Where It All Began
I’ve been passionate about fitness from a young age and threw myself into all kinds of sports growing up. I became both Munster and National Squash Champion and trained with the Irish Trampolining Squad — proudly captaining Ireland to victory over England.
Alongside competing, I coached gymnastics (which I loved!) and even qualified as a competition judge while still in secondary school.
After my Leaving Cert, I went on to study sports coaching, fitness programming, anatomy and nutrition at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa in Cork and later at the University of Limerick. This gave me a solid academic foundation while I gained a hands-on experience at Fitnessworx Gym bringing it all to life.
After graduating, I got another job in Nemo Rangers GAA gym teaching boot camps, spinning, conducting fitness assessments and training the men’s senior football team – and they went on to win the county championship that year!
Expanding My Passion
Motivated to grow my passion for fitness and establish myself as a go-to trainer, I launched “Laura Murphy Fitness” — my maiden name at the time — renting studio space above Fitnessworx Gym where I taught Body Blast and TRX classes.
The classes were jammed and grew so popular that I had long waiting lists and even had to add more time slots due to the high demand.
Then came one of my biggest challenges yet: Fitnessworx was expanding and I was asked to manage the transformation of a former warehouse into one of Cork’s leading fitness facilities. It was a huge undertaking, but also the perfect opportunity to move all of my classes under one roof in the new space.
The days were long and the grind was intense — but incredibly rewarding. I trained my own clients from 6 am to 9 am, managed the gym until 4 pm, and after a short break, returned to teach evening classes and PT sessions until 9 or 10 pm. It was full-on, but I loved every minute of it.
Laura Dorgan Fitness
After getting married, I rebranded as Laura Dorgan Fitness and began sharing my previous struggles and journey with mental health, showing how exercise became my therapy. I created my own “Exercise Your Mental Health” workshop, visiting schools to speak openly about depression and introduce fun-oriented fitness classes that everyone could enjoy – not just sporty students!
I also partnered with the Irish Examiner for a home workout series and with Skechers for the Cork Ladies Mini Marathon.
That’s when I took the biggest leap of my career — launching the Laura Dorgan Fitness & Nutrition App. A global platform designed to put powerful workouts, delicious recipes and expert support right in your pocket — anytime, anywhere.
From a major career milestone came a life-changing moment — our move to New York City in 2018.
Within weeks, I was tasked with opening a brand new kickboxing studio in Manhattan, managing staff and classes while adapting to the fast-paced energy of the city.
Then Covid hit. The studio shut its doors, and my app became my full-time focus — offering home and gym workouts, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) training, TRX and so much more.
I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come and I’d love for you to be part of what’s next.
