Rachel Thibodeaux
Owner / CSCS / CF-L1 / Pregnancy & Postpartum Exercise Specialist / Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach
Rachel is from Montgomery, AL where she grew up playing sports in hopes of playing in college one day. However, her plan was rerouted for a better plan after a high school knee injury led her to develop a passion for strength and conditioning.
Rachel was given a great opportunity to attend Troy University where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science in 2014 with a focus on health and wellness. Rachel completed an internship with Troy University’s athletic department where she helped with the strength and conditioning program for multiple sports. After graduating, Rachel worked for the YMCA in downtown Mobile as a personal trainer, and eventually became the Fitness Director there for two years following. She also taught CrossFit at several gyms in town. Rachel and her husband eventually moved to Columbia, SC where Rachel got a job as a personal trainer / coach at a sports performance facility and decided she wanted to open her own business one day.
In June of 2019, she opened Thrive! Her desire has always been to create a place where people feel loved and welcomed no matter where they are in life. While running her business, she also competed as a high level CrossFit athlete where she qualified for Semifinals in 2021 and 2022, and was in the top 100 fittest women in the world both years.
Rachel is married to her husband, Kyle, and they recently welcomed their first son, Jax. She currently lives in Midtown Mobile where she enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, cooking, and learning about anything and everything!
Tyler Elmore
Tyler began his path as an exercise and performance specialist in 2018 where he started his studies in exercise physiology at the University of South Alabama. While working on a Bachelor’s degree, he also spent three years coaching bootcamp classes and working with USA’s strength and conditioning program where he spent most of his time training college basketball and soccer athletes. He interned at D1 performance and QB Country where he worked with middle school, high school and college baseball and football athletes. He spent two years earning a Master’s degree while also working as a graduate assistant performing a variety of physical lab assessments on undergraduate students as well as teaching weight training and other health courses. He has been certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer and has been working with clients on their physical fitness, nutrition and general health habits over the course of 7 years. During this time, he also won competitive naturally tested body building shows and competed in a number of Spartan, OCR and local 5/10/12k events.
As an exercise professional, his passion is to discover the best ways to develop himself in a holistic approach (physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally).He seeks to always expand his knowledge of training and developing the human body and desires to apply that knowledge to help impact those also seeking to better themselves, but need help in doing so. He believes that a basic understanding of health and fitness can have a tremendous effect on those who are trying to start their own fitness journey and having a more in-depth understanding can help better those who have already began their journey. A personal goal of his own is to have both the knowledge to inform, as well as the ability to apply that knowledge in a gym setting. His current hobbies include pickleball, hiking and raising his daughter, Olivia with his wife Katie.
Chase Barber
Barber joined the Thrive Personal Training Staff in July 2023.
Prior to joining Thrive, he spent two years at Missouri State University as an assistant strength and condition coach. While at Missouri State, he primarily worked with baseball, softball, volleyball and men’s soccer. He also oversaw all other Olympic sports teams and the strength and conditioning department. He was a part of six Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Prior to his time at MSU, Barber spent a year-and-a-half as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas Christian University where he primarily worked with beach volleyball, baseball and football. He also spent time as a strength and conditioning intern at TCU, University of Kansas and Huntingdon College.
Barber earned his Bachelor of Education in Exercise Science from Auburn University at Montgomery. Barber currently holds certifications as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS) through the NSCA, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) - Level 1, and a USAW Level 1 certification. Barber and his wife Lauren have a little girl, Halle Rae.
Jenna Gates
B.S., A.A.S, LPTA, CES/CSC
Jenna is from Mobile, AL! She is a wife, first time expecting mother and a social butterfly.
She grew up playing multiple sports that eventually led her to earn a softball/academic scholarship at Spring Hill College, right here in her hometown. She quickly developed a love for sports medicine and knew she wanted to help others through performance and recovery.
She has a bachelors degree in sport psychology with a minor in health sciences. She is also a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. She has been involved/learning in the field of competitive coaching, strength and conditioning and physical therapy for eight years.
She is now working toward several certifications through NSCA and NASM to gain more knowledge to help others reach their full potential through movement. She believes movement is the best medicine!