Ashley Mol was always passionate about health and fitness. Active in several sports in high school, she played Division I soccer in college and studied fitness and health promotion before parlaying her education and experience into a career. By Jessica Jones
Ashley Mol was always passionate about health and fitness. Active in several sports in high school, she played Division I soccer in college and studied fitness and health promotion before parlaying her education and experience into a career. She managed a gym and worked as a personal trainer with several young athletes. Then she took a break from the business, but not for long.
“I was missing the fitness lifestyle and needed something that would reinvigorate the athlete inside of me,” Mol said. “MADabolic has brought me right back to that place.”
Founded in 2011 by former professional hockey players Kirk Dewaele and Brandon Cullen, who is Mol’s brother, the North Carolina-headquartered franchise focuses on strength-driven interval training designed to torch body fat, increase strength and promote lean muscle. The group fitness setting encourages participants to push their own limits with challenging work-to-rest ratios, all while channeling their inner athlete.
“These are the workouts that Brandon and Kirk would do together in the off-season,” said Mol, adding that kettlebells, slam balls and other high-intensity interval equipment remain key components of the MADabolic workout. “They decided to bring this style of fitness to a public audience because they thought there was a target market of fitness enthusiasts that was being missed.”
After finding success in the U.S. and growing the franchise to 12 locations, the owners looked to Mol to expand the gym’s footprint into Canada.
“It took some coaxing to get people in the doors because they didn’t know what MADabolic was all about,” Mol said, who launched her franchise in Burlington, Ontario. “But we made a name for ourselves and differentiated our program from CrossFit.”
Rooted in science and proven through years of athletic experience, MADabolic’s key pillars are in its name: Momentum, Anaerobic, and Durability. Mol said that formula has resonated with gym goers, and the company plans on opening 200 new locations over the next five years.
“I’ve found so many like-minded people since opening this location,” Mol said. “It’s amazing what you can achieve when you’re surrounded by others who are ready to work just as hard as you.”
For information about MADabolic franchising opportunities, visit madabolic.com/own-a-madabolic.
– Jessica Jones