ALTAVISTA, Va. — A 17-year-old boy from Virginia who competed on the national stage of "American Ninja Warrior" is preparing for the world championships.
Colt Elder, known as "Colt the Bolt," has made it to "American Ninja Warrior" while maintaining a 4.3 GPA as an honor student and dual enrollment student at Central Virginia Community College.
"I felt more accomplished making it there than about anything else that I've done in my life so far," Elder told WDBJ.
The teenager also serves as a second lieutenant in Lynchburg's Civil Air Patrol, balancing his packed schedule with rigorous ninja training.
"I'm always busy," Elder said. "I don't remember the last time that I didn't have something that I could be doing."
While viewers across America know him as a Ninja competitor, Elder trains on his family's small farm in Altavista. He built a custom training rig near his chicken coop and credits his feathered friends for his success.
"I get my ninja nuggets from my chickens back here, and they lay eggs," he smiled. "And if these chickens lay the eggs, then they're the ninja nuggets. And the ninja nuggets are what fuel me on the course."
This week, Elder is headed to Greensboro for the World Ninja League championships, where he'll compete against top athletes from around the world.
His mother, Christie Elder, said his abilities appeared early in life.
"I knew when he was very little that we needed a sport that included climbing and running because he climbed on everything," she recalled.
Elder believes her son's journey offers inspiration beyond athletic achievement.
"Colt has taught us that you can go for anything," she said. "And that was the lesson I have learned from Colt is that don't give up on your dreams just go for it."
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