Yue Diao, also known as Rachel, is a Ph.D. candidate in timber engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She discovered strength training during her master’s research when she realized it could help her handle full-scale specimen testing. What started as a practical tool soon became a passion that grew stronger after she moved to Canada.

Rachel joined Empower to refine her weightlifting skills but was soon inspired to push her boundaries. She made her competitive debut at the 2022 CanWest Games as an intermediate individual and has since embraced challenges that test her mental and physical limits. Guided by her engineering mindset, Rachel is always fascinated by the mechanics of movement, striving to train safely and efficiently for a better life inside and outside the gym.

As a coach, Rachel combines her scientific curiosity and athletic experience to inspire others. She believes in leading by example and sharing the "why" behind movements and training principles. Her goal is to empower people to think critically, move safely, and embrace challenges both in the gym and beyond.

She is fluent in both English and Mandarin. She also picked up some Cantonese while growing up listening to pop songs.