About Us
Hi, I’m Laura. Owner of The Women’s Training Club. Lover of my family, lifting weights, building community. Almost constant holder of mum guilt.
Fifteen years ago, I’d just finished backpacking around Australia and was living a lifestyle that didn’t feel good, physically or mentally. I felt genuinely uncomfortable in my own body.
A friend took me under her wing, and training together was fun, supportive, and motivating. But when she moved away, I really struggled. I remember standing outside the gym, scared to go in by myself. I was worried that people would be looking at me, that I’d be ‘doing it wrong’. But I knew I had a choice: be brave, or walk away. I chose to be brave, and that moment changed everything.
Falling in love with strength
After a year, I wanted to start working towards a goal beyond ‘showing up’, and so I joined a 12-week Sports Model Project. It was there that I fell in love with lifting weights and training as part of a community (it’s also the first time I managed a full pull-up).
Next, I entered a bodybuilding competition and placed fourth, but the effort to get photo-shoot lean was damaging to my relationship with my body, and my mental health. 12/10 do not recommend for most people! While I soon realised that the strict protocols of bodybuilding weren’t for me, it cemented my love of strength training. Being strong has given me confidence in so many areas of my life.
From corporate life to coaching
It was around this time that I realised my passion for fitness no longer felt like a hobby. I wanted to spend my time showing other women the incredible mental and physical benefits of strength training, and so began to transition from my corporate role to coaching. I was exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure as I tried to do it all. But watching someone complete their first push up or squat, seeing someone find their confidence… for me, there’s nothing like it. Being part of that journey is something I’ll never take for granted
Motherhood, setbacks, and rebuilding
I love being a mum, but it’s been tough. Navigating these early years through Covid, post-partum physical limitations, my changing body, lack of sleep and lack of time for myself and my relationship has been a juggle I (probably naively) wasn’t expecting. Why doesn’t anyone tell you about that bit?! But it’s one that so many of us go through and in many ways I think having been through it myself has made me a better coach.
Why The Women’s Training Club exists
Women are incredible, and yet we often sell ourselves short. Learning to lift weights gave me confidence. It showed me I could do hard things. And I wanted to create a studio in Kariong where other women could feel that too. The strength gains and physical changes? They’re honestly just the icing on the cake.
Over the years, my fitness journey has included incredible highs and some real lows - injury, body image struggles, mental health challenges, pregnancy, surgery, and rebuilding more times than I can count.
Through it all, this has remained true:
Fitness can grow with you.
It changes with your seasons.
And it teaches you who you are along the way.
If you’re reading this…
You’re not too old.
You’re not behind.
And it’s not too late.
If you’re nervous, unsure, or haven’t prioritised yourself in years, I see you. I’ve been you.
And you don’t have to do this alone.
