Visiting? Drop In Visiting? Drop In Coaches Sola CrossFit is a community-focused gym in Austin, TX, committed to expert coaching and real results. Book a Free Trial Jess & Dave Appel - owners Dave Appel is the Founder and Head Coach of SoLa CrossFit. After earning a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a brief career as a physical education teacher, Dave followed his passion into the fitness world, where he has worked for over 20 years.