Young Vermonters train to be ninja warriors

ESSEX, Vt. (WCAX) – Kids are chalking up their hands and jumping through obstacles.

“I just like, started doing stuff on a slackline in my backyard. I don’t know, I just kind of fell into it. It has just been like really fun training with everyone here. Like trying new things, and trying some dumb stuff is really fun too,” said Ninja Warrior student Olivia Dolloff.

For the past three years, Dolloff has been training at the Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center in Essex.

She is one of the hundreds competing in the center’s first World Ninja League Competition.

“I feel like when I am initially going, I kind of just zone out. I try to just get in this feeling where I am just trying to get to the next obstacle. Don’t look behind, look ahead of what you’re doing,” Dolloff said.

Officials say the event is like the show, American Ninja Warrior. Athletes from all over New England and Canada come to play in the World Ninja League Competitions. Kids are climbing walls and flying from hoop to hoop. According to parents, this is a big deal for their kids as ninja is now a growing sport.

“Even though you are competing against each other, you are cheering each other on. So you are going to see a lot of excitement from teammates cheering other teammates on. We even cheer for people who aren’t even on our team,” said team member of Vermont Ninja Warrior Training Center and parent Meghan Orisko.

Ages six through young adults can compete.

Ninja Warrior Coach Rose Lord, who helped others through the course, said she hopes to see more players participating in the games.

“Because I feel like a lot of people watch the show American Ninja Warrior. Maybe I would have been like, oh I can do that. Or, oh I want to try that. But they don’t know that they actually can. Like that, there are gyms where you can actually train. Take classes, come in for open gyms,” Lord said.

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