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One Longmont high school student outperformed the competition to land a spot on American Ninja Warrior Junior. Secorra Heinrichs, 14, earned her spot on the athletic competition series airing on Peacock after several years of training.
Heinrichs, now a freshman at Silver Creek High School, is no stranger to athletics. Heinrichs ran track and cross country in addition to her training at Warrior Playground in Longmont and Ninja Nation in Lafayette. Heinrich trains between eight and ten hours every week, plus weekly competitions with the support of her parents.
Heinrichs said she dreamed of being on the adult competition, American Ninja Warrior, but would have had to wait until she was much older. When the youth version of the competition came around, Heinrichs knew what she had to do.
“When I heard there was going to be a show for people my age, I was really excited for the opportunity and really wanted to be on it,” Heinrichs said.
Ninja Warrior challenges athletes on speed, strength and agility as they run an obstacle course for the best time. Obstacles include spinning platforms, climbing walls, rope courses and more, requiring endurance and dexterity to outpace their competitors.
More than just the athleticism, Heinrichs said she made good friends during the filming and has stayed in touch with them so far.
“(Competing on the show) was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and it was a lot of fun,” Heinrichs said. “It was definitely a worthwhile experience.”
Heinrichs has kept up her training since she got home from American Ninja Warrior Junior. Organizations like the National Ninja League, Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association and the Colorado Ninja League give Heinrichs plenty of opportunities to compete and motivation to keep her skills sharp.
“Ninja is a very good sport for anyone,” Heinrichs said. “It’s not just for a select group of people to try. I’ve seen people from age 3 to 65 training for ninja.”
Heinrichs placed in the quarter-finals, but couldn't reveal her final placing while the series is still airing. The competition can be seen on the Peacock.Correction: Changed Peacock network/streaming network to just Peacock for accuracy.
