The Boggy Ninja Academy hosted the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) Comps Australia Regional National Championships over the weekend.

It was a massive undertaking for the organisers with athletes from South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales all aiming to qualify in the top five or top 30 per cent in their category to enable them to compete in events at the UNAA Ninja World Expo at Anaheim in July 2024.

Boggy Ninja, Cruze and Boggabri are four words that were on everyone’s lips back in July 2021 when Cruze Morley competed on Australia Ninja Warrior series five.

Fast forward to 2023. Cruze had four of his Boggy Ninja team enter the championship and four out of four have qualified to compete at the World Expo in America in 2024 – Ryan Lee, Leah Keam, Madelyn Dufty and Riley Longworth.

A tired but elated Cruze said, “Four out of four is not too bad.”

Seven-year-old Ryan Lee finished second in his age group and makes the trip with his family from Tamworth to train and compete with the Boggy Ninja Academy.

When asked what he wanted for his fifth birthday Ryan said he wanted to visit the Boggy Ninja Academy. After a couple of sessions, Cruze said to his family there is a competition coming up how do you feel about letting him compete.

Ryan was successful and has been making the trip to Boggabri each fortnight since May to train. He trains every day at home on the equipment that his father Dan has set up in the backyard.

Madelyn Dufty did a great job and finished sixth in her division.

Thirteen-year-old Leah Keam’s dream is to be on the television show Australia Ninja Warrior. Leah was the NSW under 13 ninja warrior champion. After finishing fourth over the weekend, she has her sights set on the World Expo in America.

Leah was introduced to the sport almost three years ago and now trains in Boggabri two to three times per week in Boggabri and most days at home.

Narrabri’s Riley Longworth qualified fourth in his division in a quite competitive group. Riley said, “It felt a bit different having an event of this calibre come out to my local/home ninja gym in Boggabri.”

A new course is set up for each of the groups and there is a walk through just before the start of the event but no practice before the timer starts, so there is no home advantage.

Normally there is only the indoor set-up at Boggabri but for the national championships the riggers and course setters designed an indoor and an outdoor course.

One disadvantage of the outdoor course was when a shower of rain came over the whole course had to be wiped down. They had big tarpaulins over the roof but the rain still blew in from the side.

It was all hands-on deck with referee and president of the association Sabrina Johnstone leading the challenge to get everything dry and safe for the athletes. Mick Gleeson from Obstacle Course Racing School NSW brought 34 athletes, achieved 23 worlds qualifications, 13 podiums finishes and four champions.

Mick was very happy with the course and said, “it’s been a great weekend for Boggabri and the athletes. We like coming out here, the only things I would change is that it’s so hot, I think maybe next time they hold it a month earlier and if they could have a few more mats both outdoors and indoors would be able to run at the same time.

“Overall, it has been a great weekend, the fact that they have all this area set up behind us with shelters, activities, food vans and merchandise adds to the weekend.”

Mick also competed and finished first in the masters 40 plus male division.

It was great to see Casey McLaren competing again. Eleven-year-old Casey is a pocket rocket and has competed in Boggabri several times. Over the weekend she finished first in the under 11s.

Casey went to the World Championships in America in July 2023 where she placed third in the world.

Casey’s dad Shayne McLaren also competed in the masters 40 plus male division this weekend, qualifying for the worlds in 2024.

The two referees for the weekend were Sabrina Johnstone and Sheri Thomson. Both these ladies are very experienced and have recently been appointed as directors for Australia on the UNAA Worlds Event Committee.

This means UNAA Comps Australia will be involved in the planning and running of the UNAA World Series Finals in the USA in 2024.

Sabrina competes in masters 40 plus female for a bit of fun, and her son Saxon competes in the pro males. Saxon often helps set up and referee at ninja competitions.

Sheri competes in masters 40 plus female and her daughter Hannah competes in 15U female and helps referee.

The third person who runs the UNAA Comps Australia is Gillian Hobbs.

Gil found her love of ninja watching her kids training around four years ago. She was not going to miss out on the action and took her husband Ricky along to train with the three children.

Gil competes in the amateur female division and Ricky competes in the pro male division while their three children are spread across 7U, 11U and 13U.

Ricky said, “We love that ninja is a family sport. What other sport can you train, compete, travel and enjoy family time together. This has been a great weekend, so good for the athletes and for Boggabri.”

Athletes and their families had accommodation booked out in Boggabri, Narrabri and Gunnedah.

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