Andy Coley moved halfway across the world in pursuit of Australia’s great outdoors, so he didn’t want to confine his workouts to a gym.

The UK-born banker and fitness enthusiast landed Down Under seven years ago and couldn’t think of a better place to work up a sweat than at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.

“I enjoy lifting weights and doing HIIT exercises, but they’re usually done at the gym,” he says. “I wanted to move my workouts outside.”

Andy watched as locals lugged their equipment from their cars every day. He saw plenty of outdoor workout gear, but nothing that offered the versatility of a kettlebell or a dumbbell.

Fuelled with an idea, he made it his mission to solve this gap in the market, and Beachbells — a product which provides the capabilities of a whole range of kettlebells, but is much easier to transport — was launched last year.

“I thought there must be a better way to strength train outside,” he says. “So I created equipment that I wanted to use.”

Just like a kettlebell, Beachbells can be used to build strength and muscle tone, burn calories, and lose fat. However, unlike their bulky counterparts, they are a fraction of the weight. Instead, they’re designed to be filled with sand to be between 1.5kg and 16kg. After an intense full-body workout, the sand can be released and the Beachbell easily transported home.

Andy partnered with designers to perfect the product, from the ergonomics of the Beachbell’s handle to getting the unique close and lock system just right.

When he launched last year, he didn’t realise the wild ride he was in for. Australia was ravaged by the bushfires, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But out of the crisis, opportunity grew. Beachbells saw a spike in popularity as people adapted and searched for ways to exercise outside.

This rapid growth led Andy to sell on Amazon Australia, and he hasn’t looked back.

“Amazon Australia helps take away a lot of the thinking, admin and stress of establishing a business,” he explains. “Being a start-up can be quite difficult at the beginning, but with Amazon, I feel there’s less risk, less upfront costs and access to a bigger number of customers.”

Andy uses Fulfilment by Amazon, which takes care of inventory, storage, delivery to customers, customer service and returns, saving him a tremendous amount of time. “It’s so convenient and handy, and it means I can use that extra time to focus on growing my business.”

Having access to Amazon Australia’s customer base is another big plus, with Andy already planning a global expansion and looking to turn his passion for fitness into a full-time career.