Naperville-area athletes headed to world obstacle course competition

With speed and agility, a group of young athletes run up a curved 18-foot-tall vertical wall.

They swing through the air on rings and they grip a tiny ledge barely wide enough for their fingertips as they make their way around an obstacle course at the Big Time Ninja gym in Bolingbrook.

Sometimes, they fall to the mats below, but each time they pick themselves up and try to climb higher, run faster and maneuver through the various apparatus on the course.

And while their ages range from 11 to 17 years old, they encourage and applaud one another as they each attempt the tricks.

The group of Naperville-area athletes are among about 200 people representing the United States Thursday through Sunday at the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in Ireland. They will be competing against thousands of athletes from more than 70 countries around the world in 100m, 400m, 3K and 12K individual races and relay races.

Local members of Team USA are Jeremy Lauff, 16, and Claire Mattern, 11, both of Naperville; Anthony Battaglia, 17, of Warrenville; Savannah Serio, 12, of North Riverside; and Henry Mihajlovic, 11, of Libertyville.

The group recently returned from Pennsylvania, where they competed at the Obstacle Sports Expo in events similar to what is seen on the TV show “American Ninja Warrior,” and all five earned podium spots for their efforts.

At one of their last training days before traveling to Limerick, Ireland, the group reflected on their upcoming competition.

“I’m looking forward to being able to be with all of Team USA,” Savannah said. “I think it’ll be pretty cool, and it’s the biggest team that they’ve had.”

Henry said he believes it will be a fun experience.

“I’m most looking forward to running the courses, seeing how fast I can go and how hard I can push myself,” said Jeremy, who was on Season 2 of “American Ninja Warrior Junior.”

He also anticipates he will be a little nervous.

“The aspect of competition is what makes me and probably all of us the most nervous because we want to do well,” Jeremy said. “We want to do well for ourselves and for our country.”

The competition is likely going to be tough, Savannah said, noting that she will be going against athletes up to 15 years old.

“I’m not expecting to go there to win, but I’m expecting to go there and do my best,” she said.

Claire said a successful trip would be being happy with her performance.

Henry said he first became interested in obstacle course racing when he when he was 5 years old and saw a FedEx commercial during a football game. The delivery driver was making his way through a ninja-style course carrying a handful of boxes, and Henry said he wanted to try an obstacle course.

He has come a long way from when he could barely complete the monkey bars, he said.

Now the athletes debate over their favorite apparatus, such as salmon ladders, which require them to use their upper body strength to move a metal bar up several rungs while being suspended in the air, or the cliffhanger, where they have to traverse an ultra-thin ledge just wide enough for their tips of their fingers.

The group practices several hours of week in formal classes and open gyms. In addition to Big Time Ninja gym in Bolingbrook, some also train at Ultimate Ninjas Naperville and Ultimate Ninjas Libertyville, and many have equipment in their back yards and basements. Anthony also coaches at Ultimate Ninjas Naperville.

“The best part about ninja is there are new challenges every single time,” Anthony said.

“I grew attached to the versatility of the sport,” Jeremy said. “There’s always new techniques that you have to learn, new ways that you have to throw your body around, new obstacles you have to try to figure out, perhaps on your first try.”

Obstacle course racing will make its debut as part of the modern pentathlon in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, showing the increasing popularity of the sport.

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Training and competing in ninja-style obstacle courses has given the group more than just upper and lower body strength and agility, they said.

It has improved their confidence both on and off the course.

“You need to be open to whatever obstacles are out there,” Claire said.

Savannah said the sport has taught her that she is capable of doing things she may otherwise have doubted.

Anthony said one bad competition doesn’t define him just like one bad quiz or test doesn’t define his role as a student.

They take lessons in practice, perseverance and confidence with them in their other activities. For instance, Claire plays soccer with the Naperville Soccer Association, and Savannah plays flag football and runs cross country. Jeremy went to the state finals with the Neuqua Valley High School math team, Henry enjoys playing percussion and Anthony is a roller coaster enthusiast.

One of the main lessons they’ve learned is that when they fall, they mentally recover, get back up and try again.

“You don’t necessarily need to be fearless, you have to be willing to face your fears,” Jeremy said.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.