“The ultimate thank you”: Why Lisa and Lauryn nominated Peter for a UK Coaching Award
News by Matt Scott
A UK Coaching Awards nomination gave Lisa Miller the chance to recognise coach Peter Tomlin's impact on her daughter Lauryn's life. Here, she explains how the experience became an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and say thanks.
“There’s only so many doughnuts and cans of Coke I can take him to say thank you.”
It is not the answer you might expect when asking someone why they nominated a coach for a UK Coaching Award. But for Lisa Miller, it captures exactly why she decided to put carriage driving coach Peter Tomlin forward for recognition.
After everything Peter had helped her daughter Lauryn achieve, Lisa wanted to find a way to show just how much his support meant.
“This would be a great way to say thank you in a more meaningful way,” she says.
That nomination led to Peter winning 2025’s Change a Life Award. But for Lisa, the process became about so much more.
“It’s the ultimate thank you to your coach.”
Seeing the person, not the challenge
Lauryn has faced significant challenges, including an autism diagnosis, selective mutism and a functional neurological disorder affecting her mobility and communication.
When Lisa first brought Lauryn to Park Lane Stables, she was unsure what opportunities would be available. Instead, she found a culture focused on possibilities rather than limitations.
“Everything was about what you can’t do,” Lisa says of so many experiences they had elsewhere. At the stables, however, the approach was completely different.
Peter quickly became a key part of Lauryn’s journey, adapting sessions to meet her needs, finding ways to communicate that worked for her, and helping her develop as a carriage driver.
“There was lots of opportunity to get it all wrong with Lauryn and he never has,” says Lisa.
What impressed her most was not simply Peter’s technical expertise, but his ability to understand the individual in front of him.
“Obviously, he knows how to carriage drive. Obviously, he knows all about the safety and all of that kind of stuff. But he knows how to work with Lauryn and get the best out of her. And that’s what really makes a difference, I think.”
Whether it was introducing specialist looped reins, adapting learning materials, creating quieter spaces for learning (Lauryn’s Office!) or helping his participant set her own goals, Peter consistently looked for solutions.
“Everything is, ‘we’ll just do it this way instead of that way’,” Lisa explains. “You’re not an inconvenience because you’re doing it this way. That’s just how you do it.”
The impact has been profound.
“I think he really has changed Lauryn’s life.”
More than just a nomination form
The decision was easy when Park Lane Stables founder Natalie O’Rourke encouraged Lisa to nominate Peter. Completing the nomination provided something unexpected: an opportunity to reflect.
For anyone considering nominating a coach, Lisa believes this chance to pause and appreciate their impact is one of the most valuable parts of the process.
Sometimes, she says, it is only when you start writing that you fully understand the difference a coach has made.
“It gives you a moment to sort of step back and not be in it, but look down on it and be a bit objective,” Lisa says.
“What has actually happened here? What does this really mean for us?”
As she worked through the questions, Lisa found herself looking back on the journey Lauryn had been on and recognising the significance of Peter’s contribution in a new way.
“It gives you the opportunity to reflect and almost realise yourself,” she says.
“It wasn’t just us turning up every week and having a great time with Peter. It’s actually significant change that’s happening here.”
The nomination became a shared project too. Before submitting it, Lisa made sure Lauryn reviewed the application.
“I didn’t want this to just be my version of what I think Peter’s done for Lauryn. It had to be Lauryn’s experience as well.”
Recognition reaching beyond one person
“It’s not just us that think he’s a great coach,” were Lisa’s thoughts when she learned of Peter’s award.
“Actually, he’s been assessed up against another bunch of great coaches and deemed worthy of that win.
The recognition was meaningful for Lauryn, for Peter and for the wider Park Lane Stables community.
“It lifted the whole stables,” Lisa says. “It was more than just Peter winning the award.”
The award shone a spotlight on the people, volunteers and coaches who work tirelessly behind the scenes, while also raising awareness of inclusive carriage driving and the opportunities it can create.
Most importantly, it gave Lauryn the chance to celebrate someone who had played such an important role in her life. The confidence and skills Peter helped her develop continue to open new doors. Lauryn has since entered her first carriage driving competition, placing third alongside the coach who helped her get there.
Why every nomination matters
With 2026 UK Coaching Awards nominations now open, Lisa has a straightforward message for anyone wondering whether they should put a coach forward.
“Do it. It’s a little bit of work, but it’s absolutely worth it.
“It gets that awareness out there, that appreciation, the opportunity to show your appreciation and thanks.”
The nomination also gave Lauryn her own way of expressing gratitude.
“This gave her a way of being able to say thank you to Peter without directly saying, ‘Thank you, Peter.’”
And that is why Lisa would encourage others to nominate.
Behind every nomination is a coach who has gone above and beyond. Behind every nomination is a story worth telling.
And sometimes, as Lisa puts it, it is simply the ultimate thank you to your coach.
| Do you know an amazing coach who deserves recognition? Nominations are now open for the 2026 UK Coaching Awards! You have until Wednesday 26th August to submit your nomination. |