Adam Waring trains to be the first Australian Ninja Warrior and the first Australian to compete on the TV show American Ninja Warrior. In this interview he talks about his travels around America in search of getting tips and tricks from Ninja Trainers, Rock Climbers and Parkour experts to bring that knowledge back to Australia.
Australian Ninja Warrior logo
Fitness is a big part of your daily life. How do you combine this with your professional life?
It’s actually a massive struggle to be honest… When I’m home, I go to the gym two or three times a day, and do Parkour classes and see a Ninja Trainer once a week… but unfortunately with work, I need to travel around quite a bit and so will often travel all week and be home in time for weekends. I just found out today I’m scheduled to travel every week for the next 12 weeks… it’s a good opportunity to check out lots of Ninja Warrior and Obstacle Course gyms, but the actual travel itself is a massive drain. I forsee lots of pushups in airport lounges in my immediate future.
American Ninja Warrior has been around since 2009 and is now in its 8th season. What attracts you the most to this show?
I truly love this show. I love that the producers keep developing seemingly more and more impossible obstacles and the ninjas continually prevail. I love that it’s incredibly difficult and that difficulty only serves to push people harder. I love that everyone supports each other… no one is honestly competing with each other, it’s the community versus the course. I love that you really only get one shot a year… and so luck does absolutely play its part. Mostly though, I love the way this show makes me feel. My wife laughs and cries with the competitor’s ups and downs, and I have never finished a show feeling uninspired. Watching the show and dreaming about my own attempts is honestly the highlight of my week. It’s incredibly motivating.
And now you want to be the first Australian Ninja Warrior…
I do very much… but more importantly I’d like to be a leader in the newly developing Aussie Ninja Warrior community. I’d like to help people understand that gyms and training doesn’t have to mean massive biceps, and sometimes moving well and agility can be more satisfying than the numbers you can deadlift. Not only do I hope that I become the first Australian Ninja Warrior, but I’d be just as happy to train the next generation of competitors that complete that 4th stage. I do feel lucky that I have this opportunity to explore America and draw on the 8 seasons of American Ninja Warrior competitors’ knowledge and I’m hoping it gives me an edge over the Aussie course. I’d set up a Facebook page for anyone interested in being in the Aussie Ninja Warrior community.
How did you set this goal?
I actually wasn’t at all sporty as a kid, didn’t really play sports at school or anything. I loved computers and computer games and would often easily spend 18 hours a day in front of a screen. Almost predictably I developed severe RSI in my wrists and tops of my hands. I tried everything to no avail. It was devastating, my entire career was in jeopardy as was my hobby and passion. I’d be in incredible pain with every keyboard stroke and mouse click, and so I’d struggle through work and then just mope on the couch afterwards. Eventually I found Sasuke) (the original Japanese Ninja Warrior) which inspired me to get off the couch and enter all the Tough Mudder and Spartan competitions I could… We decided to move to America just so I could compete in American Ninja Warrior, and of course, a couple of months after the move, Australia announces its first season of Australian Ninja Warrior. So, back I go!
What are you doing in order to achieve it?
I do think most Aussies will get a shock to how hard the obstacles are actually going to be on Australian Ninja Warrior. I’ve been travelling around the US, trying to learn everything I can about the sport, and I’ve tried a few different obstacles and they are brutal. One obstacle is called the Ultimate Cliffhanger. It’s a couple of metres of inching along sideways on your fingertips, and traversing different heights and levels. I tried it and barely got 15 cms. So, I’m now doing all the rock climbing and parkour I can… as well as hitting as many obstacles as I can. I’ve now realised that if you’re going to smash obstacles, you need to train on obstacles. I’ve actually also been offered a position to teach obstacle training at a new gym that should be finished in December 2016.
When do you expect to compete on the show?
I haven’t been accepted yet, but filming seems to be late November until the middle of December. I assume the show will start to air in Australia towards the middle of 2017. On American Ninja Warrior, qualifiers start around April and May. The timing totally works for me to compete on both, now I just have to convince the producers that I’m good enough.
What will happen after?
I’m absolutely intending to live in both Australia and America, bringing a lot of the knowledge I’ve gained from the Ninja Trainers in America to the new Ninja Warrior community in Australia. Eventually I’d love to open a Ninja Warrior gym in Melbourne, Australia. It’s an idea I’ve been fostering in the back of my mind for over a decade now, but until I can create a place to physically share my experience, I’ve created a digital place to share… it can be found here. I’d love to hear from as many people excited about Australian Ninja Warrior, and who want to chat and share ideas and training tips. The Ninja Warrior community in America is so supportive and I honestly would love to start something similar in Australia.
Good luck!
