A 13-year-old from Plano is defying the odds in youth Ninja Warrior competitions. The road to this point has not been easy, physically or mentally.
Bennett McFarland goes to Spring Creek Academy in Plano. As he heads back to class from summer break, he has a lot to celebrate.
He has had a lot of success this summer in his youth Ninja Warrior tournaments, including an appearance with the Federation of International Ninja Athletics.
He finished 10th for the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) finals. He finished 5th for Federation of International Ninja Athletes (FINA) Endurance and 9th for FINA Ninja vs Ninja.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Bennett, though. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he had a serious injury that required hospitalization. He suffered a broken arm and a skull fracture. After he recovered, the family headed to Ninja Nation in Frisco, where he met a local Ninja Warrior star, Karsten Williams, and Jonathan Bange.
“His journey had some ups and downs after the initial rocky start,” his dad said. “He has still periodically had to deal with panic attacks, some of which have occurred as he was on the start line for his competitions.”
His dad said he still deals with mental health struggles, but he continues to persevere and defy the odds with every competition and overcome obstacles every day.