BOGGY NINJA RETURNS: Cruze Morley back on nation’s TV screens

The Boggy Ninja is a household name, not only in Boggabri but across the country after Cruze Morley made a spectacular entry into Australia Ninja Warrior season five last year.

He returned to TV screens across the country this week as a competitor in season six of the Channel 9 program.

Cruze wanted to be a ninja since he was 14 but had to wait until he was 18. He worked hard, trained hard and was accepted and went through to the semi-finals before he fell on the uneven monkey bars and exited the course.

Since that time Cruze has been busy setting up his gym, refining and continuing his training ready for season six.

Training has not been all plain sailing with Cruze having a training accident that saw him winched off ’Gins Leap’ in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and airlifted to Sydney. Not daunted, Cruze started training again as soon as doctors gave him permission.

Tuesday night saw Cruze attempt the course for season six. Unfortunately, he came off in the second obstacle ending his latest season.

Speaking with Cruze he said, “this year was incredibly hard. They brought in a lot of obstacles from the American Ninja Warrior and even some of the top contestants from last season have not made it through the course.

“It was frustrating as the rest of the obstacles were a lot easier. If only I had got through the second one. I did hang on for as long as I could, I just mis-timed the swing and didn’t realise that I wouldn’t be able to get enough swing up to go the distance the second time so I was just hanging there,” he said.

“On a positive note, they have lowered the age this year and have allowed 16-year-olds to compete and they are doing well and it’s great for the sport.’

It’s not the end of Australian Ninja Warrior for Cruze.

“I have qualified to go to Nationals and a few of my kids who have been training at my gym have also qualified, so at this stage we will have a minibus of us off to Nationals.”

Cruze said even after appearing last year it was still nerve-racking.

“I ran the course at 3am so I was a bit tired. The obstacles were difficult but with the lights, noise, the audience screaming out your name made it all worthwhile.”

He said he was grateful to the 50 people who made the trip to Sydney as part of his team.

People from Boggabri, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Tamworth, Dubbo and Wollongong were there to support him.

During school holidays, Cruze has the gym fully booked with 350 children and young people coming to train and try their hand at being a Ninja warrior.