Team

Dominic Odell

I have been a coach and personal trainer for 8 years. I am now also Head of Spartan endurance in the U.K. and work for Spartan all over the world. My personal philosophy on training and life is that you get out what you put in. If your consistent the hard work shows. If your not then you won’t achieve your goals. I have always lead by example and from the front. In the events I lead I want people to know I have been there and done as for me this gets the greatest respect. If I’m asking someone to backwards bear crawl up a steep incline after doing hydro burpees, I want them to know I have done it or something similar. Same goes with training I’m not going to throw together a training session that I haven’t done myself. I also believe that you should train in the environment you intend to fight in. So if your training for events that you will get cold and wet then your training should mirror this.

meg valdes

Meg has been a part of the Blue Ridge CrossFit Family since 2022 and is now happy to join the team of BRCF Coaches. She has always had a passion for fitness whether it’s running, mountain biking, doing triathlons, spartan races or CrossFit WODs.

Meg grew up in the Asheville area and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education from Appalachian State University. She is married and has four boys who love to join in on CrossFit workouts when they can.

Meg and her husband, Eric, are the owners of AVO (Asheville Vehicle Outfitters) which is a local overland and offroad shop in Mills River, NC. When Meg is not at the gym or chauffeuring her kids around, she’s usually at AVO making YouTube videos, working on the website, going to overland events or taking care of payroll.

Jason

Jason has lived in Asheville for over 20 years. Before Asheville, he lived all over the East Coast. It was in Florida in elementary school that Jason got several friends together and created the BBC (the Better Bicep Club). His main reason for exercising came from a family history of asthma and did not want asthma to negatively affect or limit his life or opportunities. Jason went on to engage in years of soccer and baseball, martial arts, marching band, and Boy Scouts. Through these different pursuits, he learned how important it is to challenge the mind to overcome obstacles and how to grow not just physically strong but also mentally strong. During college, Jason worked as a physical therapy tech helping people recover from injuries and achieve their goals.

Jason discovered CrossFit over a decade ago and has been drinking the Cool Aid ever since. He loves the community that is Crossfit, as well as both the variety and complexity of workouts that Crossfit offers. Jason has been a Marriage and Family Therapist for over 20 years and brings much of what he has learned about human behavior into his coaching at Blue Ridge. He also takes many of the lessons of Crossfit and applies them to everyday life as well.

David

David was originally born in Bronx, New York. At the age of 13 he was enrolled in the Washington Greys Military Cadets. It was with the Cadets that he began is fitness journey. Learning the core values of respect, discipline, and hard work. David started weight training at a gym with friends after he graduated from High School. In 1989 he moved to Florida where he later married is beautiful wife, Norayda. In 2015 David’s wife introduced him to the sport of CrossFit. After his first intense WOD, he knew that there was no going back to his old ways. Today, Davids passion for CrossFit continues to grow and flourish as he actively coaches.

David is an entrepreneur and local business owner. He opened his first business in 1999. As a business owner, David is a proud supporter of the community.

Thomas Koller

I've loved it all my life - sport, in whatever form. I spent my childhood and youth playing athletics, football and especially tennis. In my twenties, Thai boxing was on the professional program. In my thirties, I discovered my love for Crossfit, bodyweight training and calisthenics! I did my first OCR run in 2014, which made me very curious. Many races followed with ever-increasing challenges! These included the usual Spartan Race formats, Trifectas, Ultra Beasts and the popular Spartan Endurance events HH, HH12, HH24/H3X. I've learned a lot, I've continued my education and, most importantly, I've never lost the fire in me! MMA training was added in 2020. I am very versatile, a master at motivating others again and again and like to set an example! One principle in my life has always been - first lead by example and then speak wisely. With this in mind, I founded the Backyard Warriors with some friends in 2020. It's now a great training community with a focus on strength/endurance training. And with the simplest of means. Suitable for everyday use. You can benefit from my decades of expertise - be it the training, nutrition or mindset component! In our Hybrid Athlete program, you will benefit in several areas! But I can promise you one thing in advance - you will never be afraid of or unable to overcome an obstacle again!