Ninja Warriors race head to head in the latest instalment of The Compound Training’s monthly competition. Fierce battles between competitors young, old and everyone in between ensure the edge of seats are well worn in by anyone looking on.
On the last Sunday of the month between March and September, staff at the Compound devise a course and play host to a local Ninja Warrior competition set to challenge those wanting to test their newly acquired skills.
Speak to any seasoned or even a rookie ninja and they’ll tell you ninja training is a great way to improve your strength and fitness. Talk to them long enough and they’ll no doubt mention the added bonus of improving their mental game. Not only having to build and maintain the strength required to get through a course but to train your mind to manage the fears and doubts that relentlessly creep in.
Why race head to head?
The regular Ninja Warrior competitions at the Compound are Ninja vs The Course. Yes it’s a battle for the fastest time to completion but first and foremost it is a personal challenge to complete all of the obstacles. The courses are never designed to be impossible but each course is set out to be a solid challenge for even the most experienced Ninja.
But head to head Ninja Warrior competitions change all of this. On top of needing the physical and mental strength to complete a course, there’s another person beside you on the course adding even more pressure.
It’s like the pressure you put on yourself to do well but more intense. And when the race is close, onlookers move to the edge of their seats as excitement grows far beyond that of the regular competition.
The Compound Ninja Series in April was the head to head battle many athletes look forward to. We race head to head for something different. To not only see where you stack up in the field but to see how well you’ve trained against the extra pressure of side by side racing.
Ninja Warriors go head to head for the crowd and to make an already action-packed event somehow even more exhilarating.
Ninja Warriors Race Head On - How'd it play out?
Through the entire event, from first-time competitors in the rookie field to all-time fan favourites in the Ninja Elite, battles raged on fierce as ever.
A few races were won from the moment competitors stepped onto the very first balance beam while others ran neck and neck, taking it in turn to be out front. These are the ones that had us on the seat’s edge as small forced errors made or broke winning chances.
One Ninja might edge in front through the UFO to trapeze only to be overtaken by their rival’s ability to flow effortlessly through the lache bars. In a few cases it came down (or up?) to the rope climb and who could get to the top fastest.
So who won? Who was able to master the course, get the fastest times and conquer the field in this month’s head to head Ninja Warrior battles? Find out below.
Rookie Results
- Rebecca Houlden 0:53.42
- Tania Edwards 1:01.10
- Marcus Seeger 1:10.98
- Georgia Thompson 1:27.91
Ninja Results
- Alec Richardson 1:01.94
- Rebecca Gauci 1:09.31
- Linda Buttigieg 1:10.10
- Joel Richardson 1:10.63
- Melissa Crawley 1:13.25
- Livia Prisco-Durst 1:14.47
- Lachlan Reeders 1:41.32
- Sara Patrick 2:32.56
- Hayley Brown 1:50.73 (steps)
- Tasha Palmer 2:30 (steps)
- Rory Lantz 2:30 (steps)
Ninja Elite Results
- Daniel Mason 0:27.12
- Luke Davis 0:29.25
- Jake Baker 0:30.81
- Ashlin Herbert 0:31.05
- Tye Beadel 0:32.17
- Aaron Pietzsch 0:37.35
- Clem Vertigan 0:39.34
- Darren Baker 0:43.66
- Danielle Thompson 0:48.59
- Vivek Mishra 0:51.50
- Mireille Goyette 0:52.70
- Steve Taylor 0:56.75
- Kadeem Aarons 0:56.97
- Tuckey Beadel 1:10.67
- Sarah Blackmore 1:10.50 (steps)
Gorak Photo
The photo gallery below was kindly provided by Gorak Photo.
Gorak Photo is a portrait photographer from Narre Warren in Melbourne’s South-East. Check out his work on Instagram ( @gorakphoto ) and his website too, www.gorakphoto.com
Photo Gallery
Please make sure you tag @thecompoundtraining on Instagram and please credit @gorakphoto when sharing these photographs.
