Inside Kilsyth South ninja warriors Jordyn and Charli Stevens’ amazing backyard course

Two Kilsyth South sisters are heading to the US for a ninja warrior junior world championship event – and they’ve got the ultimate backyard training course to help them.

Is this Melbourne’s coolest backyard playground?

Thanks to their carpenter dad Mark, Kilsyth South junior ninja warriors Jordyn and Charli Stevens have the ultimate obstacle course to use in their quest to become the world’s best.

Mr Stevens built the course when Covid-19 hit in 2020 to help his ninja-mad daughters keep training while their usual gym in Ferntree Gully was off limits.

It cost roughly $10,000 to build and is packed with “never ending” monkey bars, climbing nets and rings.

Mark Stevens with his daughters, Jordyn Stevens (8) and sister Charli (12) who have qualified for the Australian Ninja Warrior team - competing in the junior world champs in the US in July. Picture: Tony Gough

“It’s really good cause we can train every day and build up our strength, and whenever our friends come round we have lots of fun,” Charli said.

Mum Katherine said she and her husband had continued to expand the course over the years, alongside a trampoline with a slide.

“It’s an ongoing project … we pick up ideas at competitions we go to, order them from suppliers and we keep adding things,” she said.

“Getting them off the couch and off the screens and out here is what it’s all about.”

Jordyn, 8, and Charli, 11, have qualified for the Australian team competing at the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association World Championships in Orlando, USA in late July.

Jordyn Stevens (8) and sister Charli (12) have qualified for the Australian Ninja Warrior team - competing in the junior world champs in the US in July. Picture: Tony Gough

The family is looking to raise up to $13,000 to cover the costs for both girls to make the trip and compete.

Ms Stevens said both her children had been involved in ninja competitions for several years, adding that Charli was “a natural born climber”.

“She was at school one day and she’d climbed the entire football goalpost, to the point the teachers asked me to pull her down.”

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity … they’re in their prime to be doing this at this stage of their lives and at their level,” Ms Stevens said.

“I don’t even care if I don’t get a medal, it would just be nice to compete for Australia,” Jordyn said.

Details: asf.org.au/projects/help-jordyn-and-charli-go-to-ninja-world-finals-2023