UPDATED: July 25, 2021 (Original story about Season 13 of American Ninja Warriors and local contestants, scroll down)
Kids and adults from around the St. Louis region will have the opportunity to train with six competitors from the hit television show, American Ninja Warrior, including several athletes with “super human” skills competing on the current Season 13. Ultimate Ninjas is hosting five sessions of Pro Camp III on Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th at its Chesterfield, MO gym at 140 Long Road, Suite 130. Participants will learn from some of the best ninjas in the world and train on the same obstacles that are used on American Ninja Warrior.
The 2.5-hour youth camp will include time for participants to get autographs, ask questions about the show and watch the ninjas take on the obstacles. For the first time, adults have the opportunity to train with the pros in a special, one-hour adult Pro Camp session on Saturday morning.
Confirmed American Ninja Warriors at Ultimate Ninjas St. Louis Pro Camp III are
- Jamie ”Captain NBC” Rahn – Ultimate Ninjas St. Louis General Manager
- Daniel “Kingdom Ninja” Gil
- Jake Murray
- Kaden Lebsack
- Isabella Wakeham
- Mike “The Stallion” Silenzi
The cost for each 2.5-hour youth Pro Camp session is $85. Participation is open to youth six through 14 years old. For more information and to register, visit ultimateninjas.com/pro-
Available youth sessions are:
Saturday, August 7th – 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 8th – 10:00 a.m.
A special one-hour, $30 adult Pro Camp for participants age 14 and older will be held on Saturday, August 7th at 8:30 a.m.
Ultimate Ninjas St. Louis offers the authentic American Ninja Warrior experience with obstacles identical to the show, including the jumping spider, salmon ladder and a four-level warped wall to accommodate all skill levels, including the 14′ 6″ wall used by pros on the show. Ultimate Ninjas St. Louis offers summer and school break camps, kids obstacle course training classes, birthday parties, open gym, corporate team building and private events.
ABOUT PRO NINJA JAMIE RAHN (CAPTAIN NBC): GENERAL MANAGER ULTIMATE NINJAS ST LOUIS
Ultimate Ninja St. Louis General Manager and Pro Ninja, Jamie Rahn (Captain NBC) has competed on 11 seasons of the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior, including the current Season 13. Jamie is known for both his unique look and incredible achievements on the show. He has hit the buzzer, signifying a successful course run, 20 times and is a eight-time national season finalist. At a young age, Jamie admired Jackie Chan, inspiring him to always seek out different ways to challenge his body. Jamie has been training and inspiring adults and kids for over a decade at clinics and gyms across the United States.
Original Article July 12, 2021
A total of 13 athletes who manage, coach or train at Ultimate Ninjas gyms in St. Louis and Chicago competed on Monday Night’s episode Season 13 of the American Ninja Warrior (ANW) show, which began airing May 31. Two of the athletes, Sam Folsom, age 18, and Ultimate Ninjas Chesterfield General Manager Jamie Rahn are among the competitors and they made it to the next level..
The Ultimate Ninjas athletes competing on ANW Season 13 were:
- St. Louis (Chesterfield) Location: Jamie Rahn, Sam Folsom
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Naperville Location: Jesse Labreck, Cameron Baumgartner, Maggie Owen
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Libertyville Location: Mike Silenzi
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Chicago Location: Kevin Byrne, Jeffrey Quaiyum (JQ)
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North Shore Location: Michael Torres
Season 13 has been especially anticipated since the show had to cancel qualifying rounds in Los Angeles during the spring of 2020 when production closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The much anticipated Las Vegas National Finals, which is scheduled for Season 13, were also cancelled last year.
Instead, Season 12 eventually concluded with a reconfigured event during which athletes competed in a bubble set up indoors at St. Louis’ Dome at America’s Center. Many from the St. Louis area were able to learn more about it due to the St. Louis competition, so the show will be of interest to them.
St. Louis’ Jamie Rahn, shown in the photo, right, is the manager of Ultimate Ninjas in Chesterfield.
“I have been competing on the show for 11 years and just hit my 20th buzzer on the show!” Rahn told STLSportsPage.com. “I am really excited to hit that benchmark”
In the eleven seasons that Rahn– known as “Captain NBC”– has competed on the NBC show, he has been known for both his unique look and incredible achievements on the show. He has hit the buzzer, signifying a successful course run, 20 times and is a six-time national season finalist.
Jamie is also an international ninja– competed in Vietnam and Germany in the past.
According to the Ultimate Ninja’s website, at a young age, Rahn admired Jackie Chan, inspiring him to always seek out different ways to challenge his body.
“I got started competing because I was blown away growing up watching Jackie Chan movies and what he was able to do and control his body,” said Rahn. “I came across Sasuke on TV.”
Sasuke is the Japanese show that American Ninja Warrior comes from.
“I was so impressed at these athletes taking on these seemingly insurmountable challenges,” he said. “Eventually I saw a commercial for American Ninja Warrior and had to give it a go.”
Monday night, Jamie Rahn had a scary fall on Log Runner but bodysurfed to safety. He tried for the Mega Wall but completed the course, for the 20th buzzer of his career, on the Warped Wall. Sam Folson, who trains with Rahn had a near copy of his run, including the Log Runner, and a Mega Wall attempt but completed.
“Sam Folsom and I are the two from the St. Louis area and we both cleared the course and made it to the next round of competition,” said Rahn. “This was the 10th straight qualifying buzzer and my 20th buzzer on American Ninja Warrior.”
Rahn is on his way to most ever, and is one of only a handful to accumulate 20 or more career buzzers. He actually tried out and failed the very first obstacle back in Season Two. Luckily he made a good enough impression that they have asked him back every year since. He grew up on the East Coast, so how did he wind up in St. Louis?
“I grew up in New Jersey and, went to Cherry Hill High School West, and went to college at NJIT in Newark NJ.
He decided to change majors and and transferred schools to UArts in Philadelphia Pa. where he graduated with a bachelors in fine art painting/drawing. Even with the art degree, his heart never forgot Jackie Chan.
“I helped create and then ran a ninja gym in the Philadelphia area for several years until I left to help other gyms get started, traveling around the country,
He embarked on a period of travel where he did teaching workshops. Rahn has trained and inspired adults and kids for the past eight years at clinics and gyms across the United States.and eventually landed in Missouri with Ultimate Ninjas two years ago
Sam Folsom was also training in the St. Louis area.
“Sam and I met when I moved out here,” said Rahn. “He is a phenomenal athlete and trains at the gym from time to time. He lives in Illinois and has constructed quite the training set up in his barn dubbed ‘The Danger Zone. We have been training together for the past two years helping each other, but he was well on his way before I came to town.”
Rahn lives in Chesterfield and is in charge of all things NINJA at the gym, including class curriculum, safety, ninja training and challenging kids to do their best.
Seventeen year old Sam Folsom is also from the area– Wood River, Illinois. When he first got picked to be on the show– 2020– KSDK did a story on him. CLICK HERE to see.
In May, Jesse Labreck, manager of Ultimate Ninjas’ Naperville gym, came in second in the first ever American Ninja Warrior Women’s Championship. Jesse Labreck was the first rookie woman ever to qualify for the ANW Vegas National Finals.
“From the beginning, we have focused on creating an experience that closely mirrors the show and builds, not only the skills, but also the internal strength required to compete at this high level,” said Jeff Piejak, owner of Ultimate Ninjas. “These talented athletes are ready, and we can’t wait to cheer them on as they battle it out this exciting, comeback season of the show.”
Ultimate Ninjas has been recognized by USA Today as a top United States Ninja Gym. A Professional Ninja competitor from the American Ninja Warrior television show manages each Ultimate Ninjas location. Each gym features 10,000-square-feet of obstacles for kids and adults of all ages and skill levels, including obstacles identical to those on ANW and even built by the same entity that provides course equipment and stunt design for the show. Iconic obstacles at Ultimate Ninjas include the jumping spider, salmon ladder and a four-level warped wall ranging from 8 to 14.5 feet.
“Ultimate Ninjas is not just a place to have fun and get fit. Everyday we see kids and adults build confidence and internal strength, along with physical strength, as they practice, and ultimately conquer, the physical obstacles at Ultimate Ninjas,” said Piejak.
“Our camps, classes, and open play times are for ages six-16,” said Rahn. “We have beginner, intermediate, advanced classes, and even an Elite team. We do birthday parties, private events and so much more. For adults we have open play times as well as an adult fitness program called UltiFit.
Rahn says the first class is free for all students so they can check out a class and see if Ninja is something they might like if they are new. He says it also a great way for more experienced ninjas to find out what class level is appropriate for them.
All Ultimate Ninjas locations are open and adhering to local COVID-19 capacity guidelines and following strict safety precautions. Ultimate Ninjas offer kids obstacle course training classes, summer camps, birthday parties, corporate team building, open gym, private events and also ultiFIT, unique adult fitness classes that incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as well as obstacle course training.
ABOUT PRO NINJA JAMIE RAHN (CAPTAIN NBC): GENERAL MANAGER ULTIMATE NINJAS ST LOUIS
Ultimate Ninja St. Louis General Manager and Pro Ninja, Jamie Rahn (Captain NBC) has competed on 11 seasons of the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior, including the current Season 13. Jamie is known for both his unique look and incredible achievements on the show. He has hit the buzzer, signifying a successful course run, 20 times and is a eight-time national season finalist. At a young age, Jamie admired Jackie Chan, inspiring him to always seek out different ways to challenge his body. Jamie has been training and inspiring adults and kids for over a decade at clinics and gyms across the United States.
ABOUT ULTIMATE NINJAS
Inspired by the hit television show American Ninja Warrior, Ultimate Ninjas offers a wide variety of obstacle courses for kids and adults of every age and skill level to try, practice and ultimately master. Obstacles include agility courses, swinging ropes, monkey bars, quintuple steps, warped walls and more. Ultimate Ninjas offers open gym, kids obstacle course training classes, birthday parties, corporate team building, private events and also ultiFIT, unique adult fitness classes that incorporate High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as well as obstacle course training. Each of the Ultimate Ninjas facilities are managed by a Pro Ninja that successfully competed on the American Ninjas television show. In 2019, Ultimate Ninjas was recognized by USA Today as one of the top Ninja Gyms in the United States. For more information about Ultimate Ninjas programs, visit ultimateninjas.com
“I would like to mention a huge event we are hosting on August 7th and 8th, called Pro Camp.” Rahn said. “This is our third one, and the first one post Covid.
They plan to bring in some of the biggest names, with (as Rahn says) the biggest hearts– to teach students hands on obstacles.
“Kids rotate in groups and try the obstacles with each of the ninjas. We end each session with a free time to get photos, autographs and chat with the ninjas. In this session we have: me, Daniel Gil ( the Last man standing last year, and one of only 4 people to make it to the final stage), Jake Murray ( The incredibly strong and incredibly funny ninja), Kaden Lebsack (One of if not the strongest Ninja teen this year making his rookie debut), Isabella Wakeham ( Another rookie teen this year who just won the National Ninja League World championships for the elite division beating all other ninjas females in the country), and Mike Silenzi ( the Illinois Veteran from Ultimate NInjas know as the Stallion)! It’s a great community event and only happens once or twice a year.”
For information CLICK HERE.
