BUFFALO, N.Y. — A local Buffalo man now holds the world record as the oldest male Ninja athlete.
Dave Kozak, 76, has been documented to be the oldest competitive male Ninja athlete. At the time, he was 74-years and 231-days old when the status was identified.
Kozak who is a Buffalo native, and former air force fighter pilot and retired colonel, began his training as a Ninja Warrior in 2014. His interested had been fueled even more though in 2015 by the Buffalo Ninja warrior Competition that attracted participants from all over the country at the time.
Dave participated in the competition that was nationally broadcasted in both 2016 and 2022.
The training for this niche sport, comes from the Japanese sports entertainment program called "Sasuke" where competitors work their way through increasingly difficult stages of an obstacle course. The program fosters physical fitness, emotional development, and psychological empowerment.
Since there were no Ninja academies in the City of Buffalo, Kozak founded "Buffalo Ninja Academy" to meet the needs of the underserved youth in our area.
“Since the suburban gyms are located up to twenty miles outside of the city, and with virtually no public transportation to access them, they are geographically and mostly cost prohibitive to urban core youth. It is time to establish a new Ninja program in Buffalo. The young people here have waited long enough, said Kozak.
It is Dave's goal to turn a vision of a Ninja Warrior program for the underserved youth of Buffalo into a reality.
To learn more visit buffaloninjaacademy.com
