NAVY NINJA

Lieutenant (LTA) Isaiah How battles his way through a Japanese-style obstacle course to emerge champion of the first-ever series of Sasuke Singapore.

"Which of you is most likely to make it to the finals in Japan?" host of Sasuke Singapore Joanne Peh asked a team of eight canoe polo players before they tried their hands on the obstacle course. Seven fingers were unanimously pointed at LTA How.

The prediction was spot-on. The Navy officer bested close to 1,000 participants to win the first series of Sasuke Singapore.

This local adaptation of the Japanese series Sasuke, renamed Ninja Warrior in the United States, made its debut on Channel 5 on 9 Aug 2012, and is currently airing on Wednesdays at 8pm. Held at Sentosa, Sasuke Singapore comprises an obstacle course in Stage One.

Contestants have to hop across sloping blocks (Sextuple Steps), jump off a trampoline towards an overhead cargo net (Jump Hang), run off a curved wall to grab a rope (Half Pipe Attack) and run to the top of an inclined wall (Warped Wall). Finally, they have to swing Tarzan-style towards a rope ladder, climb it and hit a button at the finishing point.

Contestants who clear Stage One in under two minutes will then proceed to Stage Two, where they are required to scale a 20m-high tower using a rope within a minute. The contestant who reaches the top of the tower in the fastest time wins the series.

Working out

So what led LTA How to participate in such a gruelling competition that left many with rope burns, blisters and bruised egos?

"I took part just to have fun with my canoe polo team mates whom I've been training with since I was studying in Singapore Polytechnic. We wanted to see how far we could go," the 22-year-old said. For those unfamiliar with canoe polo, think water polo with players on canoes.

While he sports a ripped body, he did not train specifically for the competition. "I only did my usual canoe polo training, where I hit the gym twice a week to work out my upper body, and ran around the neighbourhood occasionally to maintain my cardio fitness.

"I believe that the training I did for canoe polo was sufficient to aid me in my goal to reach the top of the tower (in Stage Two)."

Mission possible

Merely having rippling muscles, however, was no guarantee of completing the obstacle course; many with enviable abdominal muscles and bulging biceps faltered at various obstacles.

The Jump Hang for example, was the undoing of many aspiring ninja warriors, who failed to grab the overhanging net after jumping off the trampoline and landed in the water instead.

While LTA How breezed through this obstacle, the Warped Wall was what stopped him in his tracks. This wall had a steep incline and was almost three metres high, according to LTA How. "Getting up that wall seemed like Mission Impossible; At first, I ran right into the wall instead of running up. Then I stopped, took a breather and visualised how I was going to overcome it, and to my surprise, I scaled the wall on my second try!" he exclaimed.

Having completed Stage One in 1m:32s, LTA How entered the finals along with 16 other contestants, where they faced off at the tower in Stage Two.

Sasuke warrior

To conquer the tower, contestants required tremendous upper body strength and agility. One by one they scaled the rope, with some slowing down halfway as their strength depleted during the climb, while others had their ropes entangled with their support ropes.

When it came to LTA How's turn to attempt the tower, he composed himself for a few seconds before he tore up the rope at a speed that prompted one of the commentators to exclaim that he was "ridiculously fast".

A paltry 21.6 seconds was all it took for LTA How to pull himself to the top of the 20m-high tower. That put him at the top of the leader board for Sasuke Singapore Series One, and he will face off against the Series Two winner for a chance to represent Singapore in an international Sasuke battle in Japan.

Expressing his joy at winning, LTA How said: "All I can say is that it was a dream come true for me, and I went further than I expected."

The naval officer, who is undergoing the Naval Junior Officers' Course, also thanked his family and course mates for their support. "My course mates have really high hopes for me, and they constantly encourage me by telling me that I'll make it to the top of the tower in Japan," he said.

He concluded with a tip for aspiring ninja warriors: "Believe in yourself to achieve the impossible because 'impossible' is only in your mind."

23 Jan 13 UPDATE: LTA How was crowned overall champion of Sasuke Singapore after his tower climb timing of 21.6 seconds beat the show's Series Two winner Alan Zhang's 23.9 seconds.

Watch how the Singapore champion fares in the ultimate obstacle course in Japan, in the season finale of Sasuke Singapore tonight at 8pm on Channel 5.

"I learnt that you must believe in yourself to be able to overcome the impossible."
- LTA How