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68-year-old Senedd Member goes viral after conquering challenging Ninja Warrior obstacle

22 Apr 2025 2 minute read
Newport East MS John Griffiths tackling the Ninja Warrior Warped Wall

Emily Price 

A video of a 68-year-old Senedd Member conquering a notoriously difficult Ninja Warrior obstacle has gone viral on Facebook.

Newport East MS John Griffiths tested his Ninja skills at the Ninja Warrior Adventure Park in Cardiff at a birthday party last month.

The venue offers visitors the chance to climb, balance and swing across obstacles inspired by ITV’s hit tv show which was based on a gameshow in Japan called Sasuke.

The programme was presented by Ben Shephard, Chris Kamara and Rochelle Humes and featured a variety of tricky obstacles.

Off the back of the success of the show, a number of venues were set up so kids and adults could have a go themselves.

John Griffiths MS. Picture by Senedd Cymru

Challenge

Griffiths shocked his grandchildren when he made tackling the most notable obstacle on the course – the Warped Wall – look like a walk in the park.

The obstacle is a steeply curved tall wall designed to challenge individuals to build enough speed and momentum as they ascend the slope.

The video clip of the Labour politician was ‘liked’ by Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan has since racked up almost 70,000 views on Facebook.

John Griffiths with Welsh Assembly footbal team

Griffiths is a passionate advocate for sport and exercise, running at Parkrun events most Saturdays.

He has run the London Marathon on 6 occasions and the City of Newport Half Marathon 9 times.

During the mid-2000s, he also captained the then Welsh Assembly football team.

Active

Griffiths is now challenging his fellow Senedd Members to see if they too can prove themselves as Ninja Warriors.

He said: “I’ve always liked to keep myself fit and active over the years and it has paid off when I took on the Warped Wall at the Ninja Warrior in Cardiff.

“I think my grandchildren were a bit shocked that I was able to do it at my age – hopefully it shows age is just a number. It would be fun to see some of my Senedd colleagues also take on the wall?”


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HarrisR
HarrisR
11 days ago

Explains why we don’t see too much of him in Newport, he’s either scaling the upper levels of the Debenhams or swinging across the Transporter Bridge on the cables.

Worse, they’ll all be at it now to demonstrate their “vigor” to a sceptical electorate. The Baroness pole vaulting over the Severn, RT Davies wrestling an angry bison, Mark Drakeford racing his Vincent Black Shadow through a ring of burning firein Ely, Adam Price uncycling around the proposed Circuit of Wales track, and Jane Hutt wing-walking a Tiger Moth high over Sully. Kids, just say no.

John Ellis
John Ellis
11 days ago
Reply to  HarrisR

I suppose everyone’s entitled to have a hobby.

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