Austin Malleolo Departs CrossFit After 15 Years, Joins Mayhem Nation
After 15 years working for CrossFit LLC, Austin Malleolo has left the company for a new role with Rich Froning’s Mayhem Nation as VP of Mayhem Gyms. He most recently served as CrossFit’s Senior Director of Strategy & Operations for Affiliates.
Remind Me
Malleolo competed in the CrossFit Games as an individual five times from 2010 to 2015.
- He was also an affiliate owner and a long-time member of CrossFit’s seminar staff, having worked at over 400 seminars worldwide in 10 years.
- Additionally, he worked for Reebok before joining CrossFit HQ, initially as part of the programming team behind the “CrossFit Affiliate Program” or CAP with Spencer Hendel and James Hobart.
In December 2022, Malleolo became CrossFit’s interim General Manager of Affiliates, but in 2023, he switched roles again and assumed the position of Director of US Gym Operations.
Moving to Mayhem
Malleolo admits he didn’t make the decision to leave CrossFit and join Mayhem lightly.
- “CrossFit has been my life…I’m pretty one-dimensional when it comes to life, and CrossFit has been that dimension…That’s why making this decision to move on was really challenging emotionally,” Malleolo said on Rich Froning’s podcast last week.
Ultimately, Malleolo’s decision to join Froning’s team depended on his belief that he could make “an even greater impact” on the CrossFit community at Mayhem.
In an Instagram post, Malleolo said his plan is to focus on growing “the Mayhem community of athletes, members, coaches, and specifically our Mayhem gyms.”
The Big Picture
It’s no secret that CrossFit is up for sale, with rumors circulating that a deal is close to being finalized. So time will tell whether Malleolo’s departure is the start of what could become a significant turnover at the company.
While Malleolo believes that the “ecosystem is changing” when it comes to CrossFit, he remains firm in his love for the methodology and still cares about what happens to the company.
- “CrossFit and the success of CrossFit at the highest level are important. It really is…This world is a better place with CrossFit. [And], this world is a better place with a unified community,” Malleolo said.
Froning agrees. Although he admits he “poached” Malleolo from CrossFit, he also said, “Everyone can rally under that CrossFit name…The community is alive and well.”
- Froning added: “Keep doing what you’re doing, keep impacting, keep changing lives for the better. That’s all we can do. And that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do at Mayhem.”
Credit: @amalleolo / Instagram
