PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Caleb Bergstrom is the head coach at Jungle Gym in Pinellas Park, and says he knows what it takes to succeed as a ninja.

Bergstrom has an impressive background as a competitor, including stints on American Ninja Warrior. 

“Competing takes a certain mindset,” Bergstrom said. “You have to have an ability to overcome pressure, and I’m very impressed with the athletes we have here at the gym and their ability to step onto a stage and have people cheering for them, hundreds of people, a whole stadium full of people cheering for them, and they take a deep breath. And then they perform.”

Three of his students recently put their skills to the ultimate test by competing in the Ninja World Cup USA.   

"We had a few athletes from our gym who competed there," Bergstrom said. "Emelia, Max and Easton all take first place in their respective events as they competed against some of the fastest kids in the world."

Emelia Stell, Max Salebra and Easton Fletcher all came home with gold and a taste of international competition. 

“It was so much fun, it was amazing,” Stell said. “I cannot believe that I won the World Cup. This means so much to me.”

Salebra said it was an incredible experience: “When I hit the buzzer, I just couldn’t believe it was happening."

The event was also the first step toward the Olympic dream for the young athletes. 

The competition was a joint effort between World Obstacle and the Olympic governing body for Modern Pentathlon. Ninja obstacle racing is expected to replace the equestrian portion of Modern Pentathlon to be included in the 2028 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 

“The goal of the World Cup is to move forward to an Olympic level, and I’m very hopeful that we can see our sport continue to grow, even if the Olympics simply builds awareness for what our sport is doing,” Bergstrom said. “I’m excited to see our next generation of kids moving forward and being able to have maybe even sponsorships and more awareness for what’s going on with obstacle course racing and ninja warrior in general.”

Salebra is no stranger to performing under pressure. 

He won American Ninja Warrior Junior in 2021, and now, another dream is just beginning.

“I’ve always watched the Olympics since I was little, and I never thought I could do that because I did a sport that wasn’t really in the Olympics,” Salebra said. “And now that it could be someday, I’m really excited for it.”

These athletes put in countless hours practicing on the course and conditioning in the gym and their recent first-place finishes makes them motivated for more.

“I worked so hard, I worked on everything I can to make that goal,” Stell said.

Bergstrom said events like the World Cup USA make him feel confident the sport is moving in the right direction.