HFA President and CEO Liz Clark praised Cirulli’s legacy: “Joe Cirulli’s journey is the embodiment of grit, vision, and heart. From leading workouts in his basement as a child to transforming Gainesville into one of the healthiest communities in America, Joe has shown what’s possible when passion meets perseverance. We’re proud to induct him into the HFA Hall of Fame—not just for the business he built, but for the lives he’s uplifted along the way.”
In 2003, Cirulli spearheaded a citywide wellness initiative that earned Gainesville the nation’s only Gold Well City Award from the Wellness Councils of America. The designation required that at least 50% of the city’s workforce be employed at companies offering wellness programs—an achievement that reflected Cirulli’s belief that a business’s success is measured by the health of its community.
The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce named his company Large Business of the Year in 2021 and 2016, Employer of the Year in 2019, and Business of the Year in 2004 and 2005. The company also received the Community Service Award in 2015 from the Gainesville Police Department.
His leadership and entrepreneurship have earned him several individual awards, too, including the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the University of Florida, Center for Entrepreneurship in 2004; the Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012; and the Arthur Jones Lifetime Achievement Award at the Resistance Exercise Conference in 2021.
He was also the first recipient of the Clark Butler Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was perhaps the most personally meaningful to him because of Butler’s respected leadership in the Gainesville community and Cirulli’s admiration for Butler, he says.
Cirulli’s business leadership and entrepreneurial skills have been recognized nationally, reflecting positively on the fitness industry. Gainesville Health & Fitness and Cirulli were the cover story of Inc. magazine in August 2008. In 2016, Forbes named the company one of America’s 25 Best Small Companies.
Cirulli also served on the HFA board of directors and as board president from 2000 to 2001. He currently serves on the board of the HFA Foundation board, a nonprofit charity founded by the HFA.
“Being inducted into the HFA Hall of Fame is a true honor, and a moment of reflection for me and my team,” Cirulli says. “Our company was built on a simple but powerful quote I once read: ‘If you help enough people get what they want out of life, you will get what you want out of life.’ That belief has guided everything we do—from the way we serve our members inside the club to the way we show up for our community through charitable work. It’s not just a business philosophy—it’s our culture.”
The HFA Hall of Fame honors individuals whose contributions have elevated the fitness industry, advanced public health, and inspired future generations. The 2026 induction ceremony will take place March 15 in San Diego, ahead of The HFA Show.
Tickets to the HFA Hall of Fame induction ceremony are $250, with proceeds benefiting the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity supporting health through exercise. For more information and to register, visit healthandfitness.org/show.
