2025 National Coaches Conference
Swim Ireland are delighted to announce details of the 2025 National Coaches Conference for Saturday November 1st. With a superb line-up of expert speakers there is plenty to inspire and motivate Irish coaches for the season ahead.
Cost – €49 with 10% RAP Premium discount
6 CPD Points are available for attending this conference, you must sign in to receive your CPD points.
A light lunch will be provided, please indicate any dietary requirements when booking.
Registration from 10.30am
Book Now – http://bit.ly/46yHhnK
| Time | Speaker | Topic |
| 11:00-12:00 | Wayne Goldsmith | Coach Wellbeing: Sustainable Excellence Through Self-Care |
| 12:00-13:00 | Robbie Smyth | Keeping Swimmers in the Water: Minimising Risk, Maximising Potential |
| 13:00-13:45 | Lunch | |
| 13:45-15:00 | Luke Carson | The Coaching Code: How retention feeds performance |
| 14:45-15:45 | Sarah Jane Cullen and Laura Mahoney | Beyond the Scales: Coaching for Wellbeing and Performance |
| 15:45-16:30 | Panel discussion with Luke, Robbie, SJ and Laura | |
Meet the Speakers
Wayne Goldsmith
International sports coaching expert, Wayne Goldsmith has influenced the coaching, thinking and teaching of some of the world’s leading athletes, coaches and teams. Since the early 1990’s, Wayne has worked directly with Olympic Champions, Professional Athletes, Professional Teams and Winning Coaches across the globe.
Luke Carson
Luke is widely regarded as Ireland’s most successful gymnastics coach to date. He is the personal coach to European, World, and Olympic Champion Rhys McClenaghan and the founder of Origin Gymnastics, one of Ireland’s largest and fastest-growing gymnastics centres. With a proven record of coaching excellence at the highest level and building grassroots participation, Luke is passionate about balancing high performance with recreational growth, making gymnastics accessible, engaging, and inspiring for all.
Laura Mahony CORU RD, SENR, MSc
Laura is a Registered Dietitian and Sport and Exercise Nutritionist with over 15 years of clinical experience. She works as a Performance Nutritionist at the Sport Ireland Institute, supporting the country’s elite athletes and has provided nutrition guidance across the last two Olympic cycles. Alongside her work with high-performance athletes, Laura runs her own private practice, LM Nutrition, and has extensive experience across a wide range of sports. She has also undertaken specialist training in Low FODMAP diets, behaviour change, and eating disorders. In addition, Laura serves as Chairperson of the Sports & Exercise Nutrition Group in Ireland (SENG).
Robbie Smyth, Chartered Physiotherapist
Robbie is a Chartered Physiotherapist with specialist expertise in high-performance sport. He currently leads the swimming programme at the Sport Ireland Institute, where he provides physiotherapy support to Ireland’s elite swimmers. Robbie was the lead physiotherapist for swimming at the Paris Olympic Games and has extensive experience supporting athletes in preparation for and during major international competitions. In 2025, he delivered a medical seminar at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships on Injury Prevention Strategies in Elite Swimmers, reflecting his commitment to advancing best practice in sports medicine.
SarahJane Cullen PhD MSc BSc
SarahJane is a Sports Physiologist with Sport Ireland Institute, having worked with athletes in preparation for Tokyo and more recently Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. She is Head of School of Health and Human Performance and an Associate Professor in Sport & Exercise Physiology in Dublin City University (DCU). She chaired the multidisciplinary working group in Body Composition in Sport Ireland Institute, raising awareness and understanding of the complexities of body composition as a performance variable. SarahJane’s research interests include Physiological and psychological impacts of making weight in weight category sports, and Female athlete health and performance. SarahJane was Tournament Nutritionist for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017.
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