Kiama’s Melissa (Breasley) Armstrong defied the odds in heat two of Australia’s Ninja Warrior series to qualify for the semi-finals.
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“I was the first woman to get past the second obstacle that night,” she said.
“Fifteen people in a row had fallen off the second obstacle, being a woman the crowd went absolutely berserk when I made it.”
Melissa runs exercise classes for a living, but training for Ninja Warrior forced her to amp up her regime.
“The try-out was the most brutal thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.
“There were people dropping like flies.”
It's a level playing field, just like life is
- Melissa (Breasley) Armstrong
Women and men navigate the same gruelling obstacle course, and more men than women make it through, begging the question, should the course be adapted to suit women?
“Not at all,” Melissa said.
“Everybody asks me that, so often they say they think it’s unfair on women.
“It’s a level playing field, just like life is.
“That said, I would love for things to be much more challenging for taller people.”
To begin with Melissa didn’t feel entirely compelled to enter the competition, aired on national TV.
“A Kiama girl put a post on my Facebook page saying, ‘you should apply for Ninja Warrior’ and tagging a heap of my friends,” she said.
“The response was ridiculous, so many people basically bullied me into applying.
“It has been such an interesting experience, more fun than I could have ever imagined.
“One of the highlights was seeing what happened behind the scenes to make it work.
“They concealed the course until an hour before the run.”
She’s been living in Melbourne for most of her adult life, and stays in her home town Kiama for a month each year to catch up with friends and relatives.
A contingent of locals were on set to cheer Melissa on, and when the episode aired a couple of weeks ago, her phone lit up.
“My phone went nuts, I walked into the bakery I go to every day, and a lady working there was squealing and pointing, saying ‘you’re a Ninja Warrior,’” Melissa said.
If you would like to see Melissa in action, view Episode 2, Season 2 of Ninja Warrior Australia on Nine Now.
The semi-final has not been aired yet, and we cannot reveal how she went, but we can promise Melissa will be featured, so keep your eyes peeled.