One would be hard-pressed to find a tougher nine-year-old than Milla Bizzotto. The third-grader wowed the world with her participation at a 24-hour obstacle race for the U.S. Navy, proving that even young girls can go toe-to-toe against experienced athletes.

Youngest Competitor at the BattleFrog Xtreme

This particular race, dubbed the BFX24, is not an easy one to complete. Designed by the U.S. Navy, the BFX24 made Bizzotto had to earn her stripes with a 36-mile race, an eight-kilometer swim and 25 challenging obstacles that included a rope climb, a 3.6-meter wall climb and even crawling under barbed wire.

It's a major challenge for the participants, especially Bizzotto who is not only the youngest competitor but also the only one under 18. To gear up for the BFX24, she trained with her father Christian Bizzotto, who runs a gym. The pair hit the training gym five days a week for at least three hours each day and even completed a Spartan race together along with Bizzotto's grandmother.

An Example for Children Everywhere

While she was always a driven and focused child, the young athlete revealed that the determination to train hard and finish the race successfully was also a way to deal with being bullied.

"I didn't want anyone else to go through what I did," Bizzotto said in an interview with Miami Herald, adding that she hoped her achievement inspires other kids to get up and go outside. "I want to set an example and show other kids that they can do or be anything they want."

Although her parents are divorced, both Christian and mother Lara are very supportive of Bizzotto's goals and passion. Lara pointed out that the father and daughter tandem share an "extreme" streak and people shouldn't set limits on kids.

"We wanted to make her feel more empowered, make her feel that she wasn't weak, and that kind of changed her whole mindset," her father said to Today.

Even after her success at the 24-hour race, Bizzotto is showing no signs of slowing down. The nine-year-old athlete is set to compete in an invitation-only "Athletes Race" in Miami on April 23. It's going to be another tough course with six kilometers of paddleboarding, 400 squats, five kilometers of running and other challenges.

"I want to inspire a generation," Bizzotto explained. "I don't get bullied anymore. I know how to stand up for myself now. And I love what I do. I want to do it forever."