Orange Park teen advances on 'American Ninja Warrior'
Alex Romer, a teen from Orange Park, advanced Monday night to the next round of "American Ninja Warrior," and all he had to do was slide across three diving boards, swing from rings, hang from an overhead roller coaster, climb like a spider, bounce between obstacles shaped like dice and roulette wheels, climb a wall, fly through the air with a metal hook in his hand and scramble up a rope ladder to do it.
Romer didn't actually finish the course. He had difficulty on a couple of the obstacles and ran out of time before he could push the final buzzer, but he was one of the top 24 finishers in the round. He'll advance to Stage 2 of the finals, which will air on NBC at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4. In that round, contestants pair off for head-to-head races, with winners advancing to the next round. The last competitor standing this season wins $1 million.
R.J. Roman, who grew up on the Northside of Jacksonville and now lives in the Orlando area, also competed on the show, the fifth time he's made it to the finals. Roman had the fastest time in the previous round so earned a "safety pass," which permitted him to run the course again if he fell. In his first run, Roman ran an aggressive race, hoping to post a fast time that would give him a slower opponent next week but lost his grip on Thread the Needle, one of the final obstacles. He ran the course again and posted one of the fastest times of the night, advancing to Stage 2 along with Romer.
Moving on: Sax-playing ninja from Orange Park competes on NBC's 'American Ninja Warrior'
R.J. Roman: 'American Ninja Warrior' who grew up in Jacksonville makes finals a fifth-straight time
2017 Ninjas: Locals from Jacksonville and St. Augustine compete on Monday night's 'American Ninja Warrior'
Romer, 17, is a senior at Ridgeview High School in Orange Park. He plays saxophone in the school's marching band and has been running ninja obstacle courses since he and his brothers built one in their backyard. They quickly outgrew that, and their parents opened a ninja training gym, Mighty Orion Ninja Training, in Orange Park, which trains athletes as young as 6 to run an obstacle course.
He's thinking of joining the military when he graduates and is looking into combining his athleticism and music in the U.S. Navy Band.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Orange Park teen moves on in 'American Ninja Warrior' competition
