Former New Zealand International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) figure athlete champion Laura Cochrane, of Ngāpuhi, is now the first Māori and the first wahine to become a certified IFBB Pro League trainer.
“This is huge for me as a Māori wahine and as a fitness trainer and brand,” Cochrane says.
Cochrane has also built a successful bodybuilding career, having won various IFBB competition categories, including Miss NZ Figure Tall in 2018 and 2020 as well as making the top 10 in the Arnold's Classic Australia. With this latest globally recognised certification under her belt, Cochrane will now be able to train competitive athletes for IFBB championships.
"I've been a solo mum for 15 years. Everything that I went through as a solo mum and as a wahine has paved the path for me to get into this line of mahi," Cochrane says.
Since leaving the competition scene, she has been helping hundreds of women transform their physical and mental well-being, through her programmes at Fitness by Laura.
“Working with Laura has given me a lot of motivation and confidence, not just in the classes but in life. It’s really good for both my physical and mental health,” Emmy Wood says.
New Directions
Fitness by Laura is Cochrane's home-based fitness studio that she runs in Flat Bush, Tāmaki Makaurau. Her business has just celebrated its third anniversary and Cochrane says this certification will allow her to expand her mahi. She is also planning to start programmes working with tāne.
“I have learnt that our tāne still need support and they need to feel important and I think that will help bring the best out of them as well,”
“I am starting a new mens’ (eight-week) challenge, which is another direction that Fitness by Laura will be taking on July 26,” Cochrane says.