Did you ever watch an action movie as a kid and leave the theatre wanting to manoeuvre over and around obstacles like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?
There’s a group of ninjas in Calgary that do exactly that!
Calgary’s very own COR.Fit gym trains people of all ages on how to use their strength and agility to work through obstacle courses and become an Ultimate Ninja competitor.
This February, competitors from seven to 50 years old raced against the clock during an Ultimate Ninja Competition at COR.Fit’s industrial gym. The obstacles are meant to test each competitor’s overall endurance, and whoever has the shortest time crossing the finish line is crowned the winner. It doesn’t take long to get through the course, only about five to 10 minutes, but there are over 10 obstacles for every ninja to conquer.
“What it takes to be an Ultimate Ninja is getting up and doing it. There’s a ninja in every one of us. It doesn’t matter how fit, how in-shape we are, all you have to do is believe in yourself, stand up and do something, that’s the ultimate challenge and the Ultimate Ninja,” says Kevin Halliday, owner of COR.Fit.
This year, younger competitors were able to compete against each other in a separate age category. The young competitors completed most of the same obstacles as the adults, demonstrating a high level of strength.
Owen Warne was one of two ninjas in his age category and was nervous to be competing in his first competition.
“I want to be a ninja because it’s fun. I’ve trained for about one and a half years and I really like the rope wall,” he said before taking to the course.
Kylie Stone, a former Olympic gymnast, also decided to tackle the course this year: “It’s something fun to do. I did gymnastics growing up and there are similar aspects of it. But it’s fun, it’s like a giant playground.”.
Former Olympic athlete, Kylie Stone, uses her upper-body strength to shuffle her way across an suspended obstacle during the Ultimate Ninja Competition on Feb. 3. Photo by Stephanie Babych.
Dylan McDougall has been training to be a ninja for two years now and has won first place in a previous ninja competition. After a clean run, he talked about goals he has as a ninja:
“I may host [a ninja competition] one day, maybe I’ll open up my own place.”
The Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association organizes competitions at ninja obstacle gyms, including COR.Fit in Calgary.
After dozens of ninjas ran, climbed and crawled through the course, several left with medals around their necks and the chance to compete in this year’s World Ultimate Ninja Competition.
Editor: Jennie Price | jpric000@mtroyal.ca