Meet the Coaches

Nate Hansen

Co-Founder & Coach

Hollis first discovered ninja training at the age of 12 while visiting his grandparents in Colorado. He quickly realized that this was the sport for him. However, living in York, England, which was hours away from the nearest ninja gym, posed a challenge. Determined to improve, Hollis made the most of his backyard training, went rock climbing, and took long trips to various ninja gyms. Over the years, he has competed successfully, winning the British Ninja Championship and many other competitions across the UK and Europe. After finishing high school, he moved to Colorado to train and coach here at Ark, where he is committed to training himself and others to reach their full potential in this exciting sport.

Anabella Heinrichs

Coach

American Ninja Warrior Runs

Taylor, a Colorado native, started her ninja journey at the age of 9. She has participated in three seasons of American Ninja Warrior Junior and two seasons of American Ninja Warrior. Taylor began conducting clinics and coaching at the age of 14 and is thrilled to be teaching new ninjas at Ark now. She finds joy in coaching because it helps expand the sport and allows her to share her knowledge and experiences with beginners.

Emily Keener

Coach

American Ninja Warrior Runs

Photo and Bio coming soon!!

Caleb Keener

Jae is a coach at Ark with 11 years of coaching experience. Her coaching journey began at the age of 13 as a volunteer gymnastics coach. For the past 7 years, Jae has coached special education and team gymnastics, and she has been coaching ninja for nearly 5 years. Known for being the loudest coach and biggest cheerleader at every practice and competition, Jae believes in the success of the team stemming from individual success. She is enthusiastic about building the ninja community at Ark and competing alongside the strong Ark ninja students and coaches.

Coach

Photo and Bio coming soon!!

Emily Keener has eight years of training and competing in ninja. Some of her notable achievements include competing on American Ninja Warrior in seasons 15, 16, and 17. Winning the Ninja Sport Championship in season 2, securing second place at the USA Ninja World Cup, and winning UNAA and Fine in 2025. Although she's relatively new to coaching, Emily finds it incredibly enjoyable and loves witnessing her students grow and develop a passion for the sport, much like she did at their age. She eagerly looks forward to continuing her work with the team at Ark and seeing their collective progress.

Nate is local to the Northern Denver area, growing up in Brighton, Colorado then later attending CU Boulder to pursue his degree in Marketing. Nate has had a passion for the sport of ninja since he was only 10 years old. Growing up as a kid, it was his favorite show and he always dreamed of competing on it one day. Fast forward to 2024 and he now has 5 seasons of American Ninja Warrior under his belt and his story has inspired kids and adults alike. In 2023, Nate felt that it was time to support the growing sport of ninja and opened a ninja warrior gym of his own. With a vision and incredible people by his side, Ark Ninja was built. Nate still holds a passion for coaching and competing, but making a positive and lasting impact in his community is what matters most.