Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary - Alive, Kicking, and Slightly Offended (But Only Slightly)

Today’s mission: accompany my daughter to a new doctor’s appointment. I sat quietly, letting her self-advocate—because that’s what strong women do. I chimed in here and there with family history, but mostly, I was the silent sentinel beside her.

Then came the intake question: “Is your mother still alive?”

Excuse me? I look dead?? Was I too serene?  Did my quiet presence read as ghostly? Did I seem soporific?

My daughter laughed. “She’s sitting right here beside me.”

The assistant turned crimson. I straightened up, punched the air, and offered to do jumping jacks to prove my vitality.

She stammered, “I’m so sorry—I thought you were sisters.”

Well then.
Grandma Ninja: 75.
Daughter: 49.
Apparently, we’re aging in formation.

Message of the day:
Let your daughters speak.
Let your silence speak.
And when needed—let your vitality kick.

Also: work out.
At any age. Dick Van Dyke is 100 and still works out at the gym three times a week. If he can do it, so can Grandma Ninja. Stretch, lift weights, push weights, pull weights, carry disabled adult children, serve as a human jungle gym for the little ones, run on the treadmill at neck-break speed, punch the air in a waiting room if needed. Vitality isn’t just about looking younger—it’s about being ready. For joy. For advocacy. For jumping jacks.

Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian 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.

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

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