Ninja Warrior Challenge brings Soldiers and families together at Fort Hood Texas
FORT HOOD, Texas – Climbing, swinging, and leaping through a demanding obstacle course, Soldiers and their families put their skills to the test while making connections within the military community during the Ninja Warrior competition on Sept. 20, 2026, at Sadowski Parade Field.
Fort Hood’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation partnered with the Rick Herrema Foundation to host the multi-day event, permitting participants of varying skill levels to take on a professional-style obstacle course.
Since its establishment in 2014, the foundation has focused on strengthening relationships and building stronger military communities.
“The idea is to create a program that bonds people, creates new networks, gets people smiling and gets them over the water competing in these courses,” said Darren Jeffery, a board member with Rick Herrema Foundation.
Jefferey is credited with creating the American Ninja Warrior experience, now popular on television.
Throughout the competition, participants faced obstacles that required balance, coordination, upper-body strength, and resolve. From the sidelines, shouts rose as Soldiers, families, and spectators encouraged competitors as they worked their way through each challenge.
According to Jeffery,, the event was more about bringing the military community together while challenging competitors physically.
The event gave Soldiers and their families a chance to challenge themselves physically together. Whether by encouraging their favorite contestant through the strenuous obstacles, families became part of the competition.
Veteran competitor David Hernandez experienced the challenge from inside the course.
“I actually started in the intermediate course with my son. We went through it together. He got halfway through, but he’s a really tiny guy, so he made it very, very far,” Hernandez said.
The course went beyond testing the physical abilities of the contestants. They had to stay focused, change their strategy, and keep moving forward after failure. A course for resilience plus readiness.
“You definitely got to stay in that ‘I’m not going to quit’ zone. My son was actually up there like, ‘Dad, I’m going to try it as many times. I’m not going to quit. I’m going to get through this course,’” Hernandez said.
The Ninja Warrior Challenge ultimately provided a physical test for those on the course and a mutual experience for the surrounding military community.
For Jeffrey, bringing those groups together remains an important part of the event.
“It’s just a perfect fit between the military, Ninja Warrior competition, and RHF,” Jeffery said.
From handling obstacles to supporting competitors from the sidelines, the event gave Soldiers, veterans, and their families an opportunity to challenge themselves, build camaraderie, and strengthen connections across the Fort Hood community.
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