ST. GEORGE — A St. George teenager who competed on “American Ninja Warrior” earlier this year is hosting a ninja training session for youth who are hard of hearing.
The free hourlong event, which is intended for children aged 5-12 who wear hearing aids, is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at The Grip Fitness center’s Washington City location at 1502 E. Washington Dam Road.
Jaden Sylvester, 19, said his goal is to teach the kids some basic ninja-style fitness skills while having fun.
Additionally, Sylvester said he wants the youth to know that their hearing disabilities need not prevent them from reaching goals or accomplishing their dreams.
“I want them to know that they can get through any obstacle in their lives,” he said.
Sylvester, who calls himself the “Hearing Aid Ninja,” was a competitor on the 13th and latest season of the popular television show, which features contestants navigating a series of physically challenging obstacles on a timed obstacle course.
Although Sylvester didn’t make it past the first round of the competition, which was filmed in the Seattle area earlier this year, another contestant from the St. George area, 15-year-old Kai Beckstrand, ended up making it to the season finals. Kai’s parents, Brian and Holly Beckstrand, own and operate The Grip Fitness, which has ninja gyms in two locations in the St. George area.
Sylvester, who has been actively doing ninja fitness training for the past four years, said he’s already planning to try out for the show again next year.
A 2020 graduate of Desert Hills High School, Sylvester is currently enrolled at Dixie Tech, where he’s studying computer coding and phone app development.
Jaden’s mother Tirsah Sylvester said her son has come a long way from the “super skinny kid” he was at age 11, when he first started wearing hearing aids.
Although Jaden was initially nervous about wearing his hearing aids, especially at school, he soon realized how much they helped him, his mother said.
“He just accepted it and was like, whatever, if that’s what he had to do,” she said.
“I can hear with these on,” Jaden had told her. “I want to be able to hear my friends and stuff.”
Event details
- What: “Hearing Aid Ninja” minicamp session for youth aged 5-12 who wear hearing aids.
- When: Saturday, Oct. 23, from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
- Where: The Grip Fitness Center, 1502 E. Washington Dam Road, Washington City.
- Admission: Free. Participants are asked to pre-register by calling or texting Tirsah Sylvester at 435-272-8036.
Photo Gallery
"Hearing Aid Ninja" Jaden Sylvester, 19, practices during a recent workout session, St. George, Utah, date not specified. | Photo courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News "Hearing Aid Ninja" Jaden Sylvester, 19, practices during a recent workout session, St. George, Utah, date not specified. | Photo courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News "Hearing Aid Ninja" Jaden Sylvester, 19, practices during a recent workout session, St. George, Utah, date not specified. | Photo courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News "Hearing Aid Ninja" Jaden Sylvester, 19, practices during a recent workout session, St. George, Utah, date not specified. | Photo courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News "Hearing Aid Ninja" Jaden Sylvester of St. George, Utah competes on the 13th season of "American Ninja Warrior," Tacoma, Wash. March 2021 | Photo courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News Informational flyer for upcoming "Hearing Aid Ninja" event scheduled to be hosted by Jaden Sylvester on Oct. 23, 2021 in Washington City, Utah.| Image courtesy of Tirsah Sylvester, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.