There was a local face at this year’s Canadian Ninja League finals.
Lachlann Roberts, 11, took to the stage, competing at the national level for a competition that’s got everything to do with what he loves — namely, parkour. For the Winnipeg local, cheered on by his mother, Cori-Lee, and younger sister, it was a competition that left him both sore and excited.
As for how he got into it, Lachlann said it happened quite randomly.
“My mom was scrolling down and said, ‘Do you know what parkour is?'” Lachlann said in an interview with 680 CJOB. “I said, ‘yes.’ She was surprised. I started to join SMC (Serratus Movement Centre) Parkour, and then got introduced to Ninja Warrior.”
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Lachlann placed 25th overall in his age group in the finals, which took place between Nov. 24 and 26 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The competitions saw events such as speed runs across obstacles, races and strength-based events. The courses also included obstacles such as climbing through bars, wall climbing, chin-ups and lache freerunning.
As for his next moves, Lachlann said he’d like to become a trainer to help others succeed in what he does. He said he also enjoys playing other sports, like hockey and baseball.
His mother said she’s here to support him, adding that movement is crucial for “young kids.”
“Once we found this, it just seemed very suitable for him because he would climb the walls anyway. Now he had a place where he can climb and do that freely,” Cori-Lee Roberts said.
“My daughter calls it dangerous fun. It’s fun but dangerous in a safer environment. They teach you how to fall properly, how to roll properly, how to do flips properly.”
Roberts said she was cheering for her son at the competition, contending with the “butterfly feeling” as she watched her son go through the obstacle course.