Head Coach: Dayna Lawton
My Story….
Hi, I’m Dayna — founder of State of Performance, coach, hybrid athlete, and proud advocate for women becoming their strongest, most capable selves.
Originally from the coastal town of Paraparaumu Beach, I now live in Hawea, surrounded by mountains, movement, and the lifestyle I love. I’ve always been active — my foundation was built through over a decade of competitive swimming, where I learned the discipline and demands of high-performance sport from a young age.
But despite all that training, there was a part of the story that wasn’t told.
As a young athlete, I unknowingly underfuelled. I was constantly training and pushing, yet never truly supporting my body with what it needed. Back then, being muscular or athletic as a woman wasn’t seen as “trendy,” which made me question my body and led to years of confusion around body image, food, and performance.
In my early 20s, I shifted my focus toward changing my body composition — but the same frustration followed. I was doing all the “right” things, yet my body wasn’t responding. It wasn’t until I ruptured my Achilles — a direct consequence of chronic under-eating and overtraining — that I hit a major turning point… (cont)
Hi, I’m Dayna
“My Turning Point”…
That injury forced me to slow down, reassess, and re-educate myself. I stepped away from endurance sport and CrossFit and turned inward — rebuilding my body from the ground up. It was in this rebuilding phase that I discovered bodybuilding. In my very first season, I won my show and turned professional — an achievement that’s rare in a debut. But for me, it wasn’t just about the title. It was about adapting and working with my body, not against it. Finding a new challenge to pursue to say to myself - “I can do hard shit”
That experience reshaped my approach to coaching — and led to the creation of State of Performance.
Training and movement have always been more than just physical for me — they’ve been my outlet, my source of achievement, and the foundation for my mental resilience. I believe that feeling strong, functional, and fuelled isn’t just important for your body — it’s essential for navigating life with confidence and clarity…. (cont)
My trials are now my coaching strengths…
Beyond fitness, I bring a unique combination of clinical and coaching experience to the table. I worked for 8 years as a Registered Nurse in Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation care, and that background in human physiology, healing, and holistic health continues to shape my coaching practice today. I’m also currently completing studies to become a qualified Sports Nutritionist, further deepening my ability to support women with evidence-based, practical strategies for long-term success.
Today, I help women break free from the cycle of under-eating, overtraining, and second-guessing themselves — and step into a place where they train with purpose, fuel with intention, and feel truly in control of their performance, body, and health.
I’m not here to hand you a generic plan or push perfection.
I’m here to teach you how to listen to your body, train smarter, and build a lifestyle that supports strength, longevity, and confidence — for life.
You don’t need to be an elite athlete to train like one.
You just need the right strategy, support, and someone who gets it.
If you’re ready to feel strong, capable, and proud of what your body can do — I’m here to help you get there.
