When farmer Simon Martin kitted out his barn in Ninja Warrior fashion, little did he know he would make the show's grand final only a few years later.
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The Martin family from Wynarka, in South Australia's Mallee region, are big Australian Ninja Warrior fans.
Fourth generation farmer Simon and wife Kylie, and their kids Ravi, 13, Macy, 11, and Jai, 8, love watching the show as a family and have participated in Ninja Warrior competitions at the SA Base Camp and nationally.
Simon said these events inspired them to take it one step further, and in October 2018, the 42-year-old kitted out his barn Ninja Warrior-style, using scrap materials from across their farm near Karoonda.
"At the time, we had only just started getting into Ninja Warrior," he said.
"Getting on the show wasn't really the intention, we just loved the concept as a family."
But the more the Martins got involved in the Ninja community, the more Simon, who earned the nickname 'Farmer Arms', started to consider the "next level".
"I was finishing up my footy career, but still had that competitive spirit," he said.
"I just love the sport. You're always being faced with a new obstacle or challenge.
"Plus it is a growing industry, and a very inclusive community.
"The kids and I have been doing ninja competitions the past three years.
"Locally there could be five or six competitions a year, plus national finals.
"Jai recently won a ninja competition in Adelaide, while Macy came third."
Simon said he trained hard before first applying for the show in 2020 - almost every day after a full day's farm work.
"That season, I made it to the standby list, but I think they already had a Farmer Ninja in mind," he said.
"I also found it very hard to put myself out there, but you have to for the entertainment side of it.
"There's a video application process and then an interview, as it is based on both physicality and personality.
"It was something I had to work on for the second application, which I think helped towards me getting on this year's season."
Simon said they trained in the 'Ninja Barn' on-farm, but also travelled to the Adelaide Base Camp, where they trained alongside well-known personalities, such as the Bigg Ninja (Alex Bigg), the Furzinator (Stewart Furze) and Celeste Dixon.
"We got such good insights from them and they push you harder than you would yourself," he said.
"It made me realise that I wanted to push to that next level, and show my kids to really put yourself out there for something that you love."
Early last month, Simon qualified for the grand final of the sixth season Australian Ninja Warrior, after passing his heats.
In the final on July 10, he had to compete against well-known, experienced ninja Fred Dorrington.
"It was a bit daunting as I knew Fred well," he said.
"While he made a mistake in that final, I think I put enough pressure on him to force that mistake."
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Simon didn't qualify to the final rounds however, to face Mount Midoriyama, after failing to finish the course.
"I had very little experience on that particular lache obstacle and I was mentally fatigued from all the waiting around," he said.
"I have been working a lot on my laches since."
Martin prepares for next season
Simon said it was amazing to be part of the TV show, but its production took a surprising toll.
"The physical side of the competition wasn't as daunting as I expected it to be, although I do have areas I need to improve," he said.
"It was the behind-the-scenes time that was the hardest. There's a lot of waiting around for your run, which drained energy.
"The more-experienced ninjas handled that better.
"Stamina is an area I definitely need to improve on, to better handle the long days of the televised competitions."
Simon said being part of the SA Base Camp community helped to keep them up-to-date with the latest obstacles, which he then tries to emulate at his Wynarka farm.
Simon said he planned to apply again for the show next year.
"There's no guarantee of getting on, of course," he said.
Simon said the Karoonda community had been very supportive of their new local celebrity, from featuring in the local silo art projections to the barrage of questions from the colts team he coaches.
"I've even have kids from other clubs coming up and shaking my hand," he said.
"It has been surreal."
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
