Exeter freerunner becomes first Ninja Warrior UK champion
Parkour athlete Tim Champion has become the first Ninja Warrior UK winner in the ITV show's five year history.
Watch 'Ninja Champion'
Tim Champion, 24, from Exeter, not only completed a brutal obstacle course but also managed to scale Mount Midoriyama - a 22m high rope climb - within 45 seconds - with just one second to spare. He astonished the crowds, the presenters and even himself.
It's a feeling of disbelief really. I finished that last part of the course and I really didn't expect to be there. The whole crowd screaming at me and everything. I thought this is crazy.
Tim is no stranger to the competition - he was a finalist in both the first and second series of Ninja Warrior UK in 2015 and 2016. His former training as a gymnast followed his life as a professional parkour athlete set him up for success.
I was trained in gymnastics since the age of nine until about 21 and then started parkour when I was 17 or 18 and been training until now. So there's a reason why my arms are strong.
Winning Ninja Warrior UK is a big achievement but it seems Tim has his sights set on something greater - the Olympics. There's every chance parkour will become an Olympic sport in 2024 and the freerunner would dearly love more training facilities to be available close to home in Exeter.