Kotlje, 17 October – On Friday, 17 October, the official opening of a new steel street workout park, donated by SIJ Group, took place at the Kotlje Sports Park. The park’s ambassador is Olympian Tine Urnaut, captain of the national volleyball team and one of the most successful Slovenian volleyball players of all time. Due to his sporting commitments, Tine Urnaut addressed and greeted the participants remotely. The workout park was officially opened by dr. Tomaž Rožen, Mayor of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem; Matjaž Hudopisk, Director of SIJ Ravne Systems; and Miran Kos, Vice-President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations.

In his message, Tine Urnaut emphasized that the new steel street workout park should be used to its fullest and encouraged participants to spend their free time as actively and meaningfully as possible.

The installation of steel street workout parks is a joint project of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia and SIJ Group. The workout park was designed and manufactured by employees of SIJ Ravne Systems from Ravne na Koroškem. This project, which has been running since 2015, aims to improve the quality of life in local communities across Slovenia and to raise public awareness of the versatility of steel — including its use in sports and sports infrastructure. The steel street workout parks are open to everyone, regardless of their level of physical fitness. Both those who regularly engage in sports and those who wish to do something for themselves, their well-being, and their health will be able to strengthen their fitness and mind of steel at the newest steel street workout park in the Kotlje Sports Park. A total of 25 steel street workout parks have already been set up across Slovenia, six of which are in the Koroška region.

The opening ceremony was followed by a mini-Olympics featuring the Olympic mascot Foksi, with more than 100 children from the Koroški jeklarji Primary School—Kotlje branch—and the Ravne Kindergarten—Levi devžej unit—taking part in sporting activities.

The Mayor of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, dr. Tomaž Rožen, said during the event: “It is with great joy and pride that we are opening the new SIJ steel street workout park in our Kotlje Sports Park today. This park is named after our sporting pride, volleyball player Tine Urnaut, who comes from a family that has shaped the history and future of this sport in our country. It will help promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle for all generations in our municipality. I would like to thank SIJ Group and the Olympic Committee of Slovenia for their long-standing support and cooperation in this important project, as well as the Kotlje Sports Association and its supporters for their contribution to preparing and arranging the site. I am confident that this workout park will become a hub of sportsmanship and social interaction, inspiring us all to lead active and healthy lives. I wish everyone much joy and success in their training and in achieving their sporting goals in the city of sports, Ravne na Koroškem!”

Every success, every achievement of one’s maximum potential in any field—be it sports, education, culture, or business—requires a mind of steel. The mind of steel has always been a core value of SIJ Group, and we strive to ensure that local residents, including many of our employees, remain regularly physically active. The steel street workout park is an important incentive and opportunity for all of us to spend our free time outdoors and engaged in sport. We are therefore honored to have built, in cooperation with the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, the sixth steel street workout park in the Koroška region, where our production facilities are located,” emphasized Matjaž Hudopisk, Director of SIJ Ravne Systems.

"At the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, we want exercise to be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or sporting ambitions. Steel street workout parks such as this one in Ravne na Koroškem are extremely important, as they enable high-quality outdoor training and bring people together through their shared commitment to health and well-being. Exercise is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and a strong building block of the community. I would like to thank the volunteers and companies who prepared the site for installation. We are proud that, in cooperation with SIJ Group, we have been creating an environment in which sport is accessible to a wide range of people for ten years now—also through our steel street workout parks,” said Miran Kos, Vice-President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia.

A Board with Recommended Exercises

Next to the street workout park, there is also a board with recommended exercises that individuals can perform according to their abilities. It is important that the exercises are performed correctly, so everyone is encouraged to do only as many repetitions as they can execute with proper form.

In addition to Kotlje, steel street workout parks have also been set up in the following locations throughout Slovenia: Jesenice, Ljubljana, Tržič, Murska Sobota, Grosuplje, Nova Gorica, Mozirje, Krško, Prevalje, Postojna, Ptuj, Pivka, Slovenj Gradec, Ravne na Koroškem, Miklavž na Dravskem polju, Kranj, Novo mesto, Črna na Koroškem, Sečovlje, Mislinja, Koper, Maribor, and Vrhnika.