This 9-year-old Quebec girl is dominating the Ninja Warrior World in North Carolina
A Quebec girl is quickly becoming the talk of the World Ninja League Championships. She's dominating the competition and she is just getting started.
Fast, focused and fearless, nine-year-old Justine B. Simard's journey started while watching Ninja Warriors on TV with her family.
A few years ago, her grandparents took her to a ninja centre.
'The owner of the gym said, 'Wow, she's very good,'' said her mother, Annie St-Pierre.
The family put her in classes, and eventually, she started competing.
Last month, at the World Ninja League Championships in North Carolina, she left with 11 medals and two trophies.
'I'm not the best; I could improve, and then sometimes I'm really great,' said the humble warrior.
Her parents are understandably very proud, even if they don't know where she got the talent from.
Simard's trainer, Mathieu St-Ours, says it's her focus and strength that make her special.
'She's very strong for this type of ninja, where she can focus only on what she has to do,' said St-Ours. 'She impresses more than some of the teenagers we got.'
Next month, the family is headed to Barbados for another competition, and whether she brings home more medals to add to her already impressive collection, her mom says the sport is mostly about having fun, staying active and proving anyone can succeed.
'Also for the girls that they know they can do the same thing as the boys,' said St-Pierre.
For Simard, she hopes one day to get a chance to compete on the Ninja Warrior TV show, where she was first inspired.
'I would really like that,' she said.
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