“We’ve gotten better together, and we’ve pushed each other to all become better ninjas,” said 15-year-old Team USA member Jeremy Lauff.
Two Naperville natives, Jeremy Lauff and Claire Mattern, along with Chicagoland residents Henry Mihajlovic, Savannah Serio, and Anthony Battaglia, will be traveling to Limerick, Ireland, to represent the United States at the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships from August 6-9.
Local ninjas head to Ireland for the Obstacle Course Racing Championships
These high-flying kids were drawn to the sport of ninja, an activity that has exploded in popularity since the show “American Ninja Warrior” made its television debut over 15 years ago.
“I just always liked moving around because I tried every sport. I tried football, baseball, basketball, everything, and I just never fell in love with it. And then I started doing this. It was just so much fun. There’s just so much that you could do with one obstacle,” said 12-year-old Team USA member Savannah Serio.
“I started taking classes here at Ultimate Ninjas back when I was eight years old. I’ve been doing it for over eight years, and what drew me in was the versatility. I can climb and play on stuff, but I can also work on discipline,” said Jeremy Lauff. “There are a ton of different obstacles that I can work on, and there’s still so much more that we can do that hasn’t even been thought of.”
Obstacle Course Racing is a timed race in which runners need to overcome obstacles through courses at distances as short as 100 meters to as long as 12 kilometers. Nearly 5,000 athletes from 70 countries will take part in the 2026 OCR World Championships.
The impressive performances in ninja competitions across the country from this group are what earned them each a spot on Team USA.
“It took a while to soak in that I was a member of the U.S. national team, but it was really cool,” said 11-year-old OCR Team USA member Henry Mihajlovic.
These five will use their years of ninja training to compete in the 100 and 400 meters, with some also participating in relays.
“In OCR it’s more of just like you in the course, you know, the course ahead of time. You can practice for that course, you know, get your times down, and all the obstacles aren’t the big, big, huge moves. A lot of them are simpler moves, but you’re supposed to do those quick right and beat your times, get faster times, and kind of race against other people,” said 17-year-old Team USA member Anthony Battaglia.
“I’m competing in the 100, the 400 and the 3K, and I really like it because I do ninja and [Naperville] soccer. So it’s going to help me with the endurance, with the soccer, and then the obstacles are really going to help me move fast through the obstacles,” said 11-year-old Team USA member Claire Mattern.
A shared connection through ninja
Although the five are from different schools and range in age from 11 to 17, they have formed a bond through their time training together at local gyms like Ultimate Ninjas in Naperville and Big Time Ninja in Bolingbrook. Competing at ninja championship events across the U.S. has opened the door to friendships in the ninja community from around the world.
“The ninja community is thriving all around the country. We meet each other at big world finals competitions, and we see each other only a few times a year. But even those few times a year, we push each other to be better people and better ninjas,” said Lauff.
“Jeremy and I have done the same team for like five plus years now, and I’ve known all the others for quite some time as well. And also we went to other camps or training events in Colorado. So I got to know some of the other OCR people just on Team USA. It takes all the nerves off just being able to compete with a lot of the people that already know,” said Battaglia.
Reaching an elite level takes a lot of hard work, but these Team USA members wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It just takes a lot of dedication if it’s something that you really want to do, and if you want to get to my level and all the people here, it’s going to take time. It took me a couple of years to be able to get comfortable with it,” said Serio.
“I would say absolutely. Try it. It’s the best thing that I’ve done. It’s my favorite sport and probably my favorite activity that I’ve ever tried. And you’ll love it after your first time,” said Lauff.
Big dreams and unforgettable memories
And the crew has big dreams in the sport.
“A few of my coaches have actually done American Ninja Warrior, and it just shows that I can actually do it. I’m really excited if I can get a chance,” said Mattern.
“I would like to do the Olympics because they have ninja in the pentathlon now with laser target shooting, fencing, running, and swimming. Hopefully they make it their own separate event in 2032,” said Mihajlovic.
In the meantime, an incredible opportunity to compete for the red, white and blue awaits across the Atlantic.
“I’m really excited to represent the team. I’m excited to meet new people from new places. I’m excited to know that I’m representing my country overseas, and that I can help bring medals to the United States,” said Lauff.
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