Joshua O’Sullivan spends his time working on the health of our environment as a tree surgeon, so it was only fitting that he has climbed the heights of the new smash hit Channel 9 show Australian Ninja warrior.
The 25-year-old from Gymea rang the buzzer in heat 2 of the new show last week and now progresses to the semi-final episode on Sunday, July 23 aiming to make the inaugural final and dreams to take the top prize.
Cronulla’s Winter Olympian Steph Magiros has also made the semi-finals after an impressive showing on the tough course on Monday night’s episode.
O’Sullivan is an energetic, motivated and determined athlete and as a young man represented NSW in rugby league,also becoming an Australian wrestling champion.
His story changed at age 18 when he suffered a blow to his head during training, which put him in a coma and left him fighting for survival.
O’Sullivan finally came out of his coma, but he was put on high doses of medication and had to learn to walk and talk again.
Returning to full health was a battle that he was up for and O’Sullivan decided to take life into his own hands, pursuing his own quest for health, a decision he says has shaped him into the person he is today.
“It was the hardest thing I've ever done, it’s the pinnacle of fitness,” O’Sullivan said after his first round victory on Australian Ninja Warrior
“I was just solely focused on the obstacle in front of me, not worried about the next one.
“I also had lots of family and friends here watching and supporting me who have been part of my journey.”
O’Sullivan’s moniker is Modern Mowgli, which is from the Jungle Book, and he has been cast as “the Jungle Ninja” because of his profession and philosophy .
“It comes from my love of all things nature, movement and life in general,” he said as he got straight back into training for the semi final.
Ninja Warrior is the world’s toughest obstacle course that only the best athletes can attempt.
Since its inception in 1997, thousands of athletes in more than 20 countries have tried but only seven people worldwide have conquered the final course.
The competitors come from all walks of life and tackle the same obstacles during the heats, semi-finals and the ultimate grand final.
Through the semis and the final, the course gets more gruelling. The Ninjas must complete every obstacle to earn the right to attempt the toughest challenge of all: scaling Mt Midoriyama.
If anyone can conquer the entire course, they’ll claim the title of Australia’s first Ninja Warrior, and for O’Sullivan and Magiros, anything is possible and fate is in their own hands.
