Have you seen the hit television show, American Ninja Warrior? While watching athletes complete unique obstacles is a ton of fun, doing it yourself is even more exciting! Obstacle Warrior Kids in Lubbock offers fun Ninja obstacle courses for kids to adults of all ages and all experience levels. We spoke with Leslianne Emery, who owns Obstacle Warrior Kids along with her husband Clint Emery and Lonny Huseman, to learn more about this awesome local fitness spot.

“I got connected with Obstacle Warrior Kids when my two boys and I visited Dallas. We were looking for something fun to do – specifically something my grandmother could go watch the boys do. My boys are very into Ninja Warrior activities, and we found Obstacle Warrior Kids close to her home. So, we went there, we played, and we fell in love with the people and the coaching that was provided. I thought it was just awesome,” says Leslianne.

“When we came home to Lubbock I started talking about Obstacle Warrior Kids with my friends who said, ‘Lubbock needs something like this.’ I talked to a friend at a birthday party and he said, ‘Let’s look into putting one in Lubbock!’ I called the Dallas franchise, got the wheels rolling, and that’s how it all started.”

Obstacle Warrior Kids has both open gym and training classes. “A lot of people don’t realize that we have open play all the time,” says Leslianne. “People think that whenever they come in, they need to have an appointment or a class scheduled because a lot of other places are structured that way. But here, you can pay by the hour for open play, and you don’t have to be an athlete to do it.”

Anyone can come out and enjoy obstacles at Obstacle Warrior Kids! In fact, they encourage anyone with an interest to give it a try. “Anyone can come have a good time. We’re not just for kids either. That’s a big misconception. We do have an area for two to five, five and up, and then 12 and up. However, we also have our Ninjas who train all the time who are 20 to 60 years old. So, you don’t have to be a kid to come and workout or play and get something out of Obstacle Warrior Kids,” says Leslianne.

The classes at Obstacle Warrior Kids cater to a wide group as well. “Our classes focus on strength, agility, and balance. We take all of the kids at their level and see how we can help them progress. We work at usually a one to six ratio, at most one to nine. We do classes throughout the week and on Saturday mornings. We’re also have classes during the day for the homeschool community,” says Leslianne. “But yes, we just take people at their own level and pace and build up from there. We’re working on building children from the inside out – teaching them how to fall right and how to do the obstacles properly.”

In addition to the open gym and classes, this gym will host birthday parties. They also have started offering a Parent’s Night Out on the second and fourth Fridays and then a Teen Night on the third Friday of every month. “We also have field trip opportunities for schools, churches, and daycare centers,” says Leslianne.

In the last nine months of owning and running Obstacle Warrior Kids in Lubbock, Leslianne can point to several highlights. “Number one is meeting the “Ninja” community. This is a tight-knit group of people who care about one another. It’s not about who does the obstacles best, but it’s about how you can help everyone through the obstacles,” says Leslianne.

For Leslianne, another special part of running this business has been watching people grow and come out of their shell. “We’ve seen people progress from very timid and shy to outgoing and confident, and we haven’t even been open a year. So that’s awesome,” says Leslianne.

“Lubbock and the surrounding communities have been very supportive during our first nine months of business, and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow our relationships. We also have fundraising opportunities, so if you have an event and would like to fundraise, we’ll give 15 percent of net sales back to your organization. These organizations include but are not limited to youth, sports, churches, schools, scout groups, parent teacher organizations, sororities, and fraternities,” says Leslianne.

The benefit of choosing local businesses is just that – you get to enjoy unique places with business owners who care about your community just as much as you do! You can find Obstacle Warrior Kids on Towny – the easy and free way to explore Lubbock, choose local, and get rewarded for doing so! Find Towny online or download the app for your phone.