Natalie Duran
"Live every day like you're a superhero. You don't know what you're capable unless you attempt to push past your limits." -Natalie Duran
Natalie Duran is a real-life superhero.
She is a first-generation Filipino American living in Los Angeles.
She is a Ninja Warrior athlete, Rock Climbing pro, Movement artist, Motorcycle Rider, Pilot, Television Host & Producer, Actress, Influencer and Neuroscientist.
A pioneering YouTube star, Ninja Natalie began her career on the video platform producing comedy videos in 2007. She was amongst the first content creators on YouTube to be recognized by advertisers and traditional media companies. Despite her online success, Duran took a break from YouTube to pursue her education at the University of California, Riverside, where she received a Neuroscience Degree. Upon graduating, Duran was hired as a Clinical Research Assistant at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. As a part of her responsibilities, Duran authored several published articles on the topic of stem cell-based therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She presented her findings at medical conferences all over the world.
Ninja Natalie has been climbing for over 10+ years and that grip strength has contributed to her currently holding the Guinness World Record as Fastest Female Rope climber. She attributes her successes by accepting failing & falling as a necessary stepping stone to achieve her goals.
The producers of American Ninja Warrior found Natalie through her YouTube videos online, and on her debut season she sadly fell on the second obstacle. But that failure motivated Natalie to dedicate her training specifically for Ninja Warrior obstacles. After taking a one-year hiatus, she came back to the show and qualified amongst the strongest men & women and competed as a National Finalist. She also is the last female standing and completed finalist on MTV's The Challenge for her two-season appearance.
Natalie has also been a keynote speaker for the U.N. Girl UP Conference on Self-Defense, where she led a workshop with her partner Andreas Alfaro, teaching girls about basic physical skills of defense and the importance of awareness and carrying yourself with confidence in public spaces.
Today, you can see Ninja Natalie today running around behind the scenes of major network TV shows as a Challenge Producer. Involved in the obstacle design and tests, she provides valuable input to competition reality shows like NBC's Titan Games, American Ninja Warrior, Wipeout, and an upcoming new show called Slip N' Slide.
- Current Guinness World Record Holder for Fastest Female 5M Rope Climb.
- Private Pilot flying Cessna model planes
- Daily Motorcycle Rider currently sponsored by Harley Davidson
- Vegas Finalist NBC's American Ninja Warrior
- 2x Finalist & Last Female Standing MTV's The Challenge
Instagram: @Ninja_Natalie
Tik Tok: @Ninja_Natalie
Facebook: /NinjaNatalieDuran
Youtube: /NDTitanLady
