ALTAVISTA, Va. – Dreams are turning to reality for an Altavista 13-year-old who is getting to compete in the American Ninja Warrior Junior competition.
The first episode will air Thursday night for the boy who had to take the road less traveled by to get there.
“He would climb door frames,” Mom Christie Elder said. “I had to even repaint my walls because he was climbing all the walls.”
Her son, Colt Elder, has always been a ninja at heart. Even still, he said it took quite a bit of convincing before his folks let him transform their farm into a Ninja Warrior course.
“My favorite part of America Ninja Warrior is flying through the air,” Colt said.
Colt has spent the last three years preparing each day at home and traveling to local competitions. Now, he’s taking to the big stage.
“When we got the news he was going to be on the show I said, ‘Colt, that just goes to show that anything is possible. Always go for your dreams and your goals,’” Christie said.
He goes by “Colt the Bolt” and even has his own mascot--a yellow and blue chicken named Joe.
“Chasing the chickens around the farm helps me with my speed for American Ninja Warrior,” Colt added.
While “Joe” and his sibling pushed him out on the course, he’s the only one in his family able to do Ninja Warrior. It’s a lot harder than it looks.
“A lot of these Ninja kids come from big cities and big gyms, we don’t have that,” Christie said. “It’s possible to make Ninja Warrior, no matter where you’re from, if you put the work into it.”
The Elders couldn’t tell us how Colt did in the competition, but they did say, hard work pays off.