Fitness Living Magazine™ · Editorial Spotlight
Local Fitness Leadership Series / San Mateo, California
From Open Heart Surgery to Entrepreneur: Regan Fletcher’s Journey to Creating Ninja Republic
How emergency heart surgery, a recovery trip to Toronto, and a 25-month permit process led Regan Fletcher to build a San Mateo ninja gym where kids, families, and adults learn that obstacles build confidence.
Recovering from emergency open heart surgery, Regan Fletcher took two of his children home to Toronto to see family and friends. One afternoon he brought them to a nearby ninja gym, the first he had ever entered. The kids had a blast. Regan spent most of the visit talking with the owner, and by the time he walked out, he knew he would not return to his career in Silicon Valley advertising.
That second act became Ninja Republic, an indoor ninja gym in San Mateo that opened in May 2023. Its tagline, “where obstacles build confidence,” began as a personal truth. Before a single ninja obstacle was installed, Regan spent 25 months working through the city permitting process that stood between a signed lease and an open door.
“To have a parent thank me for creating something that made a difference in their kid’s life is more rewarding than I can put words to.”
Regan Fletcher / Founder And Owner, Ninja Republic
What Members Notice First
The first thing visitors notice is the course: American Ninja Warrior™-style obstacles that range from 18-inch beginner pieces to a 14½-foot warp wall. Parents often look as excited as their children, sometimes telling Regan they wish a place like this had existed when they were young. There is room for nearly every skill level.
Many first arrive at a birthday party, then return for an open gym session. Before anyone tries an obstacle, instructors explain how to fall safely instead of reaching out with their hands. Then the rule is simple: if you can reach it, you can try it. People fall, laugh, and go again.
Members soon notice that success looks different here. Kids who struggled with baseball or soccer often discover a sport that feels natural, while experienced athletes can find themselves humbled. Parents who once scrolled on their phones start training beside their children. Rather than promise everyone is a winner, the gym offers each person a challenge worth attempting.
Sunday open gyms turn the experience into family time, with parents tackling obstacles they recognize from television while their children explore smaller challenges. For neurodivergent kids and adults, Sensory Open Gym offers fewer people, calmer surroundings, and space to move at their own pace. Families can keep enjoying open gym or move into classes after an instructor’s evaluation.
Progress gives members a reason to return. A higher climb on the salmon ladder, another linked lache, or a longer run on the tumbling dice makes improvement visible in inches and feet. Classes follow skill rather than age, and coaches can reconfigure much of the course to suit the group, giving beginners and more experienced athletes a challenge that fits their next step.
Owner Focus
Regan Fletcher has shaped Ninja Republic around a simple standard: build the right environment, then let people discover what they can do. That owner-led tone gives the gym its playful, low-pressure character and helps explain why kids who never fit traditional sports keep coming back.
Ninja Republic Standard
- Not Yet Rule
- “Can’t” is off-limits. When an obstacle looks impossible, instructors answer “not yet” and build the fundamentals that lead there.
- Sensory Sessions
- A dedicated Sensory Open Gym offers reduced capacity, calmer music, and participant-led exploration for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive kids and adults.
- Reach And Try
- Every first visit starts with a lesson in falling safely, then one open gym rule: if you can reach it, you can try it.
- Community Yes
- When local schools and teams ask for help, the answer is yes: open gym punch cards, team sponsorships, and donated parties for neighborhood causes.
Obstacles Build
CONFIDENCE
An indoor San Mateo ninja gym where kids, families, and adults turn “can’t” into “not yet,” one obstacle at a time.
The Fitness Living Profile
How Regan Fletcher Built a Different Kind of Ninja Gym
This Ninja Republic San Mateo review looks at a different kind of fitness destination. Ninja Republic is built around obstacles rather than machines, and much of what viewers have seen on the television show American Ninja Warrior™ can be found inside one indoor gym. Regan Fletcher describes the result as athleticism and exercise disguised as fun, and the people who thrive there are not always the ones who expected to.
Regan, a Princeton graduate who played Division I hockey, says traditional gym sessions always felt boring and tedious to him. He believes that is the same reason so many New Year’s resolutions fade: if training is not fun, people stop showing up. Ninja Republic was designed around the opposite experience, where falling flat is part of the process and people get back up smiling.
What You’ll Learn
Inside Ninja Republic’s Obstacle-First Approach
This profile looks at how Ninja Republic turns obstacle training into a place where kids, families, and adults in San Mateo build skill, strength, and confidence.
Why It Is Different
Training is built around obstacles, not machines, on a course that runs from 18 inches off the ground to a 14½-foot warp wall.
Who It Serves
Preschoolers, school-age athletes, homeschool families, neurodivergent participants, and adults who want a challenge that does not feel like a chore.
Why It Stands Out
A “not yet” coaching culture, a dedicated Sensory Open Gym, and a local owner who says yes when the community asks for help.
A Second Act Built After Open Heart Surgery
Before Ninja Republic, Regan’s career was in advertising and ad tech, working with large publishers and their executives. Emergency open heart surgery ended that chapter. During his recovery, a visit to a ninja gym in his hometown of Toronto became the turning point. His kids loved it, and the owner generously walked him through how her business worked. He saw the appeal immediately, and he knew he could not go back to the career he had before surgery.
Back in California, he began searching for a space large enough to house a ninja gym. The lease in San Mateo was signed in 2021, but the conditional use permit for recreational use took 25 months to secure, and the doors did not open until May 2023. Regan calls it by far the biggest challenge of the build. He also sees the connection to the line printed beneath the Ninja Republic logo: long before any ninja obstacles arrived, he had to clear a long series of obstacles of his own.
“If it’s not fun, you won’t keep going. And ninja is just athleticism and exercise disguised as fun.”
Regan Fletcher / Founder And Owner, Ninja Republic
A Sport For People Who Never Fit The Usual Mold
What surprised Regan most after opening was who thrives in a ninja gym. Kids and adults who never felt successful in baseball or soccer arrive and find something that feels natural to them. Several competition team athletes came from gymnastics, and Regan says each of them grew tired of its rigid format. In ninja, nobody has to point their toes or land with their feet together. They simply get to conquer an obstacle, and the smile that follows usually comes with laughter.
Neurodivergent kids have become an especially meaningful part of that story. Early on, parents who brought a neurodivergent child to open gym thanked Regan on the way out, telling him it was the first athletic environment where their child had felt comfortable. That feedback grew into the Sensory Open Gym, a session for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive kids and adults. Capacity is cut well back, the music changes, lava lamps play on the gym’s TV monitors, and a basket of fidget spinners sits nearby. Coaches follow participants and offer suggestions rather than directing every move.
Regan is careful to say the business is not built around any single group. The larger point is that ninja suits people who see an obstacle differently. In his view, the great equalizer is that there is no set way to get from the starting block to the ending block. However a person gets there is good, whether in a relaxed open gym session or in competition.
The Rule Against “Can’t”
Ninja Republic has one simple house rule: nobody is allowed to say “can’t.” New visitors often look up at the 14½-foot warp wall, the same height as the one on the television show, and announce that they could never do it. The instructors answer the same way every time. You cannot do it yet.
Then the work starts with fundamentals. Adults who try ninja, including those using it to supplement another sport, regularly tell Regan it is far harder than it looks on TV. He estimates that about 20 competitors who have appeared on the show have competed at events Ninja Republic has hosted, and their skill makes the hardest obstacles look easy. Training focuses on building basic movements step by step until a person can link a few obstacles together.
Progress Measured In Inches And Feet
Progress in a ninja gym is easy to see because it is measured by the obstacles a person can complete. Athletes track how high they climb the salmon ladder, how many laches they can link together, and how far they can roll the tumbling dice. Gains show up in inches and feet.
There is always a next step. When an adult first reaches the top of the salmon ladder, an instructor may simply ask for the trip back down. A few athletes in the gym can climb the ladder, descend, rotate 180 degrees in the air, and lache to the opposite rungs four feet away. Classes are grouped by skill rather than age, and because only the main steel truss is fixed to the floor, coaches can quickly reconfigure much of the course to fit each group.
Editorial Service Brief
What Ninja Republic Offers
Based on the interview and the official website, Ninja Republic serves young children, school-age athletes, families, homeschool students, neurodivergent participants, and adults through classes, open gym, and private training.
- Little Ninjas
- Designed for ages two to four, Little Ninjas uses obstacles to build balance and core strength through play, with an Advanced Little Ninjas class bridging into beginner training.
- Skill-Based Classes
- Beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes are grouped by skill rather than age, moving athletes from tier-one obstacles to laches and arm-strength challenges, typically at no more than a six-to-one ratio.
- Competition Team
- The advanced class prepares athletes for the competition team. Ninja Republic hosts four or five competitions a year, and team members compete across the Bay Area, California, and in a few cases nationally.
- Open And Sensory Gym
- Open gym welcomes all ages, with Sunday mornings especially popular with families, while the Sensory Open Gym offers reduced capacity and a calmer, participant-led setting.
- Homeschool And Adults
- Homeschool PE follows California physical education standards, and adults can join an adult class, book private sessions with the head coach, or host a birthday party of their own.
Elite Review
“Great course for kids and adults. I was expecting it to be basically a kids place (and it was great for that especially since for parties you rent out the whole space) but there are tons of great obstacles that will challenge almost any adult.”
Jonathan D. / Customer Review Supplied For Editorial Use
Parents Who Stopped Watching From The Lobby
Most adults over 40 at Ninja Republic did not come for themselves. They came to bring their kids. Regan has watched parents who once sat in the lobby on a laptop, or scrolled on a phone at the edge of the gym, start asking whether there is anything they can try. Many now work out while their child is in class.
For those adults, the work centers first on core strength and balance, with arm strength built later. Regan, who is in his 50s himself, says the order matters because ninja depends on the relationship between strength and body weight, and an adult who has not trained in a while quickly learns how much the rings demand. Grip work, slack line practice, and short side exercises help people think about the muscles they are using before returning to the obstacle. Adults returning to exercise after time away, or after a health event, should talk with their physician before starting a new program.
Those parents have asked for more, and Regan is listening. A full traditional gym is not practical inside a ninja facility, so the plan is to add a couple of Peloton bikes and a rack of dumbbells, giving adults a place to train while their kids take a ninja class.
In The Community’s Service
Princeton’s unofficial motto speaks of being in the nation’s service. Regan is quick to say a ninja gym does not rise to that level, but a poster in his office adapts the idea to his own work, with the community at its center. He estimates that about 95 percent of Ninja Republic’s visitors come from within 15 miles of San Mateo, and he has heard a child at Safeway point him out to a parent as “the ninja guy.”
That closeness shapes how the gym gives. When a local school asks for an auction donation, the answer is yes, usually a 10-visit open gym punch card. Ninja Republic sponsors local baseball and softball teams and donates birthday parties to charity and education fundraising auctions. As Regan puts it, the gym is part of the community, not the other way around.
The deepest motivation goes back to his father, a dedicated sailor who found single-person sailboats in Australia that were designed not to tip and could be sailed by people with paraplegia. His father grew a disability sailing program from one boat to a fleet of about a dozen. When a parent thanks Regan for the difference Ninja Republic has made in a child’s life, he hears an echo of that work, and a reminder that he has followed his father’s example.
Why This Matters Locally
Regan points out that kids once found their obstacles in nature, climbing whatever they could, and that kind of play has largely disappeared from urban and suburban life. On the San Francisco Peninsula, Ninja Republic gives that instinct an indoor home. The gym describes itself as fully dedicated to ninja obstacles, and the interview shows why that focus matters locally: kids, parents, and adults share one place to climb, swing, fall, and try again, including on rainy winter days.
For people searching for a ninja gym in San Mateo, obstacle classes for kids on the Peninsula, homeschool PE in the Bay Area, or a sensory-friendly open gym, Ninja Republic offers a clear local point of difference: an owner who lives in the same community as his guests, a course that scales from 18 inches to 14½ feet, and a culture where “not yet” replaces “can’t.”
The First Step
Regan’s recommendation for anyone curious about ninja is to start with an open gym session. Sessions are listed on the Ninja Republic website, and visitors can also call ahead to arrange for an instructor to meet them for an evaluation. That evaluation determines which class fits a person’s current skill level, whether that is Little Ninjas, a beginner class, the adult class, or private training.
The first visit begins with a safety overview. Everyone should expect to fall, so instructors teach people how to take a fall instead of reaching out with their hands. After that, the rule is simple: if you can reach it, you can try it. With obstacles starting just 18 inches off the ground, there is a sensible place for nearly anyone to begin, and in Regan’s view, the very least a first session will be is fun.
FAQ
Who Is Regan Fletcher?
Regan Fletcher is the founder and owner of Ninja Republic, an indoor ninja gym in San Mateo, California. After a career in Silicon Valley advertising and ad tech, he had emergency open heart surgery and, while recovering, discovered ninja gyms during a visit to Toronto with his children. He opened Ninja Republic in May 2023.
What Is Ninja Republic Known For?
Ninja Republic is known for ninja and obstacle training inspired by the courses seen on American Ninja Warrior™, including a 14½-foot warp wall, a salmon ladder, and lache obstacles. It offers classes, open gym, a competition team, birthday parties, and community programs under the tagline “where obstacles build confidence.”
What Ages Does Ninja Republic Serve?
Classes begin with Little Ninjas for ages two to four and continue through beginner, intermediate, advanced, and competition team training. Adults can join an adult class, open gym, or private sessions, and Regan said adult participants commonly range into their 40s and 50s.
What Is The Sensory Open Gym At Ninja Republic?
The Sensory Open Gym is a session for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive kids and adults. Capacity is reduced, the music is changed, calming visuals play on the gym’s screens, fidget spinners are available, and coaches follow each participant’s lead rather than directing the session.
Can Adults Train At Ninja Republic?
Yes. Ninja Republic offers an adult class, open gym sessions, private training with its head coach, and adult birthday parties. Some adults use the obstacles to prepare for Spartan races, and many parents now work out while their children attend class.
Key Takeaways
- Ninja Republic is an indoor ninja gym in San Mateo, California, founded by Regan Fletcher as a second act after emergency open heart surgery.
- The gym’s tagline, “where obstacles build confidence,” reflects both Regan’s 25-month permitting journey and a coaching culture that replaces “can’t” with “not yet.”
- Programs run from Little Ninjas for ages two to four through a competition team, with adult classes, homeschool PE, open gym, and a Sensory Open Gym.
- Regan’s community-first approach shows up in local donations, team sponsorships, and a gym where people who never fit traditional sports can find their place.
Conclusion
Ninja Republic exists because a health crisis forced a career change and a family visit to Toronto pointed the way. Regan then spent more than two years clearing permitting hurdles before the first ninja obstacle went in. That history gives the gym’s tagline a personal weight that no marketing line could supply.
What Regan wants people to take away is simple: fun keeps people moving, and “can’t” is only “not yet.” For families, kids, and adults in San Mateo who want more than a routine workout, that may be the real value of Ninja Republic: a place where obstacles build confidence, one attempt at a time.
About The Featured Expert
Regan Fletcher
Founder And Owner / Ninja Republic
San Mateo, California
Featured Business Ninja Republic
Regan Fletcher is the founder and owner of Ninja Republic, an indoor ninja gym in San Mateo, California. A Princeton graduate who played Division I hockey, he spent his career in Silicon Valley advertising and ad tech before emergency open heart surgery changed his direction. A visit to a Toronto ninja gym with his children during his recovery inspired his second act, and after a 25-month permitting process, he opened Ninja Republic in May 2023. He lives nearby in Burlingame and remains closely involved on the gym floor, where he and his instructors guide visitors toward their next obstacle.
Mission / Philosophy
Regan’s philosophy is that the environment matters more than encouraging slogans. He avoids telling people they are all winners and instead builds a space where they can attempt something real, fall safely, laugh, and try again. At Ninja Republic, the mission is to keep exercise fun enough that people keep coming back, while giving kids and adults who never fit traditional sports a place where they can thrive.
Values / Specialties
His values include community service, accessibility, safety, and steady progress. Ninja Republic specializes in ninja and obstacle training from age two through adulthood, skill-based class placement, competition team preparation, homeschool PE, private training, and a Sensory Open Gym for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive participants. Those values show up in the gym’s “not yet” rule, its local donations and sponsorships, and the way every first visit begins with learning how to fall.
Editorial Source Basis
This profile was prepared from a first-person editorial interview with Regan Fletcher, his technical sign-off call and follow-up email, supplied customer review material from Jonathan D., and the official Ninja Republic website. Program descriptions, class structure, community commitments, training philosophy, leadership references, and customer-review excerpts are limited to information provided in those sources.
Sources
Fitness Living Magazine editorial interview and technical sign-off call with Regan Fletcher; follow-up email from Regan Fletcher; customer review supplied for editorial use by Jonathan D.; official Ninja Republic website.