‘Boggy Ninja’ Cruze is fit and ready for challenges ahead

Excitement is building in Boggabri as season five of the popular national television show Australian Ninja Warrior goes to air this weekend.

Out of several thousand applicants Boggabri’s Cruze Morley, 18, was included in the top 150 competitors and has made the cut to appear on the first night of season five which will screen on Sunday, June 20.

Cruze has been in solid training for the huge physical challenges of the show to be filmed in Sydney’s Olympic Park to premiere on Nine and 9Now.

Cruze has been training for the past four years to take on Mount Midoriyama on Australian Ninja Warrior, with strong support from his family and community.

Boggabri businessman Pete Brien has been Cruze’s boss as well as a major mentor and supporter, building a training gym in his Boggabri plumbing workshop for Cruze.

“It all started out at the farm,” Mr Brien said. “After we had finished work Cruze would swing from the ropes attached to the ceiling and climb all over the place.

“He always said he wanted to try out for the Aussie Ninja and had been using the play equipment in the Boggabri Vickery Park as exercise equipment and travelling to Sydney every weekend to train in a ninja gym, so we decided to build a gym and support him in his dream.”

Cruze works in a kitchen, behind a bar, and as a plumber on the weekends, but when he’s not working, he’s doing cardio, calisthenics training and upper body strength training. Cruze plans that when his Australian Ninja Warrior stint is over, he can open his own ninja gym in Boggabri.

“If you want to do something, give it a go, especially those from a small town like ours,” Cruze says. “Sometimes you have to travel or relocate to achieve your goal, but it doesn’t matter where you’re from you can still achieve big things if you put your mind to it”.

He has strong support from his family. His mum Karen Morley said, “I am so proud of Cruze, he works so hard and deserves all the recognition he gets”.

His brothers, Fletcher and Fynlay along with his sisters Paris and Myami are immensely proud, supportive and protective of Cruze.

“The best part of the experience is being back-stage with all the other competitors,” said Cruz.

“I have made friends with a lot of them and last year’s winner Ben Polson asked to be in my support team so you will see him there on the sideline supporting and encouraging me as I go through the course.

“Olivia Vivian has also been very supportive – she was the first woman up the ‘warped wall’ last year.”

Supporters will gather at Boggabri’s Commercial Hotel on Sunday to watch Cruze on the big screen.