LEE, Mass. — Hundreds turned out recently at Lee Athletic Field to cut the ribbon on the new Ninja Playground — where generations will come to play, bond, and build the grit to take on anything.

 

The 15 ninja-style obstacles, including cargo nets, rope climbs, cliffhangers, ascending monkey bars, and more set on accessible, cushioned playground turf called Forever Lawn designed to provide a safe landing for falls of up to 15 feet. View photos from the ribbon-cutting here. 

 

To many community members, this park is more than a collection of obstacles– it's the result of a community coming together and saying, "We want this in Lee, and we're going to make it happen," said Alex Heddinger, Lee Chamber of Commerce executive director.

 

"In true Lee fashion," community members have stepped up in countless ways — contributing financially, donating materials and services, spreading the word, and showing up to help with the build, she said. 

 

For two years, Neighborhood Ninjas has been working with Lee officials to bring the park to life through fundraising efforts and by applying for grant funding. 

 

In addition to donations, the organization secured about $90,000 in state funding, including $50,000 from a supplemental bill signed June 12, secured with the help of state Rep. Leigh Davis. The town also contributed $40,000 towards the project.

 

While the ribbon has been cut, Neighborhood Ninja's work in the community is not complete — the nonprofit will continue through free community programming that focuses on turning obstacles into opportunities, cultivating perseverance.

 

Businesses, individuals, or foundations can still donate to support their work. Sponsor or donate here.

 

"This is an exciting investment in Lee. Not only because it creates a free, healthy, and welcoming place for our community to gather, but because it adds another asset to what makes Lee a great place to live and visit," Heddinger said. 

 

"It gives families, individuals, and fitness groups another reason to come to Lee to stay a little longer and explore what we have to offer. 

 

"Who knows where this could lead — a family might come for the Ninja Fit playground and discover a restaurant or shop, and find another reason to come back. Those connections create opportunities for our local businesses as well." 

 

Many teens and adults have memories of running and climbing at a playground, but as they grow up, they age out of the equipment, often geared to kids 12 and under, Neighborhood Ninjas Executive Director Alex Katz said.

 

For generations, families have visited Lee Athletic Field, where parents watched their children run, climb and play. As they grew older, many moved on to basketball, skating, tennis and pickleball, leaving their playground days behind.

 

Now, just steps from the original playground, the ninja park playground is open, giving adults a chance to reconnect with that childhood sense of adventure or play alongside their older children. 

 

Within the ninja community, there's a strong emphasis on embracing obstacles rather than fearing them — viewing setbacks as opportunities to adjust one's approach, and persisting until success is achieved, Heddinger said. 

 

"That is a pretty good metaphor for life, and it's a pretty good metaphor for community too. There are always going to be obstacles," she said. 

 

"What matters is that we keep trying. We encourage each other, and we have people willing to step up and help us get to the other side. That's exactly what happened here." 

 

The nonprofit focuses on helping kids, young adults, and adults build physical strength alongside a growth mindset and resilience —teaching them not just how to overcome obstacles on the course, but how to carry those same skills into real-life challenges, Katz said.

 

During the ceremony, several key volunteers, town staff, and community partners were honored with "Ninja Fit Legends" medals, which is a fitting name because they really stepped up during the project, donating time, labor, and expertise to get the playground finished on schedule, Katz said. 

 

"As we talk about overcoming obstacles, there were a lot of unforeseen obstacles that we experienced in building this, as happens with construction and they really, really stepped up," she said. 

 

The event also welcomed about a dozen ninjas from the show "American Ninja Warrior," including keynote speaker Ginny MacColl, a four-time competitor and Guinness World Record holder, who demonstrated that strength knows no age.

 

"I'm soon going to be 74 and I'm still competing. I'm still training, and I'm still getting stronger. My motto is: Strength is ageless. You're never too old, and you're never too late to start. So remember that," she said. 

 

Growing up, MacColl said women were often discouraged from lifting weights because they were considered too fragile and because being muscular was viewed as unfeminine. 

 

But when she watched her daughter, "American Ninja Warrior" competitor, stuntwoman and martial artist Jessie Graff, along with other ninjas, she saw something different: strength, health and confidence.

 

"I thought they looked wonderful. I wanted to get strong, and that's my next point: get strong, keep strong, lift weights, ladies, gents, everyone," she said. 

 

So, she went on her strength journey at the age of 63 and got a personal trainer with the goal of doing a pull-up. 

 

"It took me an entire year to get one pull-up but what really surprised me was after two years of lifting weights, I had reversed my osteopenia back to normal," MacColl said 

 

At 65, MacColl competed in her first American Ninja Warrior, recalling how she stood on the starting platform, staring down at the steep, widely spaced steps ahead of her in the cold, darkness with the bright lights shining in her face. 

 

The countdown commenced and off she went — making it through the first two steps before falling into the water.

 

At that moment, MacColl said she felt shocked, devastated and embarrassed, believing she had let down her daughter, family and friends who had come to support her — as well as seniors around the world.

 

"It was awful and my daughter came to me and she said, 'Don't let one fall define you. Look how far you've come,'" MacColl said. 

 

"And she was right because I hadn't been looking at my progress. I was getting stronger. I was feeling better. I was healthier. I was more confident." 

 

From that moment, she didn't define success as meeting the goal or "hitting the buzzer;" rather as the progress she has made towards her goal. 

 

That wasn't the only wisdom her daughter passed on. MacColl recalled climbing a rope 30 to 35 feet in the air during a competition when exhaustion set in and she wanted to stop. Her daughter kept telling her, "Just one more."

 

MacColl pushed on, and when she later asked why Graff kept encouraging her to do "just one more," her daughter explained, "because that's where you get your strongest — when you think you can't go any further, do just one more."

 

MacColl told attendees to remember that they are never too old and it's never too late to keep moving for your health and independence.

 

"Remember that one fall doesn't define you. I've had many, many falls, and they don't define me. I just have to keep getting up,"  she said. 

 

"And you will too when you enjoy this playground because you just want to get through that obstacle because you know you can do it. Just commit. Be consistent. Form a habit, and keep going. Build on that, and then you too can make what may seem very impossible possible."