Has Your Child Got What it Takes to be a Gladiator?

When was the last time a TV show inspired a whole generation of children to get off the sofa and get moving?

Millennial parents are in their element with the return of our favourite show from Childhood… Gladiators, and we are here for it! When Gladiators returned to our screens in 2024, it did so with a bang, attracting an impressive 8.7 million viewers in its first week alone. While the reboot certainly hits the nostalgia spot for us parents who grew up watching the original series, it has also introduced a whole new generation to some incredible sporting role models, which we are absolutely delighted about!

At PTC Sports, we love anything that inspires children to get active, challenge themselves and explore new sports. Does your child aspire to be strong like fury, powerful like steel, fast like Nitro or flexible like Comet? The Gladiators have inspired us all!

If your child is a huge Gladiators fan, why not encourage them to train like one? Exploring the backgrounds of their favourite personalities could spark newfound passions for sports they’ve never tried before, and who knows, you might have the next budding Gladiator!

The current Gladiators come from a wide range of sporting backgrounds, making them fantastic role models for children looking to try something new. Every Gladiator started somewhere, and what we see on our screens today is the result of years of hard work, dedication and training, usually starting from a young age to get the edge.

What makes the current Gladiators so inspiring is that they haven’t all followed the same path. Some started on the athletics track, others in hybrid fitness, rugby, gymnastics, martial arts or strength sports like powerlifting. Their journeys prove there isn’t one route to becoming a successful athlete, just a willingness and openness to keep learning, training and challenging yourself, which is also a strong mindset for life.

The Gladiators all have something in common in that they all share the same strong foundations: movement, strength, confidence, resilience and a love of sport.

At PTC Sports, helping children develop these foundations is at the heart of everything we do. Through our PE provision, after-school clubs, holiday camps and sports events, we encourage children to build skills, confidence and a lifelong enjoyment of being active.

If you have a budding Gladiator at home, this is a great opportunity to introduce them to how the Gladiators got to where they are today, and inspire them to try new sports.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro)
Nitro has become a fan favourite thanks to his infectious personality and incredible speed.
Before becoming a Gladiator, Nitro was already one of Britain’s most successful sprinters, representing Team GB and competing on the world stage. His athletics background has helped him become one of the fastest competitors in the arena, with speeds reaching up to 26.5mph.
Nitro’s success is built on years of athletics training, focusing on speed, agility, explosive power and resilience.
These are all skills that children can begin developing through athletics and multi-sport activities, helping them build strong foundations that can benefit them across a wide range of sports.

Jodie Ounsley (Fury)
Fury is a fantastic example of how participating in multiple sports can help create a powerful, well-rounded athlete, and a force to be reckoned with.

Before her Gladiators debut, Fury represented England in Rugby Sevens, became a British Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion and competed at the Deaflympics.

Her sporting journey shows how skills developed in one sport can transfer into many others. Strength, balance, agility, teamwork, confidence, resilience and a great mindset have created a phenomenal athlete, and one of the reasons why at PTC Sports we promote multi-sport involvement.

Through activities including invasion games, gymnastics, striking and fielding games, multi-skills sessions and fundamental movement development, children have the opportunity to build confidence and develop a broad range of athletic abilities that will support them in whatever sport they choose to pursue in the future.

Zack George (Steel)
Steel is one of the UK’s leading CrossFit athletes and was crowned the UK’s Fittest Man in 2020.

CrossFit is an extremely unique sport as it combines elements of weightlifting, gymnastics, endurance training, agility, speed and coordination, creating athletes who are strong, adaptable and capable across a variety of physical challenges, creating a well-rounded skill set.

Many of the skills Steel demonstrates in the Gladiators arena have been developed through this functional style of training, making him a great example of how hybrid fitness can support performance across multiple disciplines.

At PTC Sports, we believe in developing complete athletes. That’s why we’re proud to offer our new Hybrid training programme, helping children improve strength, fitness, movement and athletic performance in a fun, engaging and safe environment with our highly qualified coaches.

Ella-Mae Rayner (Comet)
Comet demonstrates that being a Gladiator isn’t speed and strength alone. Before joining the Gladiators show, Ella-Mae competed in gymnastics, diving and cheerleading, therefore developing exceptional balance, coordination, flexibility and body control.

Her skills demonstrate the importance of fundamental movement skills and how they can transfer across multiple sports and disciplines. The agility and body awareness developed through gymnastics have helped her tackle the physical challenges of the arena and adapt to a wide variety of events in the show.

At PTC Sports, we know how important these foundations are. Through our gymnastics-based activities, multi-skills sessions and physical development classes, we help children improve coordination, confidence and movement skills that can support them across all sports.

Comet’s story is a great reminder that sporting success doesn’t always start with a ball, a race or a competition. Sometimes it starts with learning proprioception skills, challenging yourself and enjoying being active.

The Training Starts Now

While the Gladiators may seem superhuman, every one of them started with the basics, and from an early age.

They learned how to run, jump, balance, throw, catch and move confidently. They built resilience, developed confidence and discovered a love for being active as a child.

Whether your child dreams of becoming the next Gladiator, representing their country, making a school team or simply finding a sport they thoroughly enjoy, every journey starts with those same foundations.

And that’s exactly what we’re passionate about at PTC Sports.

Who knows? The next Gladiator could be training at your local PTC Sports session right now! And if they do make their Gladiators debut one day, don’t forget to tell them where it all started!