Straight-talking and seriously fit, Tracy Harmoush has carved out a career as a no-nonsense motivator. Though she may have close to half a million Instagram followers, she’s certainly not your average fitness influencer.

Instead of flooding her feed with stylised photos in pastel-coloured gym sets, Harmoush’s grid is filled with motivational videos promoting tenacity. 

“My whole message is mental toughness,” the 37-year-old explains matter-of-factly. Prior to starting her Instagram account, Harmoush was the living definition of success. As an investment banker, she earned a six-figure salary and moved up the ranks in a global firm. However, something wasn’t sitting right with her. 

“I felt jealous of my friends who were always travelling or working in really cool industries,” she explains. “But there were a lot of things holding me back from leaving – the paycheck being a big one,” she adds with a laugh. That was the case until a disagreement with her boss prompted her to walk out the door.

It was at that point, at the age of 31, that the American-Lebanese businesswoman found herself being inspired by a series of handstand videos. Yes, that’s right... It was the art of standing on one’s hands that motivated the, now, fitness fanatic to start training. “I was watching videos of people doing handstands and backflips. So, I thought, you know what, I’m going to give this a shot. I have time. And then I started documenting my process,” she recounts. “At first, I was sick of seeing everybody’s end results. Every time I would see an inspirational message, I’d be like, "That's great, but how the hell did you get there?”

Six years later, Harmoush may have reached her desired ‘end result’ (she can walk on her hands and even do a backflip) but she maintains her philosophy when it comes to sharing. To help other women, Harmoush launched the fitness app Untraceable, with a slogan: “home to building character through progress, grit and resilience”. She also hosts the podcast What They Don’t Tell Us, for which she interviews internet personalities to give her audience “the right tools to shift and shape their mindset”.

But with great influence comes great responsibility – and this is not something she takes lightly. “I chose not to disclose information on cosmetic surgery. I feel like that’s unsafe for younger girls following me. If someone was influenced by me and it went wrong, I would not be able to sleep,” says Harmoush, who does admit to using Botox from time to time. 

It’s arguably her candid and open approach that has earned her regional respect. “I don’t like how people are lied to,” she explains. “Three weeks to get a beach body… It’s rubbish. That’s why I vouch for discipline and hard work.”

Her resilience has seen Harmoush crafting a life she’s proud of. “I’ve always wanted to be that kind of woman who does things for the first time,” she shares. And it looks like that notion is continuing to guide her. Closing our chat, she teases her next project, “I mean, I’m doing ice cream now. Who would’ve thought it?” From handstands to frozen desserts, Harmoush is ready and willing for a lifetime of firsts.

@tracyharmoush