Plymouth Whitemarsh High School sophomore Avery Glantz will be appearing on the 13th season of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. The season is set to debut on May 31st with her episode airing in mid-June.

According to an NBC press release, the new season will feature more than 400 competitors and it is the first time the age limit has been lowered to 15 years old. The sixteen-year-old Glantz is one of 30 teens from across the country to be selected based on her video application and her experience in previous competitions in the National Ninja League and on the show American Ninja Warrior Junior, which she competed on in 2019.  

If you are not familar with the show, athletes compete to get as far as they can, as quickly as they can, through a challenging obstacle course. Athletes must climb, jump and dangle their way through various obstacles without falling in order to win the competition. 

The 10th-grader started her athletic career as a gymnast and rock-climber, and through those sports, she heard about ninja gyms where she could practice her craft. When she first began her journey to become a ninja, Avery said she faced some criticism from her peers.

“It was definitely challenging at first. People made fun of me for a while, but when I got on the show they were all congratulating me,” she said.

Avery also demonstrates strength in the classroom, according to her school counselor, Lisa Genovese.

“Avery is a strong, conscientious, highly-motivated student who consistently achieves high grades in rigorous honors level classes. Her cumulative grade point average is over 4.1,” said Ms. Genovese. “Avery has an upbeat, positive attitude and is always polite and mature.”

Upon entering her junior year, Glantz intends to participate in Plymouth Whitemarsh’s International Baccalaureate Career Programme, a new career-related study path for students at the high school. She is hoping to attend college and possibly study sports psychology. 

Glantz is the third Colonial School District student to have appeared on television as a ninja. Willie Waerig, currently a Colonial Middle School seventh-grader, appeared on American Ninja Warrior Junior in 2018. Adam Naids, a Plymouth Whitemarsh High School graduate, appeared on the show in seasons 10 and 11.