Rachel Bernhardt
Rachel Bernhardt
QUICK STATS
- Hometown: Vineland, New Jersey
- Club Team: Team Charlotte Swimming
- College: Drexel University
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Two-time Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Swimmer of the Year
- Two-time CAA Champion
- 2016 & 2024 Olympic Trials Qualifier
EXPERIENCE
Rachel Bernhardt’s path to swimming success proves that it is never too late to try something new. Rachel began competitive swimming at the age of 15, and went on to be a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Champion and 2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She says, “My parents didn’t even know how to swim and my mom learned how to swim with me. That inspired me to teach in order to reach more swimmers and families that don’t have a swimming background.”
Rachel enjoys teaching stroke technique to Fitter & Faster camp participants, but sharing her insight on mindset and nutrition are what really get her excited. She credits improvements in those two areas with helping her advance in swimming, and believes they must be consistent day in and day out for success in the sport. She says, “I don’t feel like mindset and nutrition is talked about in depth. We are told to ‘eat healthy’, but it wasn’t until I learned how to count macros and increase my intake for better performance. Learning how to separate your carbs, fats, and protein for optimal performance is necessary. And if you don’t have the strongest mind in the race then it doesn’t matter how hard you worked leading up to that moment; your mind will out rule your physical ability.”
Enjoying her interaction with Fitter & Faster camp participants Rachel says, “every time I do a camp, I learn something new about myself and about the sport of swimming! It’s amazing what you can continually learn from others despite their age.” She puts out positive, happy energy at the camps, sharing the mantra “happy swimmers equal fast swimmers.”
