Where your journey meets my passion for the water.

I’m Laura!

I’m a swimming coach, lifelong swimmer, and water lover.

Coach Laura smiling at the camera on the Beach Bandit Swimming About page

What began as a childhood love for the water - competing early on until my teenage years as a pool swimmer, before falling in love with open water and long distance swimming - eventually evolved into a lifelong passion for helping others find their own love for the water.

Teaching and coaching became a natural path for me and now with over more than a decade of working with swimmers of all ages and abilities, I’ve developed a holistic coaching style for pool and open water swimming in Brighton & Hove that focuses on ease, awareness, and connection. I want every swimmer I teach to feel safe, supported and encouraged, and to discover that swimming can be both transformative and joyful.

My Approach & Philosophy

Coach Laura holding hands with two swimmers in the sea, smiling and laughing during a sea swimming lesson in Brighton and Hove

My coaching is holistic and person-centred. No two swimmers are the same, and no two bodies move the same way in water, so every session is tailored to you with technical expertise and hands-on guidance. I emphasise:

  • Body alignment and awareness – learning how your body moves efficiently in the water

  • Relaxation and breath control – swimming with ease, not force

  • Reading the sea – understanding tides, currents, waves, conditions and your environment

  • Confidence building – step-by-step progression that feels empowering, not overwhelming

Whether I’m guiding a nervous child in the pool during kids swimming lessons in Brighton & Hove, or supporting an adult through their first open water swim, my aim is always the same: to help you feel confident, capable, and deeply connected to the water.

I believe swimming is far more than a skill — it’s a practice of connection, confidence, and freedom. When we move through water with awareness and ease, everything becomes more enjoyable. My philosophy is rooted in the idea that less is more: when the body softens, the mind relaxes, and the breath steadies, swimming becomes both fluid and effortless. I want every swimmer to feel the freedom that comes from trusting themselves in the water, whether that’s in the pool, the sea or some other body of water.

Qualifications

  • ASA Level 1 & 2 Swimming Teacher

  • STA Open Water Swim Coach

  • SLSGB Beach Lifeguard

My Open Water Adventures

Over the years, I’ve taken on swims that pushed my limits and deepened my connection to the water.

From a solo crossing of Lake Windermere to an English Channel relay, along with numerous 10k open water endurance events and sea swimming challenges in Brighton & Hove. These experiences have pushed my limits, shaped my technique and deepened my love for the water.

Laura celebrating completion of English Channel relay swim on French beach

English Channel Relay Swim - 2023

Laura celebrating solo Lake Windermere swim

Lake Windermere Solo Swim - 2022

Laura celebrating a Triple Crown swim win on a beach in Hove
Laura smiling on Brighton beach before a Swim Brighton race

Swim Brighton 2025 - Triple Crown

Paddle Classics 2022 - Triple Crown

Laura running out of water after completing a 10K open water swim at Alton Water Lake

Various 10Ks

Laura running out of water after completing an 8K open water swim at Rutland Water Lake
Laura celebrating a personal best after a 10K swim at Dorney Lake

FAQ’s

Get to know your coach beyond the water with the most frequently asked questions:

  • Australia or South Africa?
    The most asked question during season 2025! So much so, it just became funny.

    I’m from neither, although my first language is French. Do you hear the very subtle twang?

  • I maximise the Open Water Swimming season between the months of April and October. I am in the water more than I am on land. It’s my absolute favourite time of the year. So in the winter - I hibernate, I recharge and if I can, I chase some extra sun.

    I also teach weekly Yoga classes at Ekah Yoga in Hove.

  • 10K. Specifically the Eton Dorney 10K swim.

  • A dolphin. Wild and free with the entire ocean as my oyster.

  • Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Laura walking into the sea with swimmers, holding a surfboard as waves crash around her during a sea swimming lesson in Brighton