University of Notre Dame sophomore Austin Baron will in the semifinal round of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior July 14 to advocate for an end to world hunger.
Baron works toward this ambition by making knotted dog toys and collecting donations to his nonprofit, Knot Perfect.
American Ninja Warrior pits past competitors against “new ninjas” on obstacle courses. Athletes face tests of strength and endurance and take on a growing number of competitors.
This will be Baron’s second appearance on the show. He first competed in 2023 — on his 17th birthday — and reached the semifinal round. He was invited to rejoin the show this summer and advanced to semifinals.
Baron’s mission, which caught the interest of show producers, began when he was a young volunteer at a meal-packing event in his hometown. The Cross Catholic Outreach You(th) vs. Hunger food packing event was led by a Notre Dame alumni family at St. Theresa Catholic Church.
“I was so moved to learn that the meals I packed fed hungry children and families that I decided to fundraise so we could feed even more people,” Baron said in a press release.
As a middle-schooler, Baron began knotting dog toys as gifts for those who donated, using the name Knot Perfect to underscore “the imperfections of a world where children and families go hungry.”
As a 16-year-old high school sophomore, Baron, with help from his family and Notre Dame, made Knot Perfect a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Baron was influenced by the experiences of his two older brothers at Notre Dame — Hayden graduated in 2024 and Brendan will graduate in 2026.
“I was 12 when Hayden wrote his application essay at our kitchen table,” Baron said. “I wanted to start a dog toy business, and learning of Notre Dame’s mission to work for the common good really motivated me to ask myself, ‘How can I use this to do something good in the world?’”
Baron’s mother enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business virtual professional development class titled How to Start a Nonprofit so she could help him navigate the complicated process.
“My mom’s teacher, Mendoza professor Jamie O’Brien, helped get Knot Perfect off the ground,” Baron said. “I met him when we visited campus, and he continues supporting me now that I’m running the nonprofit as a Notre Dame student myself.”
Knot Perfect has raised over $30,000 and provided over 100,000 meals to children and families globally — 40,000 of those as a direct result of Baron’s appearance on Season 15 of ANW. He has also made over 1,500 dog toys.
Baron’s fundraising has also provided food through Franciscan Missions for Ukraine, Knights of Columbus Ukraine Solidarity Fund, Our Lady of the Road and Second Harvest Food Bank. He was selected as the Virginia Young Man of the Year by the Knights of Columbus in 2024.
Baron’s grit has also become evident to his professors. Junyuan (Joe) Ke, assistant teaching professor of information technology, analytics and operations in Mendoza, was initially skeptical when Baron entered his class with little coding experience and then declared a business analytics major mid-semester.
“He put in the work, stuck with it, crushed the final and aced the class,” Ke said. “So, it’s not a huge surprise he’ll be on American Ninja Warrior for the second time. He’s got the work ethic and the heart. He’s the kind of student who reminds us why we do what we do.”
Baron hopes his years of training, including at ninja gyms across the country and on the Duncan Student Center rock climbing and bouldering wall on campus, will help him reach the national finals and a shot at this year’s $250,000 prize and title of American Ninja Warrior.
