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Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – Climber Praj Dela Cruz has represented the Philippines in various competitions before, but one of her recent achievements is like no other.The 15-year-old Dela Cruz competed as a rookie in the latest season of the sports entertainment reality show &quot;American Ninja Warrior.&quot;<iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZdbTKVFkSG/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A14397013.799999714%2C%22ls%22%3A195343.7999997139%2C%22le%22%3A195627.90000009537%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="567" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>The show features individuals from all walks of life trying to conquer various obstacle courses in different cities.Dela Cruz started the course strong before ending her rookie run on Diamond Dash.Although she did not get the result she wanted, the 15-year-old is still proud of her performance on the hit reality show.&quot;During this recent season of &#x27;American Ninja Warrior,&#x27; I was the youngest featured athlete. And so even though I was the youngest and I did have friends there, I felt like there was a lot of pressure on me to do well,&quot; Dela Cruz told ABS-CBN News.&quot;And so because my first love is always going to be climbing, when I was on the stage, I was a little bit nervous, a little bit shaky. Everything seemed so big and I seemed so small. So that&#x27;s why I was a little bit nervous during that competition. But nonetheless, it&#x27;s still an inspiring moment,&quot; she added.Dela Cruz still feels like a winner following her appearance on the show, since she was able to represent the Philippines, the local sports climbing community, and her family.&quot;There have been a lot of climbers featured on &#x27;American Ninja Warrior.&#x27; All of them have been successful. Some of them I know. And being able to say, well, I&#x27;m not just a climber, I&#x27;m representing the Philippines, is very important because that competition is all about representation,&quot; she shared.&quot;What do you bring to the table? It&#x27;s not just about whether you win. Winning is a very slim chance. So being able to show, well, this is where I come from, is very important too. Having that side of the story is important,&quot; Dela Cruz explained.The Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist said being able to join the show was a dream come true, as she has been doing obstacle sports and climbing since she was young.&quot;When I was younger, my dad would bring me to a bunch of parks in America. And so he would always bring me to a different park each time so that I could train a different muscle or become stronger. Right. So we would go to those parks. I&#x27;d always tell him, &#x27;Daddy, Daddy, can you be my commentator? This is &#x27;American Ninja Warrior,&#x27; and I just want to show people what I can do,&#x27;&quot; she said.&quot;And so my dad&#x27;s like, &#x27;OK, and here comes Praj doing all these little movements.&#x27; Right. And I never thought I could reach that level. But my dad was like, &#x27;Well, if you want to make it happen, let&#x27;s make it happen.&#x27; And so I&#x27;m very grateful for my dad for being my strategist, my coach, and for supporting me in everything I do,&quot; Dela Cruz added.The three-time national boulder champion is looking forward to getting another shot on the show, as she wants to put on a better performance.&quot;I&#x27;m trying to apply again. Hopefully they&#x27;ll take me back. I&#x27;ll see how I do and maybe I can improve my skills and hopefully I can do better in that competition,&quot; she said.Dela Cruz was recently in the Philippines to compete in the lead and bouldering events of the 2026 PCI National Championship.The 15-year-old returned to Texas with two gold medals in women&#x27;s elite lead and bouldering, along with the drive to keep improving ahead of her next competitions.

Climber Praj Dela Cruz has represented the Philippines in various competitions before, but one of her recent achievements is like no other.

Climber Praj Dela Cruz has represented the Philippines in various competitions before, but one of her recent achievements is like no other.

Praj Dela Cruz proud to represent PH on 'American Ninja Warrior'

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Praj Dela Cruz proud to represent PH on 'American Ninja Warrior'

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 08, 2026 03:12 PM PHT

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