AND NOW HE’S A NINJA!

Fitness has been a liberating force in John Pirlo’s life and he wants to share the gains.

How John Pirlo has built a career in fitness.

“In my 20s I got into a gym in Newcastle, someone took me under their wing and I ended up doing a fitness course. I built a few clubs for that company. Then I wanted to fulfil my dream of opening up multi-sites for myself.”

John Pirlo is dedicated to fitness. When the well established Belgravia Group launched the Genesis gym model in a joint venture back in 2007, John was involved in the planning, which included a three-month presale that generated 2200 members before opening.

The gym concept was launched out of the spotlight, in the NSW town of Maitland, and over the next six years a further nine clubs were added.

“The main reason was that we wanted to inspire more people to get active,” says John. The business developed a support team as the footprint of its gyms increased.

“It’s difficult to run your own business with clubs of up to 40 staff,” he says. “When operating a standalone business, not a franchise, there is no one to lean on. We have a great group across all clubs.

“We do multiple training programs; hopefully the trainers will go and have their own franchise clubs in the future.”

Now John’s passion for boosting Aussies’ fitness activity has found a new outlet.

And he’s looking out for self-guided entrepreneurs to take on the new venture. “Some will go to a gym, some will never want to go in their life but they want to do something fun-based. We want to engage those.”

So what is the new love in his life?

It’s been about seven years in the making, and for John, who has loved the chance to bond with his three daughters in an active environment, it’s a perfect business solution.

Ninja Parc. A playcentre, but tougher. So tough it’s based on outdoor Tough Mudder courses.

The venue has multiple areas. An obstacle course can be used as a racing zone, or completed in parts. There are no rules on how much an adult or child participant has to do.

“It’s something aspirational. Training has a goal, it’s about completing the course. We do a lot of classes that are functional-based, we do whole-body weight sessions like parkour. We teach people how to move and stretch, and flexibility.”

Ninja Parc is for the young at heart, not just the kids, with the oldest customer in a class aged 78.

John has a vision of Ninja Parc as a 100-outlet-strong national brand.

“Some will use it as fun breakout in their routine – runners, parkour, climbers. Another 15 to 20 per cent will be active in doing other things. So it’s about enticing those participants.”

The business has already attracted a national race series and it works with autism and mental health groups. The focus on upper body work means wheelchair participants can utilise the facility.

“We’re very conscious to make it sustainable long term so we’ve applied what we have learned from the fitness industry.”

A Ninja Parc is entertainment and fitness in one venue, says John. “Five return visits on average per centre.”

Now the focus for the next 12 months is to find the right franchisees. In this, the business has a distinct advantage, he says.

“We’re not a new franchise group, we’re part of Belgravia Group with a back office structure and 20-plus years’ experience.”

We’re not a new franchise group, we’re part of Belgravia Group with a back office structure and 20-plus years’ experience.