Rachael Rapinoe is an entrepreneur, purpose-driven marketing strategist, and an unofficial, official Personal Growth Officer on a mission to inspire transformation. Originally from Redding, California (“You can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl.”), Rachael found her path in Portland, where she embraced individuality and self-discovery. Passionate about human connection, nature, and wellness, Rachael’s journey from professional soccer to building businesses and coaching fuels her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ and athletic communities. Through work at COMN Collective and creating inclusive spaces at Blue House Fitness, Rachael empowers others to live authentically and embrace personal growth.
Can you share a bit about your journey, particularly what brought you to Portland and how the city has influenced your path?
I came to Portland from a rural, conservative part of Northern California, Redding, on a soccer scholarship to the University of Portland in 2004. I hated the weather but loved the weirdness of this city. I found myself in Portland; it breathed life into my innocent being and taught me the beautiful life lesson of staying true to myself. I’ve always felt a little different from the status quo, and Portland gave me permission to be on the fringe, for which I am forever grateful.
Right now, what’s the most important focus in your life? How does your dedication to mental and physical wellness play into this, both for yourself and the communities you’re part of?
The most important focus in my life right now is my family. I have a partner, two beautiful boys, two cats, and a dog—it’s a circus, but we love it! I’ve been on a long journey of getting comfortable in my own skin, and the foundation of finding myself has been to develop a sustainable mindfulness practice (meditation, journaling, breath work, therapy, and movement). Taking care of my mental, emotional, and physical well-being is something I’m deeply committed to. I’m just a better friend, partner, lover, Stammy (step-mommy-daddy), dog + cat parent, colleague, etc., when I’m attuned to myself fully.
Looking back at everything you’ve accomplished, what are some of your proudest achievements? How has your identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ and athletic communities influenced your work?
Winning a national championship, playing pro soccer, traveling the world, getting a master’s degree, building two businesses—the list goes on. But ultimately, it always comes back to building sincere connections. I’m proud of the little kids I’ve inspired, helped, or guided to hopefully feel comfortable in their identities and in their skin. If I have been a positive LGBTQIA+ role model for just one kid, that means the world to me. Sport has been an incredible vehicle to reach the masses, and I am very grateful for that.
You’ve faced some significant challenges, both personally and professionally. How have these experiences, such as overcoming injury and addiction, shaped the way you approach life now?
I’ve had to learn to give myself grace and compassion. There have been many ups and downs in my athletic and entrepreneurial journey, but there’s no such thing as failure. It’s what you do with the experiences and outcomes that matter. It’s taken a lot of healing work to redefine and reshape what success looks like for me, and these are the guideposts I use today and moving forward to steer me.
Your work with Mendi was deeply connected to athlete recovery and wellness. How do you continue to advocate for wellness and mental health now, and how has that passion evolved over time?
My entire body of work has been creating products and services that genuinely enrich people’s quality of life. After Mendi, I took a sales position at COMN Collective, a market research agency obsessed with people, sport, and telling rich, equitable stories. The diversity in our research is core to who we are, and I am very proud to be a part of this team. I also consult with Blue House Fitness, overseeing Marketing Strategy & Content, and I do CrossFit coaching there as well. No matter what, the common ground in my work will always be people and wellness.
How do you stay connected with the LGBTQ+ community, and are there any causes or organizations you are particularly passionate about supporting?
Protecting, supporting, and contributing to the LGBTQIA+ community is deeply important to me. I didn’t have queer models when I was a kid, which was so harmful. Visibility and representation in all aspects of society are crucial to ensure not only that the most vulnerable are protected, but also so people know they belong. I’m always looking for opportunities to create queer affinity spaces, particularly in the fitness x wellness spaces. Currently, I’ve co-created a Queer Class that happens monthly, every third Saturday @ 10 AM, at Blue House Fitness, coached by yours truly. This has been super fun to conceptualize, and the turnout has been amazing! I can’t tell you how many people show up, so excited to be working out alongside solely queer athletes, with a queer coach, in a space they know they’re safe.
What excites you about collaborating with the Lesbian Culture Club?
I always get excited about partnering with local organizations and community members with aligned values, especially when a core value is to serve our beautiful queer community. LFG!
How do you see LCC helping to foster wellness and personal growth in the community? What do you hope to contribute that perhaps you haven’t been able to share in other spaces? And in return, what do you hope to gain from being involved?
Loneliness is a growing epidemic in our country, so fostering a sense of community and belonging is vitally important for people’s long-term health and wellness, especially for our queer community. For many LGBTQIA+ identifying folks, their queer community serves as their family as well. So, it’s really important to have affinity spaces and organizations where queer folks know they're both safe, celebrated, and belong. I think the concept of LCC is really beautiful, and super exciting for the future of queer culture here in Portland! I definitely want to help expand the visibility of LCC, grow the community, and partake as a member!
As someone committed to both personal and community growth, what are your future goals? How do you envision expanding your advocacy for wellness and recovery, especially within the LGBTQ+ and athletic spaces?
Aspects of my work will always be to serve and protect the LGBTQIA+ community, whether it’s creating services myself rooted in my health & wellness background, supporting existing services, or partnering with organizations like LCC to amplify a collective mission.
Maintaining balance is essential to personal growth. What are your go-to activities for maintaining mental and physical wellness in your daily life? Can you share something fun or surprising that keeps you grounded?
Other than my mindfulness practice that I mentioned above, one of my go-to activities is walking my dog. I adopted my little pup, Angelo, in 2019, and one of the most unexpected benefits since having a dog is the daily walks. There’s a lot of data showing the importance of zone 2 activities, like walking, and how, over time, it can have pretty dramatic benefits for your mental and emotional well-being. I’m now very bought into the practice of incorporating walking into my daily movement routine.
Where can people connect with you or learn more about your work (whether through social media, a website, or other platforms you’re involved in)?
People can find me working out/working at Blue House Fitness (@bluehousefitness), COMN’s HQ, or you can follow my journey on Instagram (@rrapinoe).
