A team that raises you up and cheers for you.
The small coaching staff who opened our gym in 2022 has grown into a very unique group with diverse athletic abilities, interests and coaching styles. So far, every one of our coaches has come from our own membership, which feels pretty special. Not only is this an awesome place to grow as an athlete, but we have found excellent coaching breeds excellent coaches. We are all after the same good vibes, deep dives into movement and raising each other up along the way.
Our Coaches
JESSIE WELSH
Owner/Head Coach
CrossFit Level 2
Fifteen years as a CrossFit athlete and over ten years coaching brings Coach Jessie to her new home, Northstar Athletics as owner and head coach. Jessie formerly headed up Dropout Athletics before moving to this new building, just down the street, with more space for our athletes. Jessie is grateful to bring everything she loves about CrossFit — a strong focus on movement and technique, competition and fitness as a lifestyle — to a new community of athletes in Milwaukee. She can’t wait to welcome old and new friends to our classes and to our beautiful space. She and her world-class coaches are ready to welcome you, challenge you, and make you proud to call yourself a Northstar athlete.
JAIMIE DZELZKALNS
Coach
CrossFit Level 2
Coach Jaimie was a marathoner, wakeboarder, ultimate frisbee-er for years in Pittsburgh before colliding with CrossFit in 2015. She tried a class with a friend and never left. Over some challenging years to follow, CrossFit helped Jaimie not only survive but grow. Jaimie has seen CrossFi change many other lives and loves helping people connect with this sport and community. Jaimie specializes in adaptive CrossFit, modifications, pregnant/postpartum fitness and the Legends program she developed.
MIKE VANAUSDALL
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Coach Mike has been a personal trainer since 2013 and got his CF Level 1 in June of 2024. Outside of WODs, Mike loves lifting heavy and running slowly. He has four kids, so might someday have hobbies again …
REJA BASYYONI
Coach
CrossFit Level 2
Coach Reja fell in love with lifting the moment she realized strength changes everything — how you move, how you carry yourself, how you show up in life. She coaches with a PhD, CrossFit Level 2, USA Weightlifting L1, Gymnastics Level 1, Sports Nutrition Coach, and Pain-Free Performance Specialist under her belt. All of it comes down to a simple philosophy: science over trends, and food is medicine and fuel. Training builds more than muscle, it's one of the best tools we have for mental health, confidence, and resilience. Whether coaching a class or training clients one-on-one, her favorite moment is that look on someone's face when they do something they swore they couldn't. Off the floor, this mom of two stays active and spends her time outdoors.
BOB CASTRO
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Bob Castro brings nine years of CrossFit experience and five years of coaching to the community. His competitive background extends beyond the box as an assistant wrestling coach at Whitefish Bay High School and competing in masters Olympic weightlifting. In 2026, Bob added another milestone by qualifying for the CrossFit Games Sectionals. He brings a competitive mindset, years of coaching experience, and a passion for helping athletes of all levels get stronger, move better, and push beyond what they thought possible.
JENS WÖHLBIER
Coach
CrossFit Level 2
Coach Jens is an athlete, firefighter and lifelong adventurer. He thrives on pushing athletes’ limits as well as his own— answering the call as a firefighter, chasing the next PR in the gym, or taking on fitness competitions. When he’s not training or working, you’ll find Jens trying to be outdoors as much as possible, traveling, and exploring new places. He’s always looking for the next adventure and is all about staying fit for life and embracing challenges to become 1% better every day.
PARU SHAH
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Coach Paru picked up her first barbell after her second daughter was born, and in that time the box has become less of a gym and more of a second home. What started as a way to get in shape turned into a genuine love for the sport — the community, the constant skill-building, and the satisfaction of chasing a new PR. These days, Paru brings that same energy to coaching, helping other athletes build confidence and community and push through the workouts they'd rather skip.
VANESSA SOWINSKI
Coach
CrossFit Level 2
With ten years in the CrossFit community and eight years of active coaching experience, Coach Vanessa is dedicated to helping athletes of all ages realize their full potential. Vanessa holds her CF Level 2, USA Weightlifting Level 1 an CrossFit Kids credentials. As the founder and head coach of an affiliate located in the high school where she teaches, Vanessa gets to blend her passion for education with functional fitness, every day. Above all, Vanessa loves coaching because nothing beats watching people grow, build confidence and accomplish things they once thought were impossible.
IZZIE TASSE
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Coach Izzie (she/her) started CrossFi eleven years ago and is just getting back to it after a three-year break from training and coaching. Izzie loves Olympic lifts and gymnastics. Outside of the gym, she is a medical student, high school gymnastics coach and cat mom!
JOHN HEISLER
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Coach John has always been an acrive guy: three sports in high school and then running and cycling throughout college and into early adulthood.
John joined a box in 2016 and has not slowed down. His favorite workouts are short and intense — the go fast and get dirty typles — preferably with a barbell like Fran and Grace, but he also loves the mental challenge of a hero or chipper. John’s favorite movements are bar muscle ups and heavy clean and jerks.
PHILLIP THIEM
Coach
CrossFit Level 1
Other than the time he spends doing or coaching CrossFit, Coach Philip loves to spend time with his wife, read books, and golfing. Philip encourages you to become a better version of yourself every day at Northstar! He is here to help you on your journey, most often in the mornings. Philip tries to live and coach while keeping in mind that we are all on slightly different journeys. “He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor” - St. Ignatius of Loyola
