By Adam Clarke
A Ninja Warrior centre that only opened five months ago was in the spotlight yesterday(MON, NOV8) when it hosted a major event in Leicester.
Ninja Warrior UK Leicester was opened only in June, but it was selected to host the Opening Event of the Leicester Business Festival.
Approximately 50 guests attended the meeting in the centre, including the mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby.
Ninja Warrior UK Leicester features a café and two obstacle courses, one for adults and children and one for adults only, based on the hit TV show on ITV.
It was launched by owner Dean Sayer, who invested more than £1.2million into the project.
He said: “The leisure industry does need new things.
“It was a huge challenge [to set up]. You’ve got to train staff and you’re got to buy stock [for the café].
“This was a very expensive business venture.”
He said he decided to set up this business so that he could spend more time with his family.
Mr Sayer considered several locations for his new business, including Birmingham and Coventry, but ultimately decided on Leicester, as it had a huge retail park with free space, a huge population, easy access to the city centre and a lack of competition.
So far, Ninja Warrior UK Leicester has had the most business during weekends and school holidays, but Mr Sayer said it has an exciting offering for schools, and he intends to partner with them to hold PE lessons at the centre.
He said: “When children come here, they don’t see hard work or a traditional PE approach, they see fun.
“Indirectly, they get good exercise and activity, and burn calories.
“That’s my goal over the next 12 months.”
For more details about the centre, visit the website at https://ninjawarrioruk.co.uk/leicester/.
