Raleigh's American Ninja Warrior Junior star redefines sport stereotypes

On Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., Raleigh resident Hunter Rowland, 12, takes on the iconic Ninja Warrior course in the show American Ninja Warrior Junior. More than 140 boy and girl junior ninjas from across the U.S. will face off on head-to-head courses in three age brackets.

Rowland is returning to the show after competing in 2017 and 2018, where she did not make it past the first round. This year, she’s older, stronger and motivated to prove herself. Balancing two strong aspects of her personality – girly and tough – Hunter shares what it is like to be an emerging, high-level young athlete.

Alicia: When did you first start doing Ninja?

Hunter: I started at eight years old after watching the TV show American Ninja Warrior. I was tired of just tumbling in gymnastics and asked my parents if I could do Ninja and they said yes. Then, my dad started building obstacles in our backyard for me to practice on.

A: What kind of training do you do?

H: I train three days a week at Warrior Tech OCR in Morrisville and compete in local competitions on weekends. I am a part of the National Ninja League, the Ultimate Ninja Athletic Association and the Athlete Warrior Games. I also train in my backyard and my dad is always changing the course to make it more challenging for me.

A: How has doing Ninja impacted your life?

H: I like how tough it is. I love seeing new obstacles and the feeling of nervousness and excitement that I get to find out if I can do it which has made me stronger and more confident. I used to be kind of insecure about my height, but in ninja, you can be any size and it can work to your advantage. For me, being short makes me really fast.

Also, I’ve become more popular because more people are starting to care about the sport. They are looking to people like me to be an example, so it’s also given me a platform.

A: How do you balance training with school, family, and just being a 12-year-old?

H: I like to do all the other things 12-year-old girls do with their friends. We go to the mall, make tik-toks, do facials and nails, vlog, watch movies, and make new foods. Keeping up with school isn’t too hard because I am able to separate the two since it’s not a school sport. I train later in the day and competitions are on the weekend. Also, my parents help me out a lot with driving me to train and supporting me.

A: Who are your role models?

H: My dad because he strong both mentally and physically. He motivates me through obstacles when I feel like I am going to give up and pushes me to finish. Also, he is at every competition he can make it to and when he isn’t he always requests a video.

I also love Barclay Stockett because she’s just like me – short and fast. In 2017, she and a lot of other amazing Ninjas came to Warrior Tech OCR’s one year anniversary and she helped me overcome obstacles I couldn’t do. Like, she helped me up 12-foot warped wall for the first time!

A: What are your personal goals?

H: I want to be a veterinarian and a youtuber. I love making vlogs and sharing inspirational sport-related things that help other people get over obstacles they might be facing. I hope to inspire others girls to know that they can be as strong as men can. Girls shouldn’t be treated different and they have strength, too.

A: What are your sport goals?

H: I want to make it onto American Ninja Warrior which I can apply to when I’m 19.

A: What if Ninja becomes an Olympic sport?

H: YES. I would love to go to the Olympics.

A: Some people have said that Ninja isn’t a real sport – what would you say to them?

H: Try it. It is a full body workout, but also it’s in the small things like your grip strength and body control. You learn to know your weight and balance your movement, like when to stop and which way to go on certain swinging obstacles. In a way, you are competing against yourself, so you have to know yourself. But, Ninja is also an amazing community and everyone has appreciation for their competitors. Everyone cheers each other on when they are running the course.

A: What about how they keep track of points?

H: It is different for every association on how they keep track of points in competition, but they basically focus on your speed, how many obstacles you complete, and the degree of difficulty.

A: What advice do you have for younger athletes interested in Ninja?

H: If you fall down and you feel like you can’t get up, just try again. Also, to not be overly stressed or take it too seriously. When I fall, I try to shake it off and not beat myself up.

Pete Rowland: She also rarely cries or gets upset.

H: Except when I broke my arm in 2018.

Pete Rowland: Haha, yes. But in order to accomplish something and get achievement, she knows she has to do well. She works hard and is rewarded. Otherwise, she knows she has things to work on.

H: Last weekend, I supported another athlete who was really upset at a competition and told her to work harder at the things that she wants to get better at. My nickname is "Positive Ninja" because Ninja makes me feel like I can do anything.

A: Are you excited for the show to air?

H: I can’t wait. There are a lot of amazing athletes on the show and we all grew a lot together.

American Ninja Warrior Junior airs on Saturday, Feb 22 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on NC Universal Kids. Watch the trailer.

Alicia Carter is a master's student at the University of North Carolina's Hussman School of Journalism and Media, specializing in photo, video and design. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Denver in International Health and Development in 2014 and spent four years in southern Africa working for non-profits in education, health, and communication.