Precerpt from Grandma's NInja Training Diary (Leaver) - Of Spiders, Stairs, and Ninja Instincts

 

The following is a precerpt (book excerpt prior to publication) from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary (Leaver & Renz).

Of Spiders, Stairs, and Ninja Instincts

Last week, I learned an important lesson about physics... and pride. I'd just lugged 40+ pounds of groceries up 17 stairs, both hands full, feeling like the domestic Hercules. As I approached the door, I spotted an intruder: a spider crawling just above waist height.

My options? Put down the bags and squish it like a sensible person… or attempt a ninja-style door kick with one leg while gripping two unevenly weighted grocery sacks.

I chose violence.

I got the bug. But physics got me. When my foot hit the door, the force reverberated like a bad plot twist. I staggered backward, bags swinging, and slammed my wrist into the railing. I didn’t fall. I recalibrated mid-collapse, channeling every ounce of aging grace and stubborn dignity.

The wrist puffed up. I thought: “It’s broken. I’m doomed.” My doctor, on the other hand? He laughed. “You bruised it. Don’t kick doors.”

He’s not wrong. But also… he wasn’t there.

Some takeaways:

• Momentum is a merciless professor.
• Groceries aren’t training weights unless you plan for impact.
• Spider-kicking is not yet an Olympic sport.
• Sometimes your greatest enemy is your own confidence... and a well-anchored stair railing.

Next time: Either I squash bugs with serenity or I turn this into a functional fitness challenge. “Kick, balance, rotate, recover.”

Book Description

Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is the inspiring true story of a 75-year-old grandmother who dares to dream big—by training for American Ninja Warrior. Teaming up with coach and trainer Brittany Renz, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch.

Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor.

Grandma shares what she’s learning; Coach Brittany explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age.

Part training manual, part motivational memoir, Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is packed with practical tips for readers over 50 who want to improve their fitness, health, and confidence. You’ll also get insider insights into the world of American Ninja Warrior, strategies for balancing real life with ambitious goals, and hard-won wisdom about success, failure, and the joy of simply showing up.

keywords

Ninja Warrior training; senior fitness; fitness over 50; fitness over 70; older adult fitness; American Ninja Warrior; memoir of transformation; late-in-life fitness; motivational memoir; women in sports; senior strength training; training after 70; inspirational grandma; fitness journey; personal training for seniors; female athletes over 70; diary-style memoir; older adult exercise; aging and athleticism; functional fitness for seniors; training for American Ninja Warrior; becoming an athlete after retirement; strength, balance, and flexibility training; rock climbing after 70; coach and trainee relationship; mindset and resilience; goal-setting at any age; senior fitness transformation; practical tips for senior health; never too old to start

To read more precerpts from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary, click HERE.

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