Big Gratitude CrossFit co-founder Ashley Cullen (third from left) and the gym’s trainers
The high-intensity world of CrossFit is known to attract gymgoers who have big goals. Henrico County resident Ashley Cullen’s goals include helping trainees reach their ideal fitness levels while helping those in need. Out of this, Big Gratitude CrossFit, a gym at 2809 Ackley Ave. in Laurel, was born.
“It’s just a really cool combination of things that we are really passionate about,” says Cullen, who founded Big Gratitude CrossFit with her husband, Ryan. “We’ve always talked about ways to give back, and I was like, ‘Well, I can go read to kids, or I can do other things here and there, but how could we do something bigger?’”
Ashley Cullen
All membership profits funnel into Big Gratitude, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to support disadvantaged youth and veterans in the region. The latter cause hits close to home for Cullen and her husband, who served 20 years in the military.
“A lot of times, service members’ skills are not transferable; they’re very specific to whichever roles they were in,” she says. “A lot of the men and women don’t even have a suit for an interview.”
Funds from Big Gratitude support educational scholarships, job training and other career essentials for newly discharged veterans in the region.
Their other philanthropic service has been supporting youth sports in underserved populations. Before the 2024 school year began, the organization donated new uniforms to two of Elko Middle School’s girls’ sports teams.
“We got 15 matching uniforms for our girls’ tennis team, and they are also purchasing our soccer uniforms, which we’ve never had before,” says Kendra Amis, athletic director at the school. “It’s nice to be able to give them matching uniforms and let them know your team is important to the school, too — it’s not just all about football or basketball.”
The couple launched the nonprofit arm in November 2023, a few months before Cullen opened the gym in Henrico. The 9,000-square-foot space is among the largest CrossFit facilities in the region and is outfitted with ample weight training and cardio equipment as well as two saunas and cold plunges. Members can take scheduled classes — made up of instructor-led functional workouts including jump rope and squats — or drop in from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Cullen notes that, despite the intensity, CrossFit experience is not required to gain membership. “We have quite an array of athletes,” she says. “We have some people that have done CrossFit, some that were athletes in high school and some that have never exercised a day in their life. You can go and look in the gym, and everybody looks different.”
Big Gratitude CrossFit currently offers membership options with commitments of four, 28 or 52 weeks. Introductory classes are free for first-timers, and $25 per class otherwise. For those interested in supporting without hitting the kettlebells, Big Gratitude also accepts donations through its website.
Never miss a Sunday Story: Sign up for the newsletter, and we’ll drop a fresh read into your inbox at the start of each week. To keep up with the latest posts, search for the hashtag #SundayStory on Facebook and Instagram.
