MOOSE JAW — A Moose Jaw-born athlete is making waves on the national stage, bringing home a silver medal in late April from the three-day 2025 Canadian Ninja League National Finals held in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Kristin Ator, daughter of Glenn and Karen Hagel, mother of three proud children, and practicing lawyer, secured second place in the Women's Masters division, representing Fitset Ninja Calgary where she trains. This marks her third national podium finish, adding to her previous silver and bronze medals.
"I'm a proud prairie girl," Ator said recently. "I'm proud to be from Saskatchewan, and to represent (my hometown of Moose Jaw) on the ninja stage."
The Canadian Ninja League (CNL) is a competitive circuit inspired by the popular television show American Ninja Warrior. Athletes navigate challenging obstacle courses that test strength, agility, and balance. The 2025 National Finals featured top competitors from across the country, with the top ten in each division qualifying for the World Championships.
In a fiercely contested Women’s Masters final, Ator powered through five gruelling obstacles in just 3:32.62 to clinch the silver. Despite her dominant run, she was narrowly edged out by Sharon Brown-John of Momentum Movement Academy, who managed a longer course time of 4:02.33 but secured gold. Under league rules, the gold went to Brown-John because she used fewer retries, the first tiebreaker when completed obstacle counts are equal.
Ator's journey into ninja competitions began in 2019 after discovering American Ninja Warrior.
"I just thought it looked like so much fun," she recalled. "So I just Googled 'Where can I do ninja (training),' and I found a gym that had obstacles. I signed up for my first competition that fall."
Ator’s athletic roots run deep — she spent her early years flipping and tumbling through gymnastics from ages eight to 15 before soaring into track and field, where she found her stride in pole vaulting. That strong foundation in body control, strength, and precision now powers her performance on the ninja course.
"It just reminds me of an adult form of the playground when we were kids," Ator said. “All the creative things and obstacles that come up on a playground... transfer onto the big stage for (CNL).”
Currently residing in Calgary, Ator balances her professional career, family life, and rigorous training schedule. Her 10-year-old son, Dexter, has also taken up the sport, finishing sixth at the National Championships in his age category.
Next up for Ator is the global stage — she’s gearing up for the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association World Championships this July in Dallas, Texas.
Off the course, she’s championing the sport’s growth back home, calling for dedicated ninja training facilities in Saskatchewan where it still hasn’t taken root. Although athletes from the province are still eligible to compete, they must travel to gyms in Alberta or Manitoba to access proper training and attend competitions.
The Canadian Ninja League (CNL) was founded in 2018 as the country’s first dedicated ninja sport organization, providing structured competition and training opportunities for athletes nationwide. While the sport continues to grow in popularity, it has yet to achieve full official recognition — though organizations like the CNL and World Ninja League are pushing for broader legitimacy and even Olympic consideration.
Ator’s rise is a testament to what’s possible for aspiring small-town athletes filled with passion and perseverance, proving that they can still make an impact on the national stage.
“I’m a proud Moose Jaw girl,” she said. “Sometimes (opportunities like this) aren’t (available) there, but my roots are there in Moose Jaw.”
For more information on the Canadian Ninja League and to view the full competition results, visit .
