Rachel Thomas is entering her first year as Head Athletic Trainer at CU - Lock Haven University, marking her fourth year with the university’s Athletic Training staff. She initially joined the team in October 2020 as an assistant athletic trainer, where she worked primarily with Men’s Wrestling, Volleyball, and Softball.

A nationally certified athletic trainer, Thomas holds a Pennsylvania athletic training license and is an active member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA), and the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS).

She is certified in Graston Technique and Cupping through the Board of Certification (BOC) and is also a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In 2023, Thomas completed the QPR Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention training.

Beyond her athletic training responsibilities, Thomas serves on the APSCUF Nomination and Elections Committee and has contributed to various committees within the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS) from 2022 to 2024.

Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Lock Haven University in 2015 and her master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion with a concentration in sport and exercise rehabilitation sciences from California University of Pennsylvania in May 2016. She is currently awaiting acceptance into the PennWest University Doctoral Program in Health Science, where she plans to specialize in Health Science and Exercise Leadership.

A native of Kenilworth, NJ, Thomas now lives in Jersey Shore, PA with her husband, Tyler Thomas (LHU Alum '13), their children Jerri Edna (3) and Tyler Jr. (1), and they are expecting their third child in March 2025.