AN OXFORD scientist is set to appear on national television as she competes to become the UK's first 'Ninja Warrior'.
Beth Lodge will face the gruelling obstacle courses on ITV show Ninja Warrior UK for a second time when the fifth series returns.
Hosted by Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara, the eight-part series, which is back on screens tomorrow, will feature an array of both new and returning competitors, including celebrities, attempting to complete three gruelling stages.
The 25-year-old, who works for biotechnology firm Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd, competed in series four but said she felt ‘better prepared’ than last year, explaining: “The first time I did the course I had booked a holiday and then I found out the filming dates were during that holiday so I went to France and then flew back for the filming. I don’t think my head was in the right place then.”
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She has been busy training since then, however, putting a background in gymnastics to good use and said said she kept coming back because "the adrenaline rush is like nothing else".
Before each round on the obstacle course Ms Lodge would wear her lab coat over her gym gear.
She said: "They would then do the countdown and the buzzer would go off and I found that it was really helpful to take lab coat off and then I was in control of when I went.
"Before one of my runs, someone said, ‘You don’t have to go on with the lab coat again if you don’t want to?’ and I just thought ‘It’s become my thing now.’"
In this new series fans one of the competitors will reach the furthest point ever on Ninja Warrior UK and take on the final obstacle, the colossal Mount Midoriyama.
All that stands between them and being crowned the UK’s first Ninja Warrior is a 22 metre rope climb - the equivalent of two double decker buses on top of each other.
How the Oxford scientist got on will not be revealed until the shows air but she said it would be 'incredible' to make it to the end, adding: "I think especially because no woman has completed the final course.
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"That would be cool and to show other women out there that you are in the same playing field as the men."
The new series starts at 6.30pm on ITV on Saturday.
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