Learn About ou Portland, OR Gym
About Us
At The Underground PDX in Portland, OR, we’re committed to building a community where athletes of all ages grow stronger, gain confidence, and discover their full potential through purposeful, coach-led training.
THE UNDERGROUND empowers young people to build physical and mental strength for life by providing access to a network of community-based fitness programs and mentorship.
Every dollar raised through memberships directly fuels our nonprofit work with youth. Because of this support, all of our youth programs remain completely free—giving young people access not only to CrossFit, but also to consistent mentorship and wrap-around services that help them thrive. When you become a member, you’re not just joining a gym; you’re ensuring that every young athlete continues to receive free training, guidance, and support.
We use fitness as a catalyst to teach essential life skills—perseverance, grit, determination, resilience, and confidence—through teamwork, leadership, and goal setting. Our goal is to prepare athletes to face life’s challenges with grace, maturity, and strength.
Mission
THE UNDERGROUND empowers young people to build physical and mental strength for life by providing access to a network of community-based fitness programs and mentorship.
Values
At The Underground PDX, our athletes, coaches, and volunteers live by our H3 values, which guide our actions and shape our positive gym culture.
We stay
Humble (coachable, selfless, grateful),
Hungry (committed, diligent, accountable), and
Honest (trustworthy, responsible, strong in character).
Vision
A world where all young people feel strong, capable, and confident to become the best version of themselves.
In other words, we expect everyone involved with THE UNDERGROUND to have GRIT:
Growth—rebounding from challenges and striving to be our best; Respect—treating everyone well and valuing each athlete’s journey; Integrity—doing the right thing and committing to excellence; and Teamwork—encouraging, collaborating, and giving back to our community.
Who We Serve
At THE UNDERGROUND, we serve youth who would not otherwise have access to the services we provide. Many of our athletes are facing one or more of the following challenges:
- Youth coming from under-resourced families or neighborhoods
- Youth out-of-school, including youth out-of-school facing unemployment
- Youth in or aging out of foster care
- Youth experiencing homelessness
- Youth who may need an alternative pathway educational environment (at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma)
- Youth who are involved in the justice system
- Youth experiencing environmental factors that put their health, safety, and well-being at risk
- Youth facing socio-emotional challenges exacerbated by being part of an under-resourced environment
Why We Exist
We believe in the next generation and their potential to change the world. Yet many young people do not have the same access to resources as others. Without access to resources, it’s often hard to see the bigger picture or the path forward.
By providing a critical network of support and imperative skills, we help empower our athletes to tackle the challenges and continued barriers they face outside of our program. Through a foundation of functional fitness and strength training, we open their eyes to new perspectives by challenging their limits. We support them in setting goals and breaking them.
Most importantly, we help them realize they are strong and capable while giving them the confidence to grow into adulthood.
Build the Future, One Athlete at a Time
Help your young athlete grow with training that develops resilience, character, and lifelong healthy habits.
