Beyond camogie, Nicola Woods starts up new business, ‘Dlús Recovery’

For Woods, founder of Dlús Recovery, the appeal of hyperbaric oxygen therapy stretches far beyond elite sport. While the technology has gained attention for helping top-level athletes return to action more quickly, she believes its real potential lies in improving everyday health and wellbeing. At the centre of her new venture is a hyperbaric chamber - a sealed, pressurised pod designed to deliver high concentrations of oxygen to the body. Users lie inside the chamber wearing an oxygen mask, typically for around an hour, while the pressure gradually increases. The absorption of higher levels of oxygen is often associated with supporting recovery, reducing inflammation, and improving overall energy levels. Inside the chamber, oxygen levels are significantly higher than what we breathe in everyday life. “You’re getting more oxygen into your body, which allows it to absorb more than normal,” she said. “As the chamber pressurises, you feel a gentle pressure change, a bit like going underwater but much milder. That combination supports recovery and how the body functions day-to-day.” The science behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy lies in enhancing the amount of oxygen delivered throughout the body. “It boosts oxygen delivery, so you're getting more oxygen into the different tissues throughout your body,” Nicola said. “For some people it can help relaxation, so they feel a bit more refreshed after sessions. People can feel generally better day-to-day from using it.” Such benefits have not gone unnoticed in professional sport. With the physical demands on athletes higher than ever, and the financial stakes equally significant, clubs are constantly searching for ways to minimise time lost to injury. “A lot of Premier League teams have them in their grounds and training grounds,” Nicola said. For players like Salah and Mac Allister, access to cutting-edge recovery tools is part of the modern game. Hyperbaric chambers now sit alongside ice baths, cryotherapy and advanced physiotherapy as part of a broader approach to performance and recovery. Nicola’s own interest in recovery methods stems from a lifetime in sport. A former Armagh camogie player, she represented her county for 13 years and experienced first-hand the toll that injuries can take. “I’ve been massively into sport throughout my life and was always interested in how to recover faster,” she said. “I have seen people using ice baths to help them, and within the last couple of years I saw the hyperbaric chambers and thought they were interesting.” Now stepping away from inter-county camogie, she saw an opportunity to turn that interest into a business. “This is my first year not playing for Armagh, so I thought now was the time to get this off the ground as I had a bit more time on my hands,” she said. “Coming from that sporting background, where injuries are quite common, I know how beneficial this can be.” However, she is keen to stress that Dlús Recovery is not just for athletes. “I am coming at it from the wellness side of things as well,” she explained. “It is for sportspeople who are keen to recover quicker, to help them perform better, but the therapy is also for people who want to improve their general wellness, and more people are starting to use it in that way. “I’m keen to make sure that it’s something that is for everybody, not just people who play sport.” Red light therapy – which works by stimulating mitochondria using wavelengths of red or near-infrared light – and PEMF, which utilises soothing pulsed electromagnetic fields, are also being offered at Dlús. The idea of faster recovery is particularly close to Nicola’s own experience. She suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury a decade ago; a setback that can sideline athletes for up to a year. “There was nothing like this at that time to try and get you back quicker,” she said. “Whereas now something like this could help speed up that process for people in and around Armagh. “An ACL injury could keep you out of playing for a year, but this kind of therapy is being used as part of a broader recovery approach to support that process. Everyone’s body is a little bit different and it depends on how often you use it. It has potential to speed that time on the sidelines up.” The name of her business reflects the science behind the treatment. Dlús - the Irish word for “density” - is a nod to the increased concentration of oxygen delivered during sessions. Getting the business off the ground was made possible through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme. The government-backed personal loans are available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. In addition to finance, successful applicants can receive 12 months of free mentoring and access to business resources to help them succeed. The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application. All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 available per business. Loans can be paid back between one and five years at a fixed rate of interest. Nicola said the application process was far more accessible than she had expected. “It was really straightforward,” she said. “I had been thinking about doing this for a while and I had already done up a business plan myself. I have worked a lot with business owners over the years and so I was familiar with that process.” The online process proved particularly helpful as she balanced launching the business alongside full-time work, while an unexpected benefit of the scheme was the mentorship offered to applicants - something Nicola found invaluable. “I didn’t realise that you would be put in touch with a mentor who would give me some feedback, but that was really useful because they’re used to the process,” she said. “The mentor came back with a few questions, looking for more clarity on a few things, and it was good to get that second set of eyes run over it. I think there were only minor tweaks, so we were able to submit it within a week or two, so it was all very fast.” “Being able to have them look over your business plan gives you that further bit of confidence that what you are proposing to do is viable,” she added. “It’s almost like a seal of approval. If a bank is willing to lend to your business, you come away thinking that you are onto something.” To find out more about Dlús Revovery, visit @dlusrecovery on Instagram. For more on Start Up Loans visit startuploans.co.uk