NATHAN KELLY
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Hard work pays off.
Ten-year-old Knoll Road resident Nathan Kelly finished first in the Tier 2 World Ninja League Championship in Austin, Texas on April 1. Nathan, whose stage name is “Nate the Great Ninja,” has been competing in the World Ninja League (WNL) for a year and has been competing in the Northeast Ninja Association (NENA) for two years.
“It feels crazy good, especially since this is my first year in WNL,” said Nathan. “I won five medals and the first place trophy. I still can’t believe I won. It feels like a dream.”
Nathan qualified for the Tier 2 World Ninja League Championship after winning the New England Regional Competition earlier this year.
“It feels nice,” said Nathan. “I didn’t know anyone at that competition, and didn’t have a coach. I introduced myself to a coach I had seen a few weeks earlier at a different competition, and asked him to coach me through the course, and he did. I had a really good run and won a huge gold medal. The ninja community is all about helping others, and I love that. I want to be a ninja coach when I get a little older too.”
Nathan noted that the Northeast Ninja Association and the World Ninja League are two different leagues.
“WNL has two tiers,” said Nathan. “Tier 1 is the most competitive and Tier 2 is for beginners, and I do both right now. WNL is a one-and-done obstacle course where if you fall, you fail and you’re out. For NENA, you can practice the obstacles first, which you can’t do in WNL. There are also two rounds. The first round is a practice round with the first six obstacles. The second round counts for points. It’s a flow course with the same six obstacles plus four more obstacles.”
Nathan also noted that NENA is team-based while WNL is individual-based. He has been competing with the Peabody-based Gymja Warrior team during NENA competitions.
“We had six NENA competitions and I got first place in four of them,” said Nathan. “We didn’t make the playoffs this year, but I think we will next year. It’s nice to have a team and my coaches in NENA, but it’s also nice to meet other ninjas and other coaches at the WNL competitions. I’ve met so many talented ninjas and coaches this year. Some of these great coaches will actually be on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ on TV this summer.”
Nathan noted that he competes in the Mature Kids age group for 9- and 10-year-olds in both leagues.
“I’ve been involved in NENA for two seasons, and this is my first year in WNL,” said Nathan. “Ninja is an unforgiving sport. Any great ninja can have a bad day, and any other ninja can have a great day. I’ve had my fair share of both.”
Nathan said he enjoys competing in ninja warrior competitions.
“I enjoy competing and swinging from bar-to-bar,” said Nathan. “It’s really fun and it gets some of my energy out. It requires a lot of strength, and I have got that. The most rewarding part is getting to know other ninjas and them getting to know me.”
Nathan first went Gymja Warrior at a one-day camp in February 2020, and really enjoyed it. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his entry into the sport.
“I got to try it again in the summer of 2021, and I still liked it,” said Nathan. “I started taking the classes and after a couple months of training, I was asked to join the team.”
Nathan is looking forward to competing in the Tier 1 World Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina in June. He said qualifying for the state championship was a “surprise.”
“They announced at the Tier 2 World Championship that the top three overall winners automatically get qualifying spots to go to the Tier 1 World Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina in June,” said Nathan. “It feels crazy good and such a surprise. Everyone else will need to qualify at the Tier 1 New England Regional that will be held on Memorial Day Weekend. I already qualified so it takes off some of the pressure, but I’ll still compete to try to win a trophy.”
Erica Kelly, Nathan’s mom, said he will be competing in the NENA All-Star competition on Sunday, April 30.
“He was an All-Star last season, and he’s honored to be back again,” said Erica.
Nathan is looking forward to competing in more ninja warrior competitions.
“I’m just really excited for people to get to know me, as a ninja, and compete with my friends and make new friends,” said Nathan. “I didn’t know anyone when I went to Austin, Texas, but then a kid from Action Athletics in Wellesley recognized me. We became fast friends and we’ll probably be friends for a long time.”
Nathan also said he loves all of his coaches who have trained him.
“Before Gymja Warrior, I was at Yellow Jackets and part of the training there was doing 100 sit-ups,” said Nathan. “That really, really helped me progress fast. My coaches have taught me everything I know about ninja and, most importantly, hard work definitely pays off. Some of the practices are really tough and challenging, but I’m pretty determined and I don’t give up. I want to thank all my coaches and teammates, competitors, family and friends for all their support, especially my mom. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Nathan is a fourth-grader at Huckleberry Hill School. If residents want to follow Nathan’s journey as a ninja warrior, they can check out his Instagram page at https://instagram.com/nate.the.great.ninja.
“I use it to connect with other ninjas just like me, and show family and friends my cool ninja videos,” said Nathan.