Canberra fitness guru is living out her childhood dream to be a TV gladiator

The 36-year-old from Garran has been selected as a pro-tagger on Ultimate Tag which starts next month on Prime7.

She was approached after appearing on seasons 1 and 2 of Ninja Warrior using her real name, Jenna Douros.

The aim of Ultimate Tag is for competitors to avoid being tagged by pro-taggers such as Jenna as they negotiate complex, three-dimensional courses.

Jenna, who loved the 1990s TV show Gladiators, said she was asked to be a competitor but really wanted to be one of the pro-taggers.

"When they approached me I thought, 'Oh my God, this is my opportunity to live out my childhood dream and be as close to gladiator as possible' and that's exactly what I was able to do," she said.

Like Gladiators, the pro-taggers are larger-than-life, kind of superheroes who go by an alias.

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Jenna is known as Ricochet on the show.

"The reason I got the name Ricochet is became apparently my energy just bounces around the room," she said, with a laugh.

The show is also about showcasing the pro-taggers' personalities, and Jenna says the audience will see her in equal parts competitive and supportive.

"It's a really awesome game of strategy and skill," she said.

The former public servant was born and raised in Canberra. She went to Southern Cross Primary, Melba High, Hawker College and Copland College and studied fitness and nutrition at the Australian Institute of Fitness. She spent three years in Sydney furthering her fitness career and still spends much of her professional life there.

"I love Canberra. It is such a great little community here and the improvements we've had over the last few years have been amazing. It's such a well thought-out place and I love living here," she said.

Her partner is Scott Evennett, who also appeared on Ninja Warrior, and who was all set to be pro-tagger Striker on Ultimate Tag but injured himself on day one of filming.

"Everyone would have loved him because he's ex-military and quite intimidating," she said.

"But it was really special he was able to stay and support me throughout the filming process. He was very much part of the team. Hopefully, come season two, he'll be back."

Jenna credits her physical abilities and mental strength to DDD - her "daily dose of discomfort".

"I like putting myself in uncomfortable situations each and every day so I come out the other side with growth," she said.

She is also working towards joining the Australian Olympic sprint cycling team after being approached to try out. Part of her general training routine is running up Red Hill and Mount Ainslie while wearing weights.

"I cannot get enough of Mount Ainslie," she said, with a laugh.

Jenna said many of the competitors on Ultimate Tag did not come from athletic backgrounds. Even though her job was to tag them and get them out of the game, she was thrilled when they achieved something they never expected.

And like her childhood heroes on Gladiators, she wants to be a role model.

"I'd love for young girls to look up to me and realise if they have a dream, they can achieve it too," she said.

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