Susan Powter

Susan Powter is an Australian born American motivational speaker, personal trainer and author. Powter was born in Sydney, Australia, and moved to the United States with her family at about age 10. She left school in ninth grade and later earned her GED, eventually settling in Dallas.

Powter launched her fitness career in the early ’90s after opening a wellness studio. With the help of local publicity support, she produced the Stop the Insanity! infomercial, which brought her national attention. She went on to build a brand out of her personal fitness journey, offering multiple courses and DVD workouts.

Powter went on to author several bestselling titles including Stop the Insanity! (1993), Pocket Powter (1994), C’mon America Let’s Eat! (1996) and The Politics of Stupid (2002). She also hosted the syndicated talk show The Susan Powter Show from 1994 to 1995.

Powter was married to Nic Villarreal from 1982 to 1988, and the two welcomed sons Damien (born in 1983) and Kiel (born in 1984). She moved on with Lincoln Apeland in 1989, but the two split in 1995. She adopted her third son, Gabriel, in 1998. In 2004, she publicly came out as a lesbian.