Blaine Wasson

L1 Coach
Bio coming soon

My fitness career began in my school years, where I participated in track, volleyball, softball, and basketball. I thrived in the team sport dynamic, with volleyball becoming my primary focus. I played travel club volleyball in high school and continued with recreational volleyball in college, balancing it with work to support myself through school. During college, I briefly served as a student athletic trainer for the University of Cincinnati football team.

After college, I worked as a Physical Therapy Aide for several years, which deepened my appreciation for the elderly population and the intricacies of human movement. I still incorporate the stretching and rehab exercises I learned during that time, nearly 20 years ago. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2005 with a degree in Exercise Science. If life ever allows, I would be interested in pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy while continuing to run the gym. I remain fascinated by the body’s ability to move and heal itself.

When my husband, Justin, became a professional firefighter, I stepped into the role of lead trainer at the gym. I make myself available to my athletes around the clock, and everyone has my number. I enjoy being accessible and supportive to ensure they always have the guidance they need. 

I’m deeply committed to our members/athletes and have an in-depth understanding of each member’s orthopedic concerns. This knowledge allows me to expertly tailor and modify workouts to ensure they are safe and effective for everyone.

My fitness journey began at 13 when I got a 300-pound weight set from Service Merchandise. Without a rack or bench, I used milk crates and a seat cushion to improvise, even crawling under the weights to bench. This sparked a deep interest in fitness, particularly in developing explosive power.

Throughout high school, I consistently ranked in the top five in PE strength tests, attracting attention from the football coach. However, my mom, a doctor, was concerned about head injuries and discouraged me from playing. In the fall of 1999, while training for baseball, the strength and conditioning staff at WVU suggested I walk on to the football team, lured by the promise of free gear. With no prior football experience, I joined primarily for the strength and conditioning program under Mike Barwis. During my time at WVU, I pursued studies in exercise science, mechanical engineering, German, and business marketing.

In 2003, after moving to Virginia, I started working at Explosive Performance, a well-known athlete development program in Northern Virginia. Initially hired as a part-time trainer, I earned my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification and eventually became the lead trainer and then the director in Annandale. It was during this time that I met my wife, Crystal. We both transitioned to salaried personal trainers in Washington, D.C., where we had our first son.

We left our D.C. jobs to open a garage gym in Amissville from 2009-2011, then expanded to a 1,000-square-foot space in Warrenton from 2011-2013. Inspired by training several career fire and rescue personnel, I became a volunteer firefighter in Littlefork, Culpeper, in 2010 and later a professional firefighter in Fairfax in 2012, with Crystal taking the lead in our business.

As we outgrew our 1,000-square-foot space, we moved into a 4,000+ square-foot basement in an old town historic building, where we operated from 2013 to 2024. Rising rent costs prompted us to buy land and build our own facility, which opened in July 2024. This project was a significant endeavor, supported by our incredible members who helped with the move.

In 2018, I joined the Fairfax TROT (Technical Rescue and Operations Team), specializing in high-angle rescues, vehicle extrications, structural collapses, confined spaces, trenches, and swift water events. This role motivated me to pursue a structural engineering degree, which equipped me with the knowledge to contribute to the design and layout of our new gym.

Jennifer Medina
L1 Coach & L2 Coach

I grew up always involved in sports–lots of soccer, some gymnastics, and then martial arts. It kept me active and in shape and I never really had to “plan” to work out. Once I hit college I suddenly was no longer in sports and began having to plan to work out. I didn’t like just working out on my own so I found myself doing hours of group classes at whatever local gym was around where I lived. The classes were never challenging enough and got insanely repetitive. Then I tried a “crossfit” type class at the globo gym I was a member of and that was the most challenging class I’d done. So I decided to look up actual crossfit and found Crossfit Warrenton online. A little over two years ago I stopped in for a class and have been hooked ever since. Every day is a different workout. There’s always new skills to learn and develop. There’s challenge and competition and an amazing gym family and friends atmosphere. I went from showing up and spending hours getting a mediocre workout to getting crushed in 15 minutes. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my body composition–more than I ever did in all my years of working out before. Crossfit is an awesome workout that can be tailored for anybody, any age, any skill level. I’m blessed to be a part of a great group of people and look forward to continuing to improve in all aspects of this sport. 

CrossFit Level 1

Laura Baltagi
L1 Coach

I’ve always been active in life starting with Track and Volleyball in High School. In college I was the aerobics queen which may let you in on my secret that I’m a bit older than your average coach at age 57! In 2013 my niece introduced me to Crossfit and I was intrigued because I thought I was pretty fit because I work my 18 acre horse farm. In 2014 my niece and another friend got me to Crossfit War and the rest is history. I signed up for 6 months after that first trial WOD. I realized I wasn’t as fit as I thought I was and I fell in love with the variety of the workouts. I’m a bit competitive as it turns out and I love going in beating my own time or RX’ing a WOD that in the past I had to modify as I learned the moves. I also like to run in OCR races and Crossfit does a great job of preparing me for those obstacles I have to get over. In 2016 I decided to take the Level 1 Certification course to improve my skills never thinking that I would become a coach. In 2017 I was lucky enough to have Crystal and Justin offer me the opportunity to coach and I grabbed it. Crossfit is the first exercise program that I’ve ever stuck with for more than 6 months and I’ve tried a lot of different programs over the years. The variety of the workouts, the camaraderie of the people and the ability to modify a workout for my abilities and then get better with each workout has me hooked. I love getting better everyday and showing people that you can start Crossfit at any age and become stronger and more fit than you ever imagined!

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
• CrossFit Gymnastics

Erik Smith
L1 Coach

Erik is a family man who loves to share his passions with others. Married almost 24 years (2023), he and his wife have four great kids. Erik has coached youth sports since he graduated college – volleyball, tennis, soccer, baseball and football. He’s a lifelong athlete and played a variety of team sports throughout his youth. As and adult, Erik fell in love with mixed martial arts, but got too old for that. A friend recommended CrossFit about five years ago, which is when he dropped in to CrossFit Warrenton. Erik finds that the physical exertion from intense exercise helps keep his mental and emotional health in balance. He’s grown to love it so much that he sough out his L1 and has been coaching at CrossFit Warrenton since April 2019. We are so VERY lucky to have him as part of our team.  

Mark Medina

L1 Coach
Bio coming soon

Sarah Bockarie
CrossFit Level 1

I first found CrossFit during college, working out with the boys soccer and basketball teams! I immediately fell in love with the sport, as it challenged me to complete workouts with a variety of movements! I especially loved the weightlifting aspect, as it encouraged me to embrace a strong female role! When I moved back to Virginia, I found myself lacking motivation in the routine gym setting, and decided to try out Crossfit Warrenton. In this gym I found my passion, my motivation, and my family! Throughout the years I have coached a variety of sports, and love helping others discover their potential. I am so excited to bring that passion to the Crossfit world! 

CrossFit Level 1