BLIGH Park man Daniel Walker had a pretty simple motivation to get onto the second season of Australian ninja Warrior, which has been airing on Channel 9.
At his core, the 27-year-old is just a big kid trapped inside an adult’s body, and what better place for a kid to have fun than to climb on one of the biggest jungle gyms on the planet.
“I basically just want to run around it and have a play,” he said.
Walker grew up watching the American version of the show, and longed for a crack at the challenges the competitors encounter on the show.
Unsurprisingly, when Walker found out the show had come to Australia he attended auditions and qualified for the show.
With the help of a friend he created a video, where he told his life story, along with shots of him performing his two great passions: BMX riding and ninja warrior challenges.
Walker has fashioned himself the title of BMX Ninja, a combination of his two passions.
He is a Hawkesbury Hornets member, and filmed much of his audition video riding around the track at Colby Park, McGraths Hill, and in his younger days was a promising rider.
“I’ve ridden for Australia,” he said. “I still ride to this day but I put it on the back burner to train for the Australian Ninja Warrior.”
Walker is very open about the fact that he lost his way when he hit high school. What could have become an Olympic BMX career quickly was lost.
“When you get into high school you get those couple of kids who don't think and throw things way,” he said.
“You get into stuff you shouldn’t. You need to pull your head out but some people can't.”
Walker was able to pull his head out, but says he knows plenty of people from his younger days who were not able to.
He has settled down now, thanks in large part to his wife Brooke. The pair now have two children together: Izabelle, 5, and new born Colby. Walker is also the step-father to Kye, who is 10.
“I am glad I met her, massively. If I didn't, who knows what I would be doing,” he said.
It is no easy feat to make the show, and anyone who has watched can see the strength required to compete.
Walker trains five to six days a week. He has built a small obstacle course for himself at home, and has also been working at South Windsor’s Vision Gymsports building his own obstacle courses.
Walker also frequents Sans Souci, where there is a purpose built warrior gym, and he showed his training at the gym in his audition video on his Instagram page called thebmxninja_danwalker.
“I don't train with weights, it is all body weight stuff. You need to be tall and lean for this,” he said.