Most adults have two places that define their days: home and work. Allison and Jason Jachowski spent years quietly aware that something was missing in the space between. If you have spent any time at a traditional gym and quietly wondered whether there is something better out there, this is worth reading — the story of how they found it, and why they eventually built it for other people in Frederick, MD.
Sports, Growing Up, and Coming into Adulthood
Allison grew up as a competitive gymnast before moving into volleyball. What she loved about both was the combination of individual skill work inside a team environment. You were pushing yourself, but you were doing it alongside people who were pushing themselves too.
Jason’s sports were soccer, baseball, and eventually lacrosse. He describes lacrosse as the fastest game on two feet, and playing it well required strength, speed, stamina, and a certain mental toughness. What drew him in was the team atmosphere and the psychology of the sport: how do you keep getting better while also staying present?
After college, that structure disappeared. They joined a local recreation center, tried some adult recreational leagues to fill the gap, and did their best to stay fit. But it was not the same, and they both knew it.
What Their Old Gym Couldn’t Give Them
The rec center had machines along every wall, a few lifting racks, some cardio equipment. They would put in their headphones and get to work. Workouts were pulled from the internet or made up on the spot: some time on the treadmill or elliptical, then a circuit on the machines, mostly isolation movements because neither of them had much experience with free weights and there was no one around to help.
They were not getting less fit, but they were not really getting fitter either. Mostly staying the same. The bigger problem was that going felt like an obligation. It was something they needed to do, not something they wanted to do. Nobody there knew them. Nobody was pushing them or cheering for them. The camaraderie they had grown up with in sports was completely absent, and that absence was hard to ignore.
What they were missing, though neither of them had a name for it yet, was a third place — somewhere that wasn’t home, wasn’t work, and didn’t ask anything of them except to show up.
Trying CrossFit for the First Time
The first time happened by accident, more or less. They were visiting friends in Southern California, people they had grown up with in Maryland. One of those friends, Zia, was coaching at a CrossFit gym called CrossFit Counter Culture (she now owns it), and she invited them to come along.
Working out with friends sounded great. They figured they were in decent shape from their consistent gym routine. That assumption did not survive the workout.
What They Expected Walking In for the First Time
Before they walked through the door, they had a pretty clear picture in their heads: meatheads lifting impossible weights, chaotic movements, a grungy space, and a room full of people who were already incredibly fit and not particularly interested in talking to anyone new. Basically, a more intense version of the gym they already went to.
None of that turned out to be accurate.
The Differences That Surprised Them Most
The first thing they noticed was that not everyone in the room was in peak physical condition. Some people were clearly just starting out. Every movement had a scaling option, so nobody was left behind or made to feel like they did not belong.
The second thing was how genuinely welcoming everyone was. People were glad to see them. Not in a forced, front-desk kind of way. Actually glad. Nobody cared what stage of fitness you were at. They were just happy you showed up and put in the work.
The room had doctors, teachers, military, first responders, CEOs, realtors, and people who spent their entire workday at a desk. All of them working through the same thing together.
Allison and Jason both noticed something harder to put into words: everyone seemed happy. Not performatively happy, just genuinely engaged and positive in a way that you do not often see in everyday life. When you push through something difficult alongside other people, bonds form quickly. Friendships that feel real, even if you have only known someone for a few weeks.
How Their Routine and Results Changed Over Time
The biggest shift was simple: they wanted to go. After years of treating the gym like a chore, they were actually looking forward to walking in the door and seeing their people. The community they had through sports as kids was back.
Physically, both of them added muscle and got stronger. Jason had dealt with a nagging lower back issue for years, and as his stabilizer and core muscles developed, it became much less of a problem. Their energy levels changed too. During the day they had more of it. At night they were genuinely tired and ready for sleep.
The physical changes were concrete. Strict pull-ups, muscle-ups, and handstand push-ups became things they could actually do. Jason stopped reaching for ibuprofen for his back. Blood work that used to prompt follow-up questions started drawing impressed comments from their doctor instead.
Confidence carried over into the rest of their lives. After a hard workout, they felt more present, more capable, more willing to take on whatever the day had in front of them. Their eating shifted naturally as well. Their bodies started craving protein and real food rather than processed options, without any formal diet plan driving it.
They were proud of what their bodies could do. That is a different feeling than being proud of how your body looks, and it matters.
What They Would Tell Someone Still on the Fence
Try it. What do you actually have to lose?
You do not need to be fit to start. That is not a sales line, it is just true. Everyone in the room was a beginner at some point, and the good gyms remember that.
If you have kids, they are watching what you do. The habits you build now are the habits they will carry. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is one of the more useful things you can model for them.
It feels genuinely good to be strong. Your body feels more capable, and it is something you do not fully appreciate until you have it. Waiting until later in life to build that foundation makes it harder, not easier.
And it is so much better with people around you. Rooting for someone else and having them root for you is not a small thing. It changes the whole experience.
Why We Built ODIN
We eventually opened ODIN CrossFit in Frederick because we wanted to build the best version we could of what we had been looking for.
The idea was a third place. Not home, not work, but somewhere in between where you could just be yourself without a role to perform or a responsibility to manage. A place where adults in Frederick could focus on fitness, mindset, their own wellbeing, and just being themselves.
We want everyone to feel like a friend on day one, because that is what we experienced when Zia brought us into her gym in California. We spent years learning about fitness and community, getting certifications, learning about how to run a business, and opening ODIN is how we put that into practice and passed it forward. Frederick has given us so much, and we would like to share some of that with you.
If any of this sounds familiar, come see what we have built. There is no pressure and no pitch. Just a room full of people who are glad you walked in.
