Louise Walden-Edwards, a former elite level figure dancer, has competed for Team GB at the European and World Championships, and boasts accolades such as former British and International Champion among her impressive list of achievements.
Nowadays Louise works with athletes as opposed to competing. Through her fitness and wellbeing academy VO:ICE, she offers her clients online fitness and wellbeing support, with specialist assistance for those who partake in ice sports. Her credentials as a coach were recently recognised as she reached the final shortlist for the UK Coaching Online Coach of the Year 2023 award.
Louise also regularly works with Eurosport and Discovery+ providing technical insights as part of the figure skating commentary team.
We caught up with Louise to get her thoughts on everything from satisfying the needs of her current clients, to extending the reach of her marketing to attract new customers, and how a CIMSPA membership has helped her achieve her goals.
Image credit - Steve Lee & Stageworks WWP
Touching on the demands of her current roles, Louise said:
“My clients tend to be ice skaters who look to me as a reliable source of both fitness and strengthening coaching, along with wellbeing support. This, coupled with providing commentary to thousands of spectators means there is a lot of pressure to ensure my knowledge is at least on the curve, if not ahead of it.
“It’s super important for me to ensure I’m constantly refreshing and building my skill set so I can confidently adapt what I learn and make it relevant to my clients.
“Whilst I learn through my students and through social media, I need a source of information that has been ratified and quality assured. That’s where UK Coaching comes in. There’s so much free and discounted CPD.
“I feel like being a part of CIMSPA and having access to this type of content has not only helped me validate my learning, but also given me tangible evidence of my knowledge and skills.”
Louise went on to talk about what a CIMSPA membership meant to her as a professional.
“It gives me and my brand that elevated level of professionalism and accountability I need to progress my offering and my role.
“It’s important that potential clients see my credentials and the digital badge that CIMSPA provide me with really helps me shout about that. It’s featured on both my website and my social media accounts.
“The fact I’m able to communicate my status as a member of the Chartered Institute for my sector means I’m reassuring my existing and prospective customers that my brand is credible and of a calibre that they can trust to deliver what they need.”
Continuing to talk about the pride that her classification as a CIMSPA member brings her, Louise said:
“I have always struggled with classifying myself as the role I do can vary so much and ultimately, be very complicated.
“After joining CIMSPA I can now say I’m a CIMSPA Personal Training Practitioner and that means a hell of a lot to me.
“It’s a title I can be proud of and one that allows me to hold my head up high each and every time somebody asks me what I do for a living.”
Louise clearly has ambitions to grow her client base and identified social media as a key tool.
“I’m by no means a marketing expert. Most of my business comes from word of mouth.
“I want to grow what I do. I’m increasingly aware that the time will come where my existing clients will move on, whether that be because they’ve developed the skills they need, they’ve reached their goal weight, or they no longer want to ice skate.
“I know social media is a big part of business these days and a great platform to reach people, but I need guidance and support here. Whilst I can Google things, It’s all about knowing who I can trust.
“I’ve enrolled on the Digital Marketing Hub and there is so much support there. It’s great to have a resource like this that I know is endorsed by CIMSPA as it tells me it’s legitimate and reliable advice.”
Having recently started to work towards Chartered Status, Louise spoke of her aspirations in the sector moving forward.
“As a former athlete I’m constantly striving for excellence in everything I do.
“I aspire to be at the top of my game, be at the pinnacle of my profession, and will work tirelessly to set myself apart. I want the credibility that goes with Chartered Status so people will choose me over other personal trainer practitioners.
“The opportunity to go for this status was another big motivation for me to become a CIMSPA member. I’m so excited and incredibly motivated to start my journey to achieving Chartered Status.”
The VO:ICE Academy was created to provide a positive, discrete, inclusive, friendly, non-judgemental, productive environment to provide every student with the skills, knowledge, tools and confidence to thrive.
At VO:ICE they welcome everyone who wishes to better themselves, whether that be on or off the ice. Clients range from elite athletes to beginners, and from weight loss clients to those who lack confidence to make a change.
UK Coaching Club Membership
Your CIMSPA membership* gives you free access to a vast number of useful resources such as qualifications, webinars, eLearning courses, online classrooms and face-to-face workshops as part of a Premium UK Coaching Club membership.
Digital badging
We’re investing even more in digital badging to give you the tools you need to showcase your professional status on digital platforms such as email, website and socials media.
Digital Marketing Hub
Covering content marketing, social media marketing, websites and metrics, search marketing and email marketing, you’re sure to get everything you need from the Digital Marketing Hub (DMH) to develop an engaging, effective, and ultimately successful marketing strategy.
Chartered Status
Achieving Chartered Status is the hallmark of an outstanding professional and is a mark of distinction awarded to those who have demonstrated true excellence, innovation, and impact within their field.
Read our new strategy ‘Releasing the Power of our Profession’ and discover how we will deliver the individual and collective recognition that our sector workforce needs and deserves.
*Only eligible membership categories have free access to the UK Coaching Club. These are Practitioner Membership categories: Personal Trainer, Gym Instructor, Group Exercise, Exercise Referral, Swimming Teach, Yoga Instructor Associate, Pilates Instructor Associate, Coach, Coaching Assistant and Senior Activity and Health Practitioner.