Born and raised in greater Columbus, OH, Rachel attended Dublin Coffman High School, where, by her senior year, she was recognizeable among the best middle distance runners in the state. When it came time to take the next step, Rachel maintained her Columbus roots by taking her talents to THE University of Ohio. While in a Buckeye uniform, Rachel was a two-time All-American which she added to multiple conference honors. On her progress at OSU, Rachel says, "I dropped 9.3 seconds from my high school 800 PR to my college 800 PR (2:11-2:02). My hope in sharing my story with other aspiring athletes is that they can look at my journey, be inspired, and say, 'hey- if she can do that, I can do that too!'"
Rachel recently finished up her fourth year of eilgibility with the NCAA and is finishing her undergraduate degree in her fifth year while starting her pursuit of a post collegiate track career. Off the track, Rachel says, "I'm really super passionate about 4 things: 1. Jesus. I love Jesus a lot. 2. My dog Maverick. Maverick is the best dog in the entire world. 3. Coffee. I can't live without it. 4. The color yellow. The world is a better place because of the color yellow." Additionally, she enjoys sharing her passion with the coming generation of runners as a volunteer high school coach. Rachel admits though, she gets just as much from it as the students, stating, "The grit and the passion that the kids show each day in their practices inspires me at the end of my hard practice sessions to dig a little deeper and find something extra. Being involved with coaching has brought new life into my world both on and off the track."
As for her aspirations for when her time on the pro track circuit comes to a close, she plans to be a high school teacher, teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), continuing to coach track and cross country, and perhaps one day working for a University in student athlete development, paying it forward to all the support staff that invested in her development as an athlete.
