Wilmington resident Whitney Miller, 37, is a modern-day ninja.
A contestant on seasons 13 and 14 of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” Miller dreams of expanding the ninja sport through a new project in Delaware.
She plans to build a ninja-themed playground in Wilmington that’ll be free to the public.
It will be accessible for individuals with and without disabilities, said Miller, board president for the nonprofit Neighborhood Ninjas.
A fundraising event for the playground will be held at Juniper by Tonic in Wilmington on Saturday, April 22.
While traditional playgrounds usually are aimed at elementary students, this ninja-themed one will be an obstacle-based playground that targets teens and adults.
The playground will support parkour and ninja training.
What will the ninja playground look like?
Participants will have access to more than 10 obstacles designed by athletes from the ninja community, said Miller, who has a rock wall in her home she uses for ninja training.
The playground’s stations will include parkour hurdles, along with a spider wall, quad steps, a cargo net, firefighter pole, various types of monkey bars and other equipment.
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Most (if not all) of the equipment at each station serves multiple functions. For instance, monkey bars can be used to swing and perform pull-ups, said Alex Katz of Texas, director of Neighborhood Ninjas.
Since the ninja playground is intended for teens and adults, equipment like monkey bars will be taller than usual to be better accommodate their height.
How much will it cost?
The playground is estimated to cost $200,000, said Katz, who has been competing and coaching in the ninja warrior sport for five years.
Who’s funding the project?
Neighborhood Ninjas is partially funding the playground.
The nonprofit uses the sport of ninja warrior to help “underserved youth develop active lifestyles, confidence, connection, compassion and resilience,” according to the organization’s mission statement.
Additional money for the playground comes from The Wilmington Delaware Area Rotary Clubs Community Fund, a nonprofit that includes four Rotary Clubs: Brandywine Hundred, Brandywine Naamans, Wilmington and Caesar Rodney.
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Six Wilmington-area Rotary Clubs funded Can-Do Playground in Wilmington in 2007.
According to Delaware State Park’s website, it was Delaware’s first Boundless Playground, offering accessibility to all children.
Doug Kook, president of The Wilmington Delaware Area Rotary Clubs Community Fund, said it made sense for Rotary Clubs to team up with Neighborhood Ninjas for the ninja playground.
“[We] wanted to add to what we had previously done with Can-Do Playground and further enhance the area to make it a destination for families,” Kook said.
When will the playground be completed?
The goal is for the playground to be assembled next spring on April 28, 2024, Katz said.
The idea is to host a build day where Wilmington residents (folks older than age 16) come out and help assemble the equipment. Playground distributor General Recreation, based in Pennsylvania, will provide the equipment.
Katz said it should only take one day for the community to assemble.
Why is a ninja playground needed?
The playground is purposed to promote physical activity and provide free fitness to underserved Wilmington residents, Miller said.
The CDC reported 27% of adults in Delaware were physically inactive, based on a survey of data collected from 2017 to 2020.
Exercise can reduce the risk of disease and improve mental health, according to the CDC,
Delaware will mark Neighborhood Ninjas’ first playground project.
Miller said the exact location for the Wilmington playground will be revealed at the fundraiser on April 22.
“It’s going to provide a space for parents and kids to learn together, grow together, stay active together, and it’s gonna provide a place for people from all walks of life in the city to come,” she said.
The details
Playground fundraiser event will be held at Juniper by Tonic (111 W. 11th St., Wilmington) from 7 to 11 p.m., Saturday, April 22. Tickets are $25. For more info, visit tonicsns.com/rotary and neighborhoodninjas.org/event.
Donations for the playground also can be made via check payment to:
The Wilmington Delaware Area Rotary Clubs Community Fund (1104 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, DE 19809).
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
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