Industry

Former College Football Player Launches CrossFit Community App

February 8, 2023 by
Photo Credit: AJ Wolf
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The CrossFit community interacts on social media platforms, competitions, training camps, however there is no real dedicated space for just CrossFitters to discuss the latest sneakers or show off their most recent PR. Until now. 

The mobile app Athena was launched by AJ Wolf and Max Roche after Wolf couldn’t find one exclusive space to connect with the fitness community. The app has over 10,000 users and 2,000 members in their CrossFit “community,” according to Wolf, who played football at Duke University and is well-versed in the weightlifting and fitness space generally. The app also has communities for weightlifting, cycling, meal prep, among others. 

One of the most recent communities added to the app is the “CrossFit Open 2023,” which was launched within the app for those competing in the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open to connect with one another. Wolf and Roche launched their beta app in 2022 and their current Athena app in January.

  • “There are all these other industries that have their own social vertical platforms and it’s like why doesn’t one exist for health and fitness?,” said Wolf. 
  • In terms of CrossFit specifically “everyone is just so passionate about what they do and there’s no single place for them to connect with each other and break into the younger generations as well.” 
  • “We created a space where anyone participating in the Open can connect with each other and you can even filter when you’re searching for people to connect with just to people participating in the Open.”  

When asked what people are mostly discussing on the platform, Wolf said, “I think number one people are just looking for general support and feedback. Fitness journeys can be very lonely and everyone has their own box, but outside of the box a lot of people are on their own.” 

A two-time CrossFit Games qualifier and affiliate owner known by many, Elijah “EZ” Mohammad, is on the app and posts on a regular basis. 

Another user is Daniel Nordwall. He’s been doing CrossFit for just a year and a half and joined Athena in January. He says his experience with the app has been positive thus far and hopes to see more users in the future. 

“I think it could be successful because this app could be a great niche for those who love fitness and want to share ideas,” said Nordwall. 

Wolf and Roche anticipate being at 20,000 users soon and have a goal of raising $2 million in seed funding in the next few months. Two of their inaugural investors are the CEOs of Cameo and Bare Performance Nutrition, also known as BPN supplements. 

“What I think people are really using it [the app] for is just getting that community vibe that they don’t get anywhere else,” said Wolf. 

“We’ve actually found that it’s very motivating not only for the people that are posting, but also for the rest of the community because they see that everyone else is grinding and working towards your goals.”

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