American Ninja Warrior in Terre Haute?
American Ninja Warrior?
While Jeremy Ivy isn't an American Ninja Warrior yet, after being chosen as a walk-on three times and making it farther each time, he is far from giving up!! Ivy has plans to continue training while benefiting our local community and giving back at the same time! Those plans center around Ivy Fit, an ANW training gym with tons of apparatuses. Some that you may even recognize from the show. On Sunday we were invited in to give it all a try and the best part was that it's built for all ages and skill levels! So if attempting the salmon ladder isn't your style you can give the kid's obstacle course a try (I'm not saying I did that or anything...).
Kids, Fitness, and Community:
Ivy doesn't just love competing on the show but he also has a passion to see the younger generation get more fit and active and have a ton of fun doing it! "Kids are the market here." said Ivy. And his passion for kids and their ability to use the equipment is evident from the time you walk in the door. Ivy was all over the gym, setting up equipment, advising kids and adults on the best way to tackle a new obstacle and handling any issues that arose. As we talked later, his desire to see kids active and healthy was very evident and he really has a lot of great ideas for how this gym can be an outreach for the Terre Haute community.
Upcoming Plans:
So what kind of big plans does Ivy have for the Ivy Fit Gym? He has plans to host kids nights, summer camps, Little American Ninja Warrior competitions and even have a team of Ninja warriors. He also noted that it would be a great place for those of us crazy enough to compete in the 5k obstacle runs to get ready before race day (I'll be taking advantage of this too as I was crazy enough to agree to do a Rugged Maniac next year. I think between Ivy Fit and my own regimen I'll stand a fairly good chance of not dying on the course!).
What did we think?
Well, I will admit, my husband and I weren't quite ready to commit to giving the obstacles a go just yet, but Ben and Willow had a blast! They loved being harnessed in to the zip line obstacle course and swinging from the ropes on the kids course. Willow's favorite part was tackling and mastering the Teeter Totter, a wooden obstacle that you walk up and it tips so that you walk down the other side (She fell off on her first attempt, even while holding Daddy's hand, but then went back later and made sure it didn't defeat her!) Ben really enjoyed competing with other teens and preteens to see who could launch themselves off of the trampoline onto the Double Twist (a metal bar that sort of looks like spinning handle bars and has a second set which requires a person to jump through the air to transfer). It was the first time he has ever been matched and exceeded in physical ability from kids his own age and he loved the challenge! You can watch Ben's attempts at the Double Twist.
What you should know:
If you're interested in taking your kids you'll need to know a few things: 1. Ivy Fit isn't technically open for business yet. If you come in before their grand opening (TBA) you'll pay $5 per kid or adult and they will be considered a "tester". 2. It's worth it to bring gloves, both of my kiddos left with reddened palms after only an hour. 3. They're only open currently on Sundays and some Saturdays. 4. Even your littlest kiddos are welcome to come and give it a try but be prepared to watch them closely, with all kinds of kids dangling, leaping, and transferring, one unsupervised little one could easily get himself in harm's way.
If you want to know what's happening at Ivy Fit, you can follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IvyFitGym/ to keep up-to-date on the latest apparatuses and open times, as well as when their Grand Opening will be.
To give you a little idea of what to expect here are some pictures from our time at Ivy Fit.
