on Lifetime continued with the show Fit & Lite, which ran until March 2008, and The Balancing Act, which debuted in January 2011.
Denise Austin Biography: Fitness Products
In 1982, Denise Austin released her first workout videos, Rock Aerobics and Rock Hard Abs. She has sold millions of video and DVD programs, earning her a place in the Video Hall of Fame in 2003. Austin also writes fitness and nutrition books and sells a line of workout equipment, shoes and apparel.
Denise Austin Biography: Distinctions and Awards
Denise Austin was appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by George W. Bush in 2002 and served two terms. In 2003, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions regarding the "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act." Austin also helped launch the revised pyramid food guidance system published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2005. Woman's Day magazine presented Austin with the Red Dress Award in 2008 for her contributions to the fight against women's heart disease.
Denise Austin Biography: Family
Denise Austin leaves in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband Jeff, a sports lawyer. They have two daughters, Kelly and Katie. Sports and fitness are deeply rooted in the Austin family. Denise's father, Joseph Katnich, played professional baseball from 1945-1947. Her sister-in-law, Tracy Austin, was a former No. 1-ranked tennis player who won multiple major titles in the 1970s and 80s.
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