Laura Dyson is a Women’s Health, Fitness and Performance Coach and is a graduate of the Setanta MSc in Performance Coaching.
In the article below, Laura provides an insight into her coaching background, supporting women in their health and fitness journey and her experience of studying with Setanta.
A Passion for Coaching and Women’s Health
“My journey into coaching started at a young age through my love of sport. I played a lot of different sports growing up and was always drawn to movement, teamwork, and competition,” she shared. “Over time, I realised how much training gave me — not just physically, but in terms of confidence and a sense of control after injury. I wanted to help others experience that too.”
This initial interest developed into a career focused on women’s health, fitness, and performance. Laura saw a significant gap in how women were being supported in both sport and recreational fitness. 
“I noticed a real gap in how women were being supported in both the sport and recreational fitness space – from outdated myths around strength training to a lack of consideration for factors like the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and postpartum recovery,” she explained. “I wanted to be part of changing that narrative. This also led me to deliver seminars and workshops for coaches, creating interactive spaces to share knowledge and practical strategies to better support women athletes.”
A Perspective on the Key Challenges
“Some of the main challenges I see are misinformation, lingering fears around lifting heavy, poor relationships with food leading to under fuelling, and pressure to train purely for aesthetics,” she explained.
To counter these challenges, Laura’s coaching approach is focused on education, confidence, and performance.
“I want to create a space where women can focus on performance, strength, and what their bodies can do, rather than what they look like,” she said. “I support them through education, including myth-busting sessions, effective programming, and building confidence.”
Blending Knowledge for Better Coaching
Laura’s qualifications span multiple disciplines, from physical therapy and personal training to Olympic weightlifting. These varied skills allow her to offer a comprehensive coaching experience.
“Each qualification builds into the way I coach. My background in physical therapy helps me understand movement, injuries, and rehab,” she said. “My personal training qualification allows me to build structured, progressive programmes, and Olympic weightlifting brings a technical eye for teaching powerful, efficient movement patterns.”
This expertise is further strengthened by her academic journey, including a degree in Sport and Exercise and her MSc in Performance Coaching at Setanta College. “This allows me to take a much more evidence-based, athlete-centred approach. All of these pieces help me tailor training to the individual, no matter where they’re starting from.”
Education, Empowerment and Enjoyment
Laura’s coaching service offers both 1:1 online coaching and in-person sessions. Her clients vary, ranging from elite athletes to complete beginners and those returning after injury or pregnancy.
“I predominantly work with athletes, however, it varies,” she said. “Some are elite athletes, some are complete beginners, while others are returning after time away from sport or training, including postpartum.”
Laura’s coaching philosophy is centred around three core principles: education, empowerment, and enjoyment.
“I see coaching as a partnership,” she explained. “I aim to guide people toward their own solutions, helping them understand the ‘why’ behind their training so they can build confidence and autonomy over time. My approach focuses on creating a positive, athlete-centered environment that encourages learning, growth, and enjoyment.
If there’s one thing I hope every client or athlete takes away from working with me, it’s greater confidence in their ability, along with the knowledge and tools to keep progressing long after working with me,” she said.
Studying with Setanta College
Laura’s desire to keep challenging herself as a coach led her to Setanta College. Setanta’s reputation and flexible learning model stood out to Laura.
“I chose the MSc in Performance Coaching with Setanta to continue challenging myself as a coach. Setanta’s strong reputation, the balance between practical coaching skills and academic knowledge, and the flexibility to study while living and working abroad in Aotearoa (New Zealand) made it the ideal choice,” she explained.
“The ability to immediately apply what I was learning in real-world settings made the experience even more valuable,” she noted. “The Advanced Conditioning & Recovery Methods module had a significant impact,” she said. “I particularly enjoyed the Velocity-Based Training and speed components. It deepened my understanding of conditioning programmes and individual needs while incorporating effective recovery strategies to enhance athlete performance across a wide range of sports.”
For other coaches considering further education, Laura has clear advice:
“Back yourself and invest in your development. It doesn’t just expand your knowledge — it challenges the way you think, encourages you to question what you know, and equips you to offer more value to your athletes.”
She encourages coaches to choose a course that genuinely interests them and aligns with the coach they want to become.
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