From the Back Fields of Yorkshire to Building a Fitness Empire.

From the beginnings in Yorkshire, to creating a fitness empire down under

Jason Shepherd did not stumble into the fitness industry. He was forged by it. Growing up in Yorkshire, Jason lived and breathed competitive sport from the moment he could run, cricket, rugby, football, cross country. If it involved competition, he was in. That dedication earned him selection for the Yorkshire juniors, caught the eye of scouts at Leicestershire County Cricket Club, and eventually secured him a place in Gloucestershire’s second eleven where he opened the batting and scored 119 on debut. Not bad for a lad from Yorkshire.

Thirty years ago he packed his bags, left everything he knew behind, and boarded a flight to Australia with nothing but ambition, raw athletic ability, and the kind of quiet northern determination that never really leaves you no matter how far from home you travel. What followed across the next three decades was a story of relentless reinvention, new sports, new disciplines, new mountains to climb, and eventually a professional calling that made complete sense for someone who had spent every waking hour of their life competing at the highest level they could reach.

After thirteen years grinding away as a dedicated fitness professional on the streets of Melbourne, Jason did what every true northern competitor eventually does — he stopped working for someone else’s dream and built his own. In June 2014 he launched Australia’s first dedicated athletic modelling operation, quietly and methodically constructing one of the most respected fitness talent rosters in the Southern Hemisphere over the following decade.

At thirty he stepped onto the natural bodybuilding stage, competing for five consecutive years, taking the top spot in the INBA National Novice Division and a hard fought third place in the fiercely competitive INBA National Open Category. At forty he pulled on a pair of spikes and became a sprinter, winning the prestigious Meadowglen Gift with a stunning 7.4 seconds over 70 metres from a seven metre handicap. At fifty he still trains twice daily, still competes at national level, and still carries a physique that makes athletes half his age quietly reassess their own commitment to the craft.

Now, thirty years after leaving Yorkshire as a hungry young competitor with something to prove, Jason Shepherd has come home, bringing every hard earned lesson, every podium finish, every early morning session, and three decades of unrelenting competitive experience back to the country that first taught him what it means to want it more than everyone else in the room.

Creating a fitness revolution on the international stage

When AEFM International first opened its doors in Australia in June 2014 it was built on a straightforward but powerful premise. That genuinely exceptional athletic talent deserved a genuinely exceptional agency behind it. Over the following twelve years that premise was validated time and again. What began as a focused single minded operation in Melbourne steadily grew into one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most recognisable fitness talent businesses., achieving mainstream media coverage, securing consistent athlete to brand connections that delivered measurable results, and earning international fitness brand recognition that extended far beyond the borders of Australia. With a signed roster exceeding 250 athletes and fitness professionals placed across major productions, television commercials, and national campaigns, AEFM International had spent over a decade quietly and methodically building the kind of track record that cannot be manufactured, only earned. By the time Jason Shepherd turned his attention towards the United Kingdom, the foundations were already solid, the reputation was already established, and the next chapter was simply waiting to be written.