Ninja mum heads to world obstacle championships

SOUTH Golden Beach mum Lisa Parkes is heading to Sweden to defend her title at the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships — alongside her two sons.

The exercise physiologist and former Australian Ninja Warrior contestant claimed the 12km world champion title at last year’s event in Costa Rica.

“It was incredible,” she said. “To stand on the podium as a world champion, especially at my age, felt surreal. Winning a world title proved that resilience and passion matter more than age. Before Costa Rica, I had also competed at the Ninja World Cup in the USA, which gave me great international experience and confidence going into the World Championships.”

This year’s championships will be held in Gothenburg from September 11 to 14. Parkes will compete in the 100m, 6km, and 12km courses, as well as in the national relay and a family relay event with her sons — 14-year-old Diallo and 10-year-old Kailani.

Parkes was drawn to obstacle course racing, which features monkey bars, rope swings, climbing walls, hurdles, cargo nets and mud pits, because it blends her passion for fitness, challenge and adventure.

“I love that obstacle racing challenges every part of you — physically, mentally and emotionally,” she said. “It requires strength, endurance, adaptability and resilience. It’s also such a supportive community, and I love being able to share it with my kids. Sharing this journey with my boys makes it even more special — we get to compete together on the world stage.”

Parkes, who also runs health retreats and wellness programs, competed in the reality TV series Australian Ninja Warrior for three seasons from 2018.

“The obstacles are different to OCR, but the atmosphere was electric and it really pushed me outside my comfort zone,” she said. “Competing on Ninja gave me a great foundation, because the World Championships are a bit like OCR and Ninja combined at the highest level — you need endurance and speed for the running, but also the grip, agility and strength for the obstacles.”

Parkes hopes to see obstacle racing introduced to the 2028 Olympics in LA.

“Obstacle racing represents everything the Olympics stand for: athleticism, resilience and the human spirit,” she said. “It challenges mind and body in such a complete way, and it’s accessible across ages and abilities.”

To support Parkes with travel, training and competition costs, visit asf.org.au/campaigns/lisa-parkes/olympic-dreams-and-world-championships