Montco Teenager Competes On American Ninja Warrior

PLYMOUTH-WHITEMARSH, PA — A local teenager will be among the youngest competitors in the upcoming season of the popular NBC show "American Ninja Warrior." But her age, nor the daunting obstacles before her path, do not make her nervous.

“Sometimes I think I should be more worried than I am,” 16-year-old Avery Glantz said in a recent interview with her school.

Glantz, a sophomore at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, is one of about 30 teenagers in the field of 400 for the upcoming season. The 13th season begins on May 31.

A combination of gymnastics, rock climbing, and track and field, American Ninja Warrior sends its contestants out on challenging courses which they must complete as quickly as possible without falling.

Rock climbing and gymnastics are how Glantz got her start, and with ninja training, she found her niche. She trains six days a week, she told Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

“It’s definitely something you have to work at,” she said. "I did other sports that did help.”

The show has already filmed, an experience which Glantz called "surreal." She managed to do it all while maintaining a 4.1 GPA in honors level classes, the school district said. She hopes to study sports psychology in college.

Notably, she is not the first Colonial School District student to compete as a "TV ninja." Adam Naids, a graduate of Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, competed on the show several seasons ago. And Willie Wearing competed on the "Warrior Junior" show as a seventh grader in 2018.

Glantz's episode is slated to air at some point in mid-June. You can follow her progress on Instagram @avery_glantz.