Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Wakeham.
Hi Isabella, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Isabella Wakeham, and I’m a ninja warrior athlete. My ninja journey started when I was 10 years old, but really it started as soon as I could walk! I was always the kid who was climbing on top of chairs and tables and when I was a little older, I would walk across the top of swing sets and climb to the very tops of trees. My family always watched the TV show American Ninja Warrior until one day we were referred to a real-life Ninja Warrior Gym! From the first moment I walked in I knew that I would love this crazy sport of ninja. I started doing the homeschool classes with Daniel Gil and the other all-star coaches there . When I was 14, American Ninja Warrior did a kid’s version that I was invited to compete on! I kept training and competing and moved up to the pro division in the ninja leagues shortly after my time on American Ninja Warrior Junior (ninja has the show as well as a few different leagues that aren’t televised except for YouTube livestreams). In 2021, ANW lowered their age requirement for competitors from 19 down to 15 in order to invite a handful of teens (including myself) to be on the show! I made it to the national finals and was the top female rookie of the year! Ever since I’ve been competing on the show and in the leagues, coaching, and studying kinesiology at the University of Houston. I love the sport of ninja warrior, but I love the community even more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many obstacles and setbacks in my career as a ninja. I’ve faced numerous injuries, including severe shoulder strains, ankle surgery, and tons of rips and tears from the callouses on my hands. Through the grace of God, I’ve been able to fully recover from all of them! Injuries are a huge part of my story; they have taught me so many things. It’s been a reminder of my identity outside of ninja, my worth as a friend/sister/daughter, the love and comfort of Christ in the midst of pain, and that athletic performance isn’t everything.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently, I’m a full-time college student. On the weekends I am a private coach with ninja athletes, and I do speaking gigs or work as a PRO ninja at events. I LOVE coaching because I remember how important and influential my coaches were for me! I hope to be a positive light in their lives and encourage them to become hard workers, honorable competitors, and kind people. I enjoy speaking events because I get to interact with a ton of new people and tell them my story, and hopefully inspire them to stay healthy in a fun way!
I also competed for Guinness Book of World records, winning two! I won fastest female 15m rope climb and was invited to Italy to compete on a Guinness Book of World Records show, winning my category there, too.
What’s next?
My plans for the future include even more training, competing, coaching, and doing events! I would love to start speaking at schools and events like that to be able to share my story and let people know that keeping your body fit can be fun! I just love seeing kids and adults faces when they achieve something they didn’t think they could do! I want to instill that self confidence in everyone I meet.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @isabella.ninja
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@isabellawakeham
Image Credits:
Isaiah Wakeham, Racayle Harrison, and Samantha Morris.
