WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — A facility opened by a woman to help inspire the dreams of her daughters has opened up an opportunity for a boy to chase his dreams of being an elite ninja warrior.
What You Need To Know
- Adrenaline Monkey offers ninja warrior obstacle courses that range from easy to hard
- The facility also offers parkour courses, aerial ropes courses, rock climbing walls and more
- A 10 year old from Highland Heights made Season 3 of American Ninja Warrior Jr.
- He’s been training at Adrenaline Monkey for 2 years
It’s an adrenaline seeker’s dream, that for Kashi Paramasivam, 10, has finally come true.
“I really hope I’ll be on American Ninja Warrior,” said Paramasivam.
The Highland Heights resident has made it on season 3 of American Ninja Warrior Jr.
“Ninja is my favorite activity because it’s really fun,” said Paramasivam. “And there’s always different things to try.”
The adventure and performance training center, Adrenaline Monkey, founded by Denise Carkuff, helped make it possible.
“[We have] Ninja Warrior obstacle courses, aerial ropes courses and climbing walls. We also have event space. But it’s a hybrid between entertainment, fitness and training,” said Carkuff. “It’s just to come here and have an adrenaline rush, to get a good laugh, to hang with your family or your friends and push yourself and do things that you didn’t think you could do and be really amazed with yourself and feel empowered. Or there are athletes who are trying to be actual ninjas who want to aspire to be on the TV show.”
Although her family loves the show American Ninja Warrior, she has no association with it, but she does have two very persuasive twin daughters, Gia and Eva.
“[The idea] It really was conceived by my kids,” said Carkuff. “If I chose a business it would have been like spa or wine or something like that. But you know when you become a mom, these kids are very compelling. You end up doing a lot of things for your kids that you never would have thought that you would have done.”
Carkuff with her twin daughters, Gia and Eva, at Adrenaline Monkey’s grand opening June 30, 2018.
Leading by example, Carkuff wanted to show her daughters that they can turn ideas into reality if they put their minds to it. It took a few years, but in 2018, Adrenaline Monkey came to life.
“I really wanted to show my daughters that they could be business women and that they could be anything that they wanted in their lives,” said Carkuff. “And they didn’t have to work for somebody, they could actually own their own business.”
Carkuff lives by the motto “movement is medicine” and the tagline “adventure for life.”
“The idea is that you’re never too young, you’re never too old, you’re never too short, you’re never too tall,” said Carkuff. “Doesn’t matter your shape, your size, your ability, your age, adventures for everybody for life, and you have to stay adventurous.”
Carkhuff said that as technology takes over the world, she sees adults and kids becoming more sedentary. She hopes Adrenaline Monkey can help keep people moving and embracing their inner child and warrior.
“Adults, kids alike just have become way too sedentary. I mean they are Tik Toking, they are binge watching Netflix, they are gaming video games and you need something to get them off the couch and active and healthy and this place does it because it’s so much fun,” said Carkuff. “We can learn so much from the children. And for the adults, if we can just be more like them and just be fearless and believe in ourselves, emancipate our inner child.”
She wants people to be fearless like Kashi, who believed in himself and is well on his way to achieving his dream.
“I believe that Kashi will be the next American Ninja Warrior,” said Carkuff.
Season 3 of American Ninja Warrior Jr. will premiere Sept. 9 on Peacock. For more information on Adrenaline Monkey click here.
