Meet our Coaches
COACH
Rachel Tomajczyk
Rachel has 19 years of personal running experience and 7 years of coaching experience. She went to Baylor University where she graduated with a degree in Exercise Physiology and became a 6 X All American in track and cross country. She has coached high school cross country and track state champions, led a NCAA Division 1 women’s cross country team to their first ever appearance at a national championship, and she has coached athletes post collegiately on the road, track, and trails. She is self coached and in her own post collegiate running career, she qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials in steeplechase, won a national title on the trails, and has been part of Team USA’s gold and bronze medal winning teams at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. She is passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and empowering others to reach their goals.
COACH
Courtney Coppinger
Courtney Coppinger (Barnes) is a hybrid athlete and dedicated coach based in Golden, Colorado. A University of Kansas XC/Track alum and All-American Steeplechaser, Courtney has proudly represented Team USA on both the track and trails. Her journey embodies a unique blend of passion for all styles of racing and training.
For Courtney, coaching is more than guidance—it's a soulful connection. She thrives on walking alongside athletes through the ebbs and flows of life and sport, encouraging them to uncover new dimensions of themselves and chase what truly ignites their spirit. Courtney approaches coaching holistically, emphasizing the importance of overall work-life balance. She believes running should enhance a person's well-being, not detract from it or add unnecessary stress, ensuring that it complements a fulfilling life.
If you're seeking to uncover your own spark, eager to explore your potential as a runner, or just explore new types of training and racing - join Courtney and the Wild Striders family. Together, let’s discover the wild within and stride toward your dreams.
MENTOR
Grayson Murphy
Grayson found the sport of running at the age of 19 after playing soccer competitively for most of her life. In college Grayson competed in cross country and the 1500, 5000m, 10000m, and 3000m steeplechase events in track. After graduating as a 5 time All-American from the University of Utah, Grayson has gone on to run professionally on the track, roads, and trails. As a pro on the track and roads Grayson's most notable results include finishing 6th at the 2021 US Olympic Trials in the steeplechase and qualifying for the 2024 US Olympic Marathon trials with a HM time of 70:34. On the trails, Grayson is a 2 time World Mountain Running Champion as well as a 5 time US Champion. Grayson's background as a multi-sport athlete, along with her running success in different disciplines, give her a unique blend of experiences and lessons that she hopes to share with others.
As a coaching mentor, Grayson's goal is to encourage people to explore the various disciplines of running. She also hopes to offer guidance and support to those looking to pursue their goals, even if they might be off the beaten path.
How we all met
In the fall of 2018, Courtney, Grayson, and Rachel all moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. Courtney had just finished her track and cross country career at the University of Kansas where she was an All American in the steeplechase. She moved to continue her running career in steeplechase and continue her education at NAU. Grayson had finished her track and cross country career at the University of Utah where she earned multiple All American honors in track and cross country. She was also a steeplechaser and moved to Flagstaff to join NAZ Elite and start her professional running career. Rachel had gone to Baylor University where she was also an All American in cross country and track (also in the steeplechase) and was moving to Flagstaff to continue her career after spending two years on Furman Elite in South Carolina. We met through the Flagstaff pro running community and had the chance to run together, encourage each other, and hang out together outside of running for that year. In Flagstaff, all three of us went through similar journeys facing injuries and/or burnout. We still loved running but all felt we had lost the “fun” in it. Slowly, one by one, we all found the trails. Grayson was first, competing and winning her first trail race in 2019 and then going on to win the World Mountain Running Championships that same year. Courtney was next, wanting to find the adventure and fun in running again, she hopped on the trails and also won her first trail race in 2019. Rachel saw her two friends and fellow steeplers on the trails and, feeling burned out from the track and roads herself, raced her first trail race and finished second to Grayson in 2021. Since then, our friendship and love for running and adventure has continued to grow. The trails provided the fun and excitement we needed back in training and now, all three have reignited their love for running on every terrain. We’ve been on USA teams together, raced together, and met up for fun adventures in the trails. Through talks on these running adventures, the three noticed two gaps in the running world- a gap in coaching for athletes who run on the track and trails and a gap in women coaches. Grayson was a successful business owner and Courtney and Rachel both had their own successes coaching so they thought, “Why can’t we fill that gap?”.
And just like that the Wild Strides Coaching Collective was born!
