(7/17/2019) - There's a place giving children with special needs a chance to be a ninja warrior. Tri-County Ninja partnered up with Overcoming Obstacles: Adaptive Ninja & Climbing and started up classes to provide opportunities that never existed before.
Lauren Subjeck is 12 and has a rare genetic brain disorder and spends most of her time in a wheelchair.
Recently that changed because on Wednesday nights she's here at Tri-County Ninja.
"She gets to mix in with the outside environment, which is something these kids don't get that often," Danny Subjeck said.
Tegan Roovol, who is a world-known ninja warrior athlete, started this up to help more kids like Lauren.
Roovol loosely based this program off the popular TV show Ninja Warrior. A competition for contestants to go through extreme obstacles. Her program is different than the show. The course these kids go through is for them to conquer their impairments.
"In order for them to succeed and have fun with it," Roovol said.
13-year-old Jacob Michelson, who has Mitochondrial disease, was all smiles during his time on the course. His mom says this means everything to him.
"It gives Jacob the opportunity to do things that other kids are able to do every day that he has not been able to do until now," Becky Michelson said.
Roovol has two different levels depending on a child's needs. The second class is more for children who are capable of handling a more challenging course.
After pressing a button, 12-year-old Curan Holmes started his obstacle course. Holmes has Cerebral Palsy, so anything physical is a challenge. With the coaches backing him, Holmes finishes.
"It makes me feel heroic, more heroic than I have ever been," Holmes said.
With a time of 3:10, Holmes is now a Ninja Warrior.
Roovol does these classes during the open gym hours. She says this meant to help children get out more and is not a therapy session.