About Me

Why hello, there!

I’m Rachel - the human behind Base Camp Wellness coaching. I’m a coach, mountain athlete, partner, dog mom, and Vermont running hype woman (@longtrailrunning).

I am a lover of science, playing outside, and oat milk maple lattes who always, ALWAYS packs enough snacks. I help outdoor folks build strong, resilient, mountain-ready bodies + minds so they can do the things that bring them joy for years to come.

Credentials
M.S. Physical Activity + Wellness Science, University of Vermont
Certified Personal Trainer - National Academy of Sports Medicine

Confession:
I’m not a gym rat.

This feels a little scary to admit that when you’re a trainer… but I am not a gym rat. I’m also not a bodybuilder, or an elite athlete. I'm not at the gym to lift the most weight, build the "perfect" physique, or do more than the person standing next to me.

I’m there because I want to be that “crazy” old lady summitting mountains in her 80s. The grandma spreading smiles + stoke as she shuffles along in her trail race. The gal who could care less about wrinkles + gray hair as she clicks into her ski boots and lets out a "whooop!" down the backcountry trails.

So, when I say I’m training for the long-haul…I mean, a really really long haul. Like, I intend to keep doing hard things for decades. This means building….

  • strength + resilience so I can show up feeling READY from season to season

  • connective tissue, muscles, bones, lungs, and a heart that can hold up to mountain playtime without getting sidelined due to injuries.

  • rest + recovery to avoid burning out

If you see me in the gym, it’s because it supports my moutain goals. It has a purpose - and I’m here to design purposeful, progressive training programs for you, too.

The Backstory

I spent the first 10+ years of my career in engineering - I loved solving problems and building things. But planning, training for, and going on outdoor adventures is what really lit me up. I loved cultivating the muscles and mindset that would get me to the top of that mountain.

I wanted more people to experience the ear-to-ear smiles, fluttery joy, and powerful confidence that comes with doing hard things and knowing that you put in the work to get yourself there. I was also frustrated by trends and quick-fixes being sold as paths to “health + wellness” - without any solid scientific evidence.

In 2020, I went back to school for a Masters of Science in Physical Activity + Wellness Science at the University of Vermont to gain the knowledge and skills I needed to create evidence-based health and wellness programs. I’ve worked with a diverse range of clients, from age 20’s to 80+ - including those with special considerations (post-rehabilitatation, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and more).

I believe that movement and training should support your life outside of the gym.

The Business

Base Camp Wellness was formed in 2021 to help outdoor athletes of all levels build sustainable, purposeful movement practices so they can keep doing what they love for the long haul. Whether your goal is hiking up your first mountain, tackling your first ultramarathon, or leveling up your climbing this fall - a sustainable, progressive training program can support it.

Base Camp was born to fill a need for:

  • Simple, effective workouts that didn’t take hours in the gym.

  • Functional movement patterns that mimicked outdoor sports.

  • Building a strong foundation that could handle getting bumped playing in the mountains every weekend.

  • Flexible training plans that could transition from season-to-season, sport-to-sport, and give my body adequate time to repair, recover and rebuild in between

  • Progressive, purpose-driven training programs.

More than your trainer, I am here as your coach. I’m your guide, collaborator, troubleshooter, and hypewoman. I want to help you chase more joy - by starting your season feeling READY, and staying healthy rather than getting sidelind with injuries. I want to take the guesswork out out of training for you so you can focus on the doing. You know it is purposeful, progressive, and programmed around your year, and your goals- so you can put your brain on the shelf and just do the work. I want to keep you playing for decades so we can share wrinkly high-fives on top of that mountain when we’re in our 80’s.

See you up top.

At the heart of Base Camp Wellness you’ll find…

  • Education.

    First of all…I’m a science nerd at heart. But, I also believe that you deserve to know how all this stuff works. It is your body, after all.

    I believe in sharing the purpose behind my programming, in breaking down the science in an approachable, understandable way, and in encouraging you to ask questions.

  • Empowerment.

    Don't take this the wrong way: I don't want you to work with me forever.

    I want to give you the tools and skills to keep going on your own - because these are lifelong habits.

    Goals changed? Have questions? Need a nudge? Come on' back + restock for the next step on your journey. You will always have a hype-woman in your corner.

  • Self Trust.

    AKA, the secret sauce.

    If there is one thing I want you to gain from working with me, it’s this. It is the most translatable skills to not only your adventures, but every area of your life.

    We sow these seeds with right-level challenges, progresssive skill-building, and consistently showing up for yourself.

    Doing small hard things leads to believing you can do bigger hard things. Rinse + repeat.

  • Fun.

    Thre's value in those long, tough, grit-buidling days. But there's also value in the joy + humor that can make those days a *tad* easier, or at least give you something to laugh about as you slog up seemingly endless false summits.

    That friend cracking jokes or regaling you with stories as you both trudge along? That's me.

    A spoonful of humor helps the exercise go down.

A word.

The fitness and outdoor recreation industries have marginalized many, many people over the years. Both have idealized a “look” that is largely white, priviledged, cis-gendered, and thin. I fully recognize that I also fit this look - so my access to the outdoors, sports, and healthcare has been easier than it is for so many…and that is blatantly unfair.

Despite what these industries (still) sell us: fitness, performance, and health don’t have a look. They are states of physical, mental and social well-being that are affected by many things - and there is not one doctor who can tell if you’re “healthy” by appearance alone.

Some of the factors that impact health/fitness are out of our control (hi, genetics!) but many can be improved through training and lifestyle habits. There is a solid base of evidence supporting the benefits of movement, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and more on longevity, chronic disease prevention, and quality of life. This is something that should belong to everyone - but for many years, has not been sold that way. Beyond just the models or images, some of the worst gatekeeping has been tying exercise to weight loss or body change and perpetuating myths that it has to be high-intensity or super hard to be worthwhile. There is a literal crap-ton of scientific evidence refuting this.

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Movement that supports health, recreation, and joy belongs to everyone. I am commited to a future where both fitness + the outdoors feel more welcoming to athletes who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, gender non-conforming, non-binary or fat. You belong here (in the gym. in the mountains. in my business) whether you fit the industry’s mold or not. The only athlete that doesn’t belong here is one who shows intolerance, bigotry, or a lack of compassion for others.

As I continue to develop my business, I hope to make my services as approachable, accessible, and welcoming as possible - and continue to develop and educate myself in these areas. I cannot promise perfection - but absolutely promise commitment to the process + growth.