Dalton Knapp put together one of those runs that’s just a joy to watch. Dalton, and his older brother Drew, have watched American Ninja Warrior for years. It was something they did together while Dalton was in the hospital with cancer. As a young man, Dalton has already gone through 146 blood transfusions and 16 lumbar punctures, just to name a couple of things he’s endured.
Dalton knew that one day, he would get on the course himself. Now 21 years old, he and his brother Drew got to run the course on the same night in Denver. Not only that, but both brothers qualified for the City Finals. It was a special moment for these Ninjas and the audience.
Dalton made his way cautiously through the Floating Steps. He planned to avoid any early errors.
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The same strategy took him safely across the Ring Swing and the Paddleboards.
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In the Qualifiers, Dalton fell at the Rail Runner. But he learned from that experience and was able to best the obstacle this time around.
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He missed his first grab on the Warped Wall, but was successful the second time. He stopped for a well deserved moment of glory before he headed on to the back half of the course.
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At first, Dalton looked confident on the Salmon Ladder.
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But the bar went crooked after a couple of rungs.
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Impressively, Dalton was able to correct it and remained calm.
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But when it happened again, Dalton’s grip was finally done and he fell into the water.
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While Dalton won’t be moving on to the National Finals, this night was a total triumph for the rookie Ninja!
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