Being the hands and feet of Jesus to end hunger can involve ninja warrior competitions and dog toys.

It does for 19-year-old rising University of Notre Dame sophomore Austin Baron, from Ashburn, Virginia.

At 8 p.m. EDT July 14 (Monday), he will compete in the semifinal round of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” (ANW) to advocate for an end to world hunger, an ambition he works toward by making knotted dog toys and collecting donations to his nonprofit, Knot Perfect.

In its 17th season this summer in Las Vegas, ANW pits past competitors against “new ninjas” in “the world’s most notorious” obstacle courses. Athletes face tests of strength and endurance and take on a growing number of competitors, each with an inspiring story to tell.

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 hit his first buzzer during the June 2 qualifying round, advancing to semifinals.

Wearing a shirt that reads “Ninja Fighting Hunger” while on the show, Baron said he is “dedicating my summer to being the hands and feet of Christ for the 1 billion people around the world who go to bed hungry each night.”

Finding his mission

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.

Feeding the hungry that day changed Baron’s life.

“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.”

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 found it difficult to collect cash donations during the pandemic, so he sought help from his family — and ultimately from Notre Dame — to make Knot Perfect a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allowed for electronic donations.

Working with Mendoza

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. 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,” Baron said.

Knot Perfect was destined for success, O’Brien said.

“Austin has an amazing capacity to focus on tasks and complete them,” he said. “He’s using what he is learning at Notre Dame to improve himself, the ND community and the world. The young man has a servant’s heart.”

Finding success

Knot Perfect has raised over $30,000 and provided more than 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 more than 1,500 dog toys.

“My parents and brothers have been my devoted team of volunteers — driving me to events, helping establish a business and supporting my ninja competitions,” Baron said. “Each is either an officer for Knot Perfect or on the board. All positions are volunteer to maximize the number of meals provided.

“Brendan cheered me on in person while I ran the ANW course this summer, while Hayden watched on a video call with our younger brother Chase.”

The original driver of Baron’s vision, St. Theresa’s You(th) vs. Hunger event, led by Notre Dame alumni Rachel and Stan Revelle, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and striving to pack its millionth meal this year.

In a boost toward that goal, Baron recently received two grants totaling $1,650 that he applied for as a first-year student, with help from his Writing and Rhetoric professor Erin McLaughlin in Notre Dame’s University Writing Program. One of his grant interviews conflicted with finals, so, he said, “my younger brother Chase did an incredible job representing the nonprofit in my place.”

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.

Putting in the work

Not surprisingly, 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 said, “I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to compete on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ again for this important cause and to hit my first buzzer in qualifying. Growing up watching the show, that was a bucket list item that I always wanted to 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. With the season ending in bracket-style head-to-head racing, only one contestant will be left standing.

But Baron knows his quest to end world hunger is more important.

“I can feel God’s presence through everyone who has helped me fight hunger, through the opportunities I have had with ‘American Ninja Warrior’ and through my journey to Notre Dame,” he said. “All of the glory goes to God. It would be impossible for me to do this without him.”

To help, visit knotperfect.org.

Contact: Shannon Roddel, associate director of media relations, schapla@nd.edu