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The country of Australia has come on strong in the Ninja community over the last few years, so it’s no surprise that Team Australia is back to compete on USA vs The World for the second year in a row. (The show will air this Sunday, January 26 at 9 pm on NBC.) Team Australia’s six-member team is full of talent and strength, and has two returning Ninjas from last year’s competition.
Bryson Klein
Age: 21
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hometown: Katoomba, Australia
A well-rounded guy, Bryson Klein has experience in climbing, circus training, and dirt bike racing, all of which contribute to his success as a Ninja. Last year, at just 20 years old, Bryson put down a jaw-dropping performance on Stage Two, besting Najee Richardson’s time by 9 seconds to win the heat. That performance gave him just the confidence and momentum he needed for Australian Ninja Warrior 3, where he was the first competitor to make it up the 17-foot Mega Wall. He was also one of only five competitors to make it all the way to the Floating Doors on Stage Three.
Heading into the 2020 USA vs The World competition, Bryson is hoping for a chance at the Stage Four Rope Climb. In preparation, he installed a 65-foot rope on his dad’s property for training.
Olivia Vivian
Age: 29
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 122 lbs.
Hometown: Perth, Australia
Always full of antics, Olivia Vivian is a familiar face in the global Ninja community. She prides herself in making workouts fun, and her fellow Ninjas fully appreciate it!
Olivia began gymnastics at the age of 7. Despite being told that she was too tall to become serious in the sport, Olivia went on to win several national championships, receive numerous accolades while competing for Oregon State University, and earn a spot on the 2008 Australian Olympic Gymnastics team.
Although Olivia has experienced wild success in Australia Ninja Warrior, she was extremely disappointed in her performance on USA vs The World last year, when she fell on the first obstacle (Epic Catch and Release) of Stage Two. Olivia has put in the work and is looking for big time redemption.
There are four newcomers on Team Australia:
Cam D’Silva
Age: 20
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 121 lbs.
Hometown: Perth, Australia
The youngest member of the team, Cam D’Silva first came on the scene during Australian Ninja Warrior 3, where he was the shortest male competitor at 5’3”. Cam has a strong background in Tae Kwon Do and was a state and national champion at age 10. At 12, a serious skateboarding accident involving a brain clot, 46 stitches, and titanium rods in his head, eventually took Cam out of Tae Kwon Do. That’s when he found Ninja, and began to train with Olivia Vivian. She calls him a “beast” so he must have mad skills!
Daniel Mason
Age: 28
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 143 lbs.
Hometown: Healesville, Australia (outside Melbourne)
Known as “Barefoot Dan”, Daniel Mason, has a strong dislike for shoes and a love for speed. Dan has worked as an osteopath for the last five years and believes in the barefoot lifestyle. He loves to do pretty much everything barefoot, including hiking, bushwalking, and shopping (although he doesn’t usually get away with it and has backup shoes in his car). He even got married while barefoot. In fact, his bride and wedding party were all barefoot too! Of course, Dan really wanted to run the Australian Ninja Warrior course barefoot, but despite showing producers Jamie Rahn’s barefoot finish on ANW 10, the answer was no.
Dan has competed in all three seasons of Australian Ninja Warrior. However, competing in USA vs The World was a whole new experience – it was his very first time in the United States.
Josh O’Sullivan
Age: 27
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 169 lbs.
Hometown: Cornulla, Australia (suburb of Sydney)
Josh is also a 3-time Australian Ninja Warrior competitor. Before discovering Ninja three years ago, Josh was a giant success story in the world of Jiu Jitsu. By the age of 23, he became the youngest Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Australian history. He also went on to become a 4-time Australian Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion, Pan Pacific Champion, 5-time State Champion, and a 7-time Regional Champion. Even more impressive than that, is Josh’s fight and determination to get to that point.
At age 18, during Jiu Jitsu training, Josh took a blow to the right side of his head and was knocked out. When he woke up three weeks later, he couldn’t move his body or his mouth. After spending two months learning how to walk and talk again, Josh experienced complications and ended up in a vegetative state. The doctors tried hundreds of pills to bring him back to health, but nothing worked. Finally, Josh stopped talking all medicine and tried a homeopathic route. Thankfully, it worked. Five years after landing in a coma, Josh was finally healthy, and actually in better shape than he had ever been! Clearly, Josh O’Sullivan is a fighter and doesn’t give up easily.
Matt Tsang
Age: 24
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 125 lbs.
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Want an impressive stat? Matt Tsang can do ONE FINGER pull-ups. No really, it’s true – we have video proof!
At the age of 9, after a caregiver told Matt’s parents that he kept climbing on the roof, Matt entered his first climbing gym. By age 13, he was climbing at the national level, winning all sorts of championships. Currently, he is semi-retired from climbing while he works on his Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy.
Matt had never specifically trained in Ninja before appearing on Australian Ninja Warrior 2. He has now competed on two seasons, but hasn’t been able to show-off the incredible grip strength that he’s known for. Balance has been his nemesis, taking him out before much of the taxing grip strength obstacles. Is Stage Three calling his name?
Team Australia is bringing their best and their credentials look top-notch, but do they have what it takes to achieve victory? Tune into USA vs The World on Sunday, January 26 at 9 p.m. on NBC to find out.