Spotlight on Stirling: West Coast Warriors

Based in: Scarborough, City of Stirling
Industry: Fitness Center
Connect: Website | Instagram | Facebook

From family challenge to local fitness business

After watching Australian Ninja Warrior, their children were inspired to give the sport a go. The family joined a local ninja training facility, where they began learning the strength, skills and techniques needed to tackle the kinds of obstacles they had seen on screen.

Before long, ninja had become a family passion, taking them around Australia for competitions and even overseas for World Championships. It also planted the seed for a business of their own.

Today, West Coast Warriors is a ninja warrior and hybrid fitness centre where families, children and adults of different ages and abilities can challenge themselves, get active and have fun together.

For the family behind the business, that inclusive quality is a big part of what makes ninja special. Rather than exercise being something family members necessarily do separately, it creates an opportunity to take on challenges and enjoy being active together.

“Ninja warrior is a sport the whole family can do. We now run West Coast Warriors so that we can share the benefits families can get from exercising together and taking on challenges.” — Aaron Pietzsch, owner of West Coast Warriors

Finding a home in Scarborough

The family's move west was initially meant to be just one part of an adventure around Australia.

Originally from Melbourne, they arrived in Scarborough as part of their travel plans and discovered they didn't want to leave.

The combination of beach culture, warmer weather and an outdoor lifestyle immediately appealed, along with having shops, restaurants, schools and other amenities close by.

What started as a stop along the way became the place they chose to live, raise their children and eventually build their business.

For West Coast Warriors, the City of Stirling was also a natural fit for a family-focused fitness business. The area's active families, visitors and outdoor enthusiasts complement the ethos behind the centre.

Being able to live, work and have their children attend school locally has made that connection even stronger.

Bringing people together through movement

That community focus extends beyond the walls of the centre.

West Coast Warriors has been involved in the Red Dust Scarborough Beach Obstacle Course Race, an inclusive fitness event combining running and obstacles with Scarborough's coastal setting.

For a business built around encouraging people to challenge themselves and enjoy movement, events like this offer another way to connect with the community and demonstrate that physical activity can be social and fun.

Learning the ropes as a new business

Starting West Coast Warriors also brought its share of challenges.

As first-time business owners, one of the biggest hurdles was finding a suitable premises and understanding the approvals and permits required to establish the centre.

Navigating different requirements and understanding how long individual approvals could take proved to be an important learning experience.

Their advice to other people considering starting a business is simple: do your research early and speak with the City about the approvals and permit requirements that may apply to your business before making key decisions.

Understanding those requirements and factoring approval timeframes into business planning can help new operators prepare for the road ahead.

It is advice grounded in their own experience of turning an unexpected passion into a family business.

From Melbourne to Scarborough, television viewers to international competitors, and now business owners helping another generation take on obstacles of their own, their journey has not followed a conventional path.

But perhaps that's fitting for a business built around the idea that sometimes the best thing you can do is take on the next challenge.

To learn more, visit the West Coast Warriors website.

Spotlight on Stirling shines a light on the people and businesses helping shape our local economy. Each feature shares the stories, ideas and experiences behind businesses operating within the City of Stirling, celebrating their achievements, innovation and contribution to the community.

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