Get to know the Ninja Warriors of Team Australia

The announcement of the 2019 American Ninja Warrior: USA vs The World airdate brought a few surprises with it. One was that, for the first time, all the teams included at least one woman. The second surprise was that a brand new country would be joining us for the competition: Australia.

Australia has had its own Ninja Warrior competition for the last two years and the sport has been throughly embraced there. As the community grows to a global level, American athletes have traveled to Australia to take part in their competitions, and vice versa. However, as it’s a bit challenging to watch Australian Ninja Warrior here in the US, you might not be familiar with the five athletes who make up Team Australia in the approaching USA vs The World. Below, we’ve included some quick facts and info to give you an idea of who we’re dealing with.

Do they have what it takes to go against Team USA? We’ll find out on Sunday, January 27 at 9pm on NBC.

(Remember that USA vs The World is based around speed and distance on each stage to earn points. So these photos aren’t really spoilers, but we’re giving you a bit of warning anyway.)

Ashlin Herbert

David Becker/NBC

• Age: 24
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 172
• Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Ninja Warrior/Sasuke experience

• Australian Ninja Warrior season one: Progressed to Stage Three, top three overall, fastest time in Qualifying rounds
• Australian Ninja Warrior season two: Progressed to Stage Three, top eight overall, fastest time in Qualifying rounds

What you should know

• Nicknamed “Flashlin” due to his speed on the course
• Kick-boxes and trains gymnastics five days a week
• Trains on an outdoor Ninja Warrior course at least once a week
• Professional carpenter who enjoys 4X4 off-roading and camping

Ben Polson

David Becker/NBC

• Age: 25
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 187
• Hometown: Perth, Australia

Ninja Warrior/Sasuke experience

• Australian Ninja Warrior season one: Progressed to Stage Two
• Australian Ninja Warrior season two: Progressed to Stage Two, top 10 overall

What you should know

• On season two of Australian Ninja Warrior, Ben made it far into Stage Two, but on the Salmon Ladder his feet skimmed the water due to his height
• Has experience with track and field, basketball, lacrosse, and swimming
• Coaches kids ages 13-15 at Ninja Academy, the largest Ninja facility in Australia
• A professional DJ who goes by Lakuno, with over 5 million plays on Spotify

Bryson Klein

David Becker/NBC

• Age: 20
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 160
• Hometown: Sydney Australia

Ninja Warrior/Sasuke experience

• Australian Ninja Warrior season two: Progressed to Stage Two, top five overall

What you should know

• Nationally ranked rock climber who competed in the 2012 and 2014 World Youth Climbing Championships
• Has experience with circus training, including juggling and aerial stunt work
• Works part time at Ninja and bouldering gyms
• A Ninja Warrior super fan who’s seen every season of American Ninja Warrior and has watched Sasuke since he was eight years old

Jack Wilson

David Becker/NBC

• Age: 25
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 158
• Hometown: Sydney, Australia

Ninja Warrior/Sasuke experience

• Australian Ninja Warrior season one: Progressed to Stage Two, top 5 overall
• Australian Ninja Warrior season two: Progressed to Stage Two, top 15 overall

What you should know

• Cross country runner who ran the New York City Marathon in 2013 with a time of 3 hours, 14 minutes
• Has won several national freestyle calisthenics competitions in Australia
• Looking to run a sub 3 hour marathon this year
• Father is Aboriginal. Jack is dedicated to spreading the message of health, wellness and fitness to fellow Australian Aboriginals

Olivia Vivian

David Becker/NBC

• Age: 28
• Height: 5’6”
• Weight: 122
• Hometown: Perth, Australia

Ninja Warrior/Sasuke experience

• Australian Ninja Warrior season one: Progressed to Warped Wall
• Australian Ninja Warrior season two: Progressed to Stage One, first female to hit a buzzer, last female standing
• Sasuke Vietnam: Progressed to Stage Three

What you should know

• Former Olympic gymnast who competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
• 2018 National Ninja League female champion
• Member of the Wolfpack Ninjas pro team
• Also practices pilates and rock climbing
• A cafe owner who once broke her back on the uneven bars and made a full recovery

Learn about the members of the all new Team Europe here.

You can read more about the members of Team USA here.