When the USA Ninja Challenge gym in Rochester, New York, needed new ownership, Amy Harley and Patrick Gregory saw an opportunity to combine their strengths and build something lasting for the community. Harley had already spent seven years running a gym in North Andover, Massachusetts, while Gregory brought his own obstacle course racing experience and history as a Ninja parent. Together, they stepped into a location with strong coaching in place, determined to give it new energy.

Harley said she knew she couldn’t take on the challenge alone. “I wouldn’t have done something this far away solo and knew it was right up the alley of what Patrick would be interested in and good at,” she said. Gregory added that the move also gave him the chance to spend more time in the area where he grew up.

Now, the pair is looking beyond stabilizing the Rochester location to creating new opportunities for young athletes. “We’re working on building our first competitive team,” Harley said. The gym will host its first competition in December through the USA Ninja Challenge Intra Brand Competition League, with top performers advancing to regional and national events. Gregory noted that the effort will give kids in the advanced group a chance to develop their skills and compete on a larger stage in the coming year.

1851 Franchise sat down with Harley and Gregory to discuss their franchising journey with USA Ninja Challenge, their recent takeover of the Rochester location and their efforts to build the brand’s first competitive team. Here’s what they had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Amy Harley: My background is that I already owned a gym in North Andover. I’ve had it for seven years, and I found out that the Rochester gym needed a new owner. We went out and toured it. I didn’t want to do it alone because of the distance and the amount of work it takes to launch a unit and fix the wrong that happened with it. Patrick has a lot of obstacle course race experience himself. He’s been a team parent. We looked at the location, and all the equipment was in great shape. It looked really nice, and they had some really nice coaches in place.

Patrick Gregory: As Amy mentioned, I’m approaching this opportunity not as a prior owner but as a competitor and someone who’s had children in Ninja. It was a unique opportunity for us to buy an existing unit that seemed to have a lot of promise. By doing it together, we have the opportunity to run it from a distance.

1851: How did you and Patrick become partners with USA Ninja Challenge?

Harley: This opportunity came about through a personal connection. I wouldn’t have pursued something this far away on my own, but I knew it was exactly the kind of project Patrick would be both interested in and well-suited for. So I approached him to see if he’d be interested in partnering with me on the endeavor.

Gregory: I grew up in the area a couple of hours south of Rochester, so it’s also an opportunity for me to spend more time with my family.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Harley: It wasn’t necessarily things we had done before franchising. I think we’re still doing most of the same things. My background is in taxation in public accounting, and then I was home with my kids for about 10 years when they were little. Meanwhile, I was doing real estate and other types of investing. I was originally looking to purchase an existing business because I didn’t want to start one from scratch. My kids were getting older and we weren’t going to have any more. That morphed into looking into franchises, knowing they’d already done the work of starting the business. I could come in with a general plan and setup and have a lot less upfront work. This was the one my community needed or had the most benefit from, so this is the one that I went with.

1851: Did you look at any other brands before going with USA Ninja Challenge?

Harley: I explored a whole bunch of different options in all sorts of areas, and this one fit the bill of what I was looking for as far as the type of business that I thought would succeed inside our community. It was also something my own kids would benefit from, as well as the economics making sense.

Gregory: What we believe is unique about USA Ninja Challenge is the fact that the program is curriculum-based and provides a solid foundation for children interested in ninja. This is very attractive as a business model.

1851: What was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Harley: Before this, I went to franchise fairs and other events, so I don’t think I was surprised by what this was.

Gregory: No real surprise for me. I’ve spent most of my career in academia, and the franchise model is something we teach in our courses.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Harley: The piece of proprietary information that clinched my decision on going with USA Ninja over other options was their skills leveling system. It’s a program that kids can build on and create a long-term progression plan, so there’s a concrete growth trajectory for every child.

Gregory: Similar. I like that our students have a visible means of seeing their progression in a wide range of skills.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Harley: It’ll depend a lot on how this unit does. Originally, I had planned to open three out of the gate, but then COVID quickly changed all my plans. Buying an existing one makes the entry point easier. We don’t have the six months of build-out time and work ahead of us, so we’re able to step into an established staff base, equipment setup, gym lease and so on.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Harley: We’re working on building their first competitive team. We’ll be using the USA Ninja Challenge Intra Brand Competition League to launch the team by hosting their first competition, the second weekend of December. That will be an opportunity for those who place to go on to a regional and potentially a national final. The people who place in this competition, as well as people we’ve invited into an advanced group based on their skills compared to the rest of the gym, will be the kids we’re coaching to compete in the next year.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Gregory: As Amy alluded to earlier, there’s a distinct advantage to having support from the franchise. Owners have a resource to turn to as they’re establishing and then growing the business. That’s pretty attractive to me.  

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/usa-ninja-challenge.

About USA Ninja Challenge:

USA Ninja Challenge is the leading kids’ Ninja franchise, offering an exciting obstacle-based fitness experience for children across the United States. Since its founding over a decade ago, USA Ninja Challenge has grown into a trusted brand with over 40 gyms and more in development. The franchise combines fun and fitness by teaching kids agility, balance, and problem-solving through a series of structured obstacle courses. Partnered with the USA Pentathlon Multisport Olympic Team, USA Ninja Challenge is raising awareness for Ninja's Olympic debut in 2028. With low initial investment, high margins, and rapid ROI, USA Ninja Challenge offers franchisees the opportunity to build profitable businesses while making a lasting impact on children's physical fitness and confidence. For more information on USA Ninja Challenge or to learn about franchise opportunities, visit www.usaninjachallenge.com.