MONROE, CT — Beckham Nealon, 9, who will be a Stepney Elementary School fifth grader in the fall, had just participated in two practices for World Ninja League competition last winter, when he came down with RSV in December — and it hit him hard.
By the time Nealon regained his health, his limited competition led to a low power rating, making the young athlete embark on an uphill battle to qualify for the World Championships in Greensboro, N.C., which was held from June 21 to 24.
Nicknamed “The Nerdy Ninja” for excelling in academics and known for wearing his banana print shorts, Nealon’s standout performances on obstacle courses locally in Stamford and in Northeastern competition in New Jersey punched his ticket to Worlds, where he tallied five points and just missed making it to the third and final course.
“It was awesome just being there,” he said during an interview at Panera Bread on Monroe Turnpike Wednesday. “I felt proud just knowing it was going to be on YouTube.”
YouTube live streamed the event and Nealon, who competed at the Mature Kids level for nine-and-10-year-olds, and Elite level competitor Joe Moravsky, aka The Weatherman, a regular athlete on the TV show “American Ninja Warrior,” were the only competitors from Monroe.
Because his prolonged illness placed him at the bottom of the rankings last season, Nealon competed early in tournaments and had long waits for the rest of the field to take their turns, increasing the suspense over whether he would qualify to advance from locals to regionals to Worlds.
“I’m really proud of him,” said Valerie Saltzman, Nealon’s mother. “It’s stressful to be out there. You’re waiting for the clock, then you’re all by yourself. He overcame the pressure to compete and make Worlds.”
A love of sports
Saltzman, who coaches skiing at Ridgefield High School and grew up playing sports, got her two children, Nealon and his twin sister, Mikaela, involved at an early age.
Among the sports Nealon competes or competed in are AYF football, baseball, soccer, skiing and lacrosse, and Mikaela’s sports include softball, lacrosse, field hockey, skiing and figure skating.
Saltzman said her children are not allowed to have cellphones until high school.
“I didn’t want my kids in front of devices. I wanted them to be going outside and exercising,” she said. Of participating in sports, she added, “it was great for me. I had a learning disability and sports were where I could thrive. Some of my best friends were and are my teammates.”
Nealon has been involved in Junior Ninja competitions for about four years and last season was the first time he tried to compete in Worlds.
He practices at Ninja Mania in Danbury and his team was among the largest represented at Worlds with 47 kids who qualified.
Flying through the air
Among the skills needed to navigate Ninja Warrior courses are running on rollers — some that move and some that don’t, jumping, swinging on Tick Tocks to gain momentum before leaping to a leche bar or a Wingnut, for example, grabbing onto it in mid-air and swinging to another.
After clearing obstacles off the ground, athletes must stick the landing.
“I like the Tick Tock,” Nealon said. “It looks like the arm of an old fashioned clock. You make it go back and forth, until you have enough power to jump to where you need to go.”
“He’ll go so high on those, it freaks me out as a parent,” Saltzman said with a laugh.
In Worlds, Mature Kids had to compete in three stages. Stage One was based on the fastest times to whittle down the field of 290 athletes, who were from all over the world, including the U.S., Russia, Australia, France, Italy and Israel to name a few.
Everyone had a minute and 13 seconds to get as far as they could and the top 60 percent, or 167, made it through, including The Nerdy Ninja.
“On Stage 1, I ran out of time on the very last obstacle for the sixth series of obstacles of seven,” Nealon said.
Of the skills needed to complete a course, Nealon said, “most of it is definitely technique and thinking stuff through before you do it. That’s why it’s better to go later in the competition, to see how others do it.”
He was eliminated in Stage 2, when he fell on obstacle three.
“It was on a simple obstacle,” Saltzman said. “That’s the thing about Ninja. He had done a pushup contest in the morning, a half hour before competing. That’s not an excuse, but it didn’t help. His muscles weren’t firing.”
Nealon said he had to “leche” to four kick flips (“Y” shaped obstacles). “I tried to leche to the third one and went straight up instead of forward,” he explained.
“I’d love to do this again,” he added of the experience of competing in World Ninja League competition.
Nealon won’t have long to wait. Tryouts for the new season will be held at Ninja Mania this Sunday.
In the YouTube video below, Nealon goes around the one hour, 16 minute mark for Stage 1:
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