American Ninja Warrior stars share how the show has struck a personal chord for them

American Ninja Warrior knows the way to an Emmy voter’s heart is through inflatable, bouncy courses and ice cream.

For the second year in a row, Ninja Warrior has been nominated for a Reality TV Competition Emmy.

Just to make sure those Emmy voters really get a chance to experience the atmosphere of the show, NBC hosted an event right at their offices. It wasn’t limited to just voters, so fans and families got to drop by, run the bouncy course, and talk to some of the stars of the show (and eat ice cream).

Akbar Gbajabiamila immediately started looking for ways to cause a little trouble.

The event was a chance for people to experience what makes American Ninja Warrior so special. We asked Akbar, Tiana Webberley and Kevin Bull to share why the show resonates with them personally.

(It got a little windy, so we’ve transcribed each response for you below the video.)

Akbar Gbajabiamila, who has co-hosted the show with Matt Iseman since season five:

“I think it gives ordinary people an extraordinary stage to show who they are. I’ve seen, typically, in most situations, your big name star, your big name athlete, the one who is more high profile, they tend to get all the attention.

But I think in Ninja Warrior, there’s kind of this equality that happens. The Ninjas embrace them all. Whether you’ve been doing Ninja for ten years, or if you’ve been doing it for your first year, or two or three years in. There’s just kind of this equality that happens.

Everyone’s story kind of connects to the audience in a different way. That, to me, is the spirit of Ninja Warrior.”

Tiana Webberley, who ran the course in Los Angeles this season:

“Personally, I feel like American Ninja Warrior applies to life itself in general. Overcoming obstacles in life. Whether it’s physical like this, or, you know, emotional, mental. Roadblocks in life. There’s always things you have to overcome and it’s just kind of encouraging and inspiring to know that you can work hard and overcome anything that you put your mind to.”

Kevin Bull, who we will see next at the National Finals:

“It’s an athletic competition based on obstacles. So it’s not about being the best at any one thing, it’s about being a good athlete all around. I think that’s very important and I think that’s a very important part of athleticism that often times gets lost in some of the other sports and competitions.”

Do the Emmy voters feel the same way about the show? We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out. The 2017 Emmy Awards show ill be on September 17 at 8pm EST on CBS.

And don’t worry. We’re not letting Akbar forget that he has promised to run next year’s course!

So you’ve promised fans you’re going to be running the course next year.

“So you’ve heard.”

How’s that training going?

“I haven’t started yet. I am going to get started. I have to get through some Ninjuries first. But then I have to find a way to get down with Flip Rodriguez. We live too far away. We literally live on the opposite sides of town. And just being able to get that together. I spoke to Kevin Bull about it. He’s a little closer. So I’m going to try to figure out how to piece meal together Ninja training so I can get ready to take on the Qualifying round in season 10.”