Rachael Thiessen

I started my fitness journey as a swim coach + aquafit instructor, but I also loved growing up active outdoors, hiking and swimming.  I found CrossFit at age 24 and dove right in, dedicating the next decade to learning, coaching, and competing in the Sport of Fitness. After my first CrossFit Regionals in 2011 (team) I found my strength to be my most limiting factor, so I dedicated some time to powerlifting before returning to the Regionals stage in 2014. In 2015, we opened RadixGym and focused on local CrossFit competitions and building our community (and family!)! In 2019, 1 year after the birth of our first son, I competed in the Ontario Masters Weightlifting Championship and took 3rd place with a 120kg total. In 2022, in my greatest-ever feat of strength, I gave birth to twin boys weighing over 6lbs each! Within 15 months, I had lost the 85 lbs I gained during pregnancy and hit my postpartum PR lifts within 2 years.

While pregnant with our first son, I wasn't able to train as hard as I wanted to because of an anterior placenta. It was a blessing because I learned so much about different training styles through pregnancy and postpartum, taking BirthFit and other courses along the way to improve my education. After an unplanned C-section, I worked hard to get my strength back and competed in weightlifting at 1 year postpartum, but was sidelined by a car accident shortly afterward. The next few years were a physical and emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs: COVID lockdowns, a miscarriage, and more lockdowns, with lots of at-home workouts and managing recurring whiplash symptoms and a toddler at home. Feeling broken and out of shape, it was hard to feel like a fitness coach when I couldn't train the way I wanted to, but I kept going and did what I could for myself, my son, and my members. I wanted to keep showing up and trying for them because I knew other moms were going through many of the same problems. Some of my fondest memories of those years were the simple garage gym workouts I did with my 3-year-old boy at my side. He is now 6 and does weekly CrossFit workouts at the gym while our 2-year-old twins try to join in!

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My mission is to be a role model to my boys and to encourage and support other Mamas to be healthy and strong through the seasons of life. It doesn't matter where you are or where you came from, there is always something we can do to move better, eat better, and try to be just a bit stronger each day. I believe all women should do CrossFit and prioritize eating real food for themselves and their families.

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