Meet the Coaches

Gavin Culler is the head trainer at Washington Park CrossFit. He aims to motivate, inspire and challenge members in and out of the gym by keeping classes fun and ensuring members are constantly learning new skills and improving. Culler played baseball for both Elon University and Winston-Salem State University and coached youth baseball (6-15 year olds) for several years. He has coached CrossFit full time since 2016 and is L1 Certified and USAW Level 1 Certified. When he's not at the gym, Gavin enjoys snowboarding and being a dog dad to his German Shepherd (Murphy) and Bernedoodle (Carter).

Scott was born and raised in a small town in the Northern part of the Golden State, California. He grew up as a competitive swimmer, specializing in distance freestyle events through midway through college, where he switched from focus primarily in the pool, to one of academics. He graduated from University of the Pacific with a Bachelors degree in Bioengineering with a focus in Biomechanics and a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. Scott's career is in the medical device industry where he spent years designing artificial heart valves and now travels the world supporting physicians using these devices. While not globetrotting, Scott enjoys improving himself in the gym and challenging others to do the same. The same technical interest that draws him to engineering and the medical fields applies directly to both CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting. He enjoys focusing on the minute details that can be applied to each lift that makes it better than the one before it.

Brooke was born and raised in Clemmons, NC and moved to Washington Park in 2021. She is the publisher of Forsyth Woman Magazine and the host of the Forsyth Magazines Podcast. Brooke graduated from High Point University with a degree in elementary education. Her strong work ethic, love for community, and leadership skills have been recognized by others as well! Brooke is the immediate past President of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Professional Women of Winston-Salem (now Triad Women's Club). Brooke fell in love with CrossFit over 5 years ago. She loves that it's “constantly varied” and never gets boring. Her favorite movement? A tie between toes-to-bar and power cleans. In her spare time, Brooke loves spending time with her family and friends, especially when that time is spent on the water! She loves wake surfing, snowboarding, and being a dog mom to her Bernedoodle (Carter) and German Shepherd (Murphy).

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, Chris discovered CrossFit in 2015 and was immediately captivated by its impact on personal growth and development, both in and out of the gym. He studied Exercise Science at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, where he found his passion for health and wellness. Chris's goal is to help people lead happier and healthier lifestyles, one day at a time. When not coaching, he can be found in the gym working to become a better athlete, exploring local breweries and food spots in Winston, or relaxing at home with his cat, Ace.

Laura was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC. She attended and played tennis for Appalachian State University. After graduating, she pursued her passion for law, graduating from Elon University School of Law. She now works in investigation and policy review. Laura has loved fitness since her parents introduced her to tennis as a toddler. At ASU, she discovered Olympic lifting and began training seriously in 2009. After leaving ASU, she missed the team environment and joined a CrossFit affiliate in 2012. When she's not working out, she loves spending time with her family, friends, and husband—preferably at the beach!

Emma is a Florida native who moved to North Carolina after six years in Phoenix, AZ, where her husband served in the Air Force. While out west, they welcomed their energetic son, Nash. A lifelong athlete, Emma played soccer and ran marathons before falling in love with CrossFit—which changed everything. It's where she met her husband, discovered coaching, and competed at high-level events like Wodapalooza and the Granite Games. She's been coaching for six years across all age groups and is known for her energetic, hands-on style (and being a little loud—in the best way). Her favorite movements include clean and jerks, HSPUs, and wall balls. When she's not coaching, she's chasing Nash, reading a good book, or practicing lightsaber moves in the yard—yes, she's a huge Star Wars fan and proud of it.

Hi, I'm Caitlin — born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC, where I spent my childhood dabbling in basically every sport imaginable, but cheerleading was ultimately my main character arc.

Then I found CrossFit.

And by “found CrossFit,” I mean I saw it, immediately thought absolutely not, and proceeded to be intimidated by it for a very respectable amount of time. Eventually, a friend convinced me to come try it with her, and unfortunately for my sanity, I was immediately hooked.

What started as a workout quickly became so much more. As a nurse practitioner, I've spent plenty of time taking care of people after they're already sick or injured. But being surrounded by a community of people who actively prioritize their health, wellness, strength, and longevity felt like healthcare in a completely different form — and honestly, it made way too much sense to me.

Seeing the positive impact that this environment has had on my daughter's emotional and physical health has been one of the most eye-opening parts of this journey. It made me realize that taking the time to care for myself wasn't selfish — I was also showing her what it looks like to take care of yourself, respect your body, and appreciate it for what it can do, rather than how small it is.

In a world that constantly idolizes skinny, be strong.

I also never intended to coach. I got my L1 because I wanted to learn how to become a better athlete. Naturally, that plan went completely off the rails.

I realized that coaching gives me an opportunity to impact people's health and well-being in a way that I can't always do through my work as a Nurse Practitioner. Empowering people to do things they never thought they could, watching their confidence grow, and helping them live happier, healthier, higher-functioning lives brings me more joy than I ever could have imagined.

Basically, I came for the workout, stayed for the community, accidentally became a coach, and now I'm emotionally invested in everyone's squat depth.

When I'm not at the gym, you can probably find me eating a good meal, lounging by the pool, watching a true crime documentary, or wandering around Costco with a coffee in hand — because apparently those are my hobbies now.

Come for the fitness. Stay for the community. Get stronger. Take up space. And for the love of God, stop worrying about being skinny.

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Courtney eventually settled down in Clemmons with her family. Unlike many coaches, she didn't grow up playing sports or consider herself an athlete. She found fitness after having her daughter, and seven years later, movement has become a huge part of her life.

Learning how to safely move and build strength while navigating chronic illness and hypermobility changed the way Courtney viewed fitness. As someone who was often modifying or scaling movements herself, she developed a passion for creating classes where everyone — and every body — has a place. She especially loves encouraging women and moms to get stronger, move confidently, and make fitness their own.

Courtney thrives in a group setting and believes the mental benefits of movement are just as important as the physical ones. Her goal is for you to leave class with your cup a little fuller, the music still stuck in your head, and wondering how something that challenging somehow didn't feel like a workout. We have to make it fun!

Her favorite movements are elevated goblet squats and snatches, while burpees and wall balls can respectfully stay far away. Outside the gym, Courtney owns Wayfinder, a social media management company working with local businesses throughout Winston-Salem. She's been married for 10 years and has a seven-year-old daughter. When she's not working or coaching, you'll probably find her with her family at the beach, at a craps table with her husband, hunting down something good to eat, or fully embracing her inner nerd.

Jess Lake is one of the weightlifting coaches at Washington Park Weightlifting. She has been training competitively since 2018 and has her USAW L1. Jess was born and raised in Winston-Salem and is passionate about teaching proper technique while developing confident and knowledgeable athletes. Jess and her husband live in Pfafftown with 4 dogs. Her full-time job is working as the Operations Manager at Viator Design and Construction where she is proud to represent much of the recent development of downtown Winston and the surrounding area. You will likely see her in the gym with an iced coffee and snack while shoulder dancing to whatever music is playing.

Wes Richardson is a weightlifting coach at Washington Park CrossFit. He has been a competitive weightlifter since 2015 and is a USAW L1 coach. After many years of running and calisthenics, Wes found CrossFit which then led him to Olympic weightlifting. He wanted to help build and foster what was at the time a much-needed home for weightlifting in Winston-Salem where beginners and athletes can enjoy an awesome learning and training atmosphere. Wes grew up taking karate which will explain many lifting celebrations you may see in the gym.