Ninjas Making a Difference: Kyle Schulze

Kyle Schulze has competed in three seasons of American Ninja Warrior: 9, 10, and 11. In season 9, he failed to complete the City Finals, but he made it to Stage One of the National Finals in season 10 before failing on Archer Alley. In season 11, he made an early exit, failing on the Spinning Bridge.

But if there’s one thing Kyle knows about, it’s perseverance. The Ninja was born deaf, but his parents didn’t realize it until he was 2.5 years old and wasn’t communicating like other children his age. He learned to use speech, lip reading, and American Sign Language to communicate and as an adult, he hopes to “improve the experiences of others by spreading hearing loss awareness and a message of acceptance and equality.”

One of the ways Kyle does that is with Sign Language Sundays, in which he teaches other Ninjas sign language and posts the videos on his Instagram account, @thedeafninja.

He also works to raise awareness about what life is like for those with hearing impairments and frequently shares informative posts on social media, like this one:

Last but not least, Kyle is also involved in the Lions of Illinois, whose mission is to “provide quality programs and services to the people of Illinois for the detection, treatment, and rehabilitation of visual and hearing impairments.” Kyle attended their camp as a child, then was a camp counselor, and is still involved as a keynote speaker at the organization’s recent gala, where he was presented with the Foundation Fellows award.

On top of all that, Kyle is a full-time student at Gallaudet University, the world’s only Liberal Arts University serving Deaf and hard of hearing students. He shared with ANWN that “in my free time, I travel across the country, presenting at schools, universities, and large-scale events, sharing my story as the Deaf Ninja. I’ve been climbing since 2011. As an avid sport lead climber, I love taking on new challenges and participating in local ninja competitions that pushes me to the next level.”

We love Kyle’s positivity and his inspiring Ninja vids. Can’t wait to see what you do next, Kyle!