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After a phenomenal rookie year in Season 10 of American Ninja Warrior, our expectations were high for Matthew Day. We definitely weren’t disappointed. In fact, we practically saw a repeat of last season, with Matthew finishing the Qualifying Course with the second fastest time of the night... just like last year. Only Daniel Gil was faster... just like last year. The big change this year was the Power Tower, but Matthew finished second on that too!
With hopes of getting more incite into Matthew and his speedy consistency, we sat down to chat just before he hit the course in OKC. His motives are pretty simple. “My entire motivation for doing Ninja is just because I have a lot of fun with it. It’s a great workout. It’s awesome to be part of the community, but really I just have fun. When I step out on the course, my main goal is just to play around and see what I’m capable of.”
Matthew is a natural Ninja, and his speed seems almost effortless. “It wasn’t my goal (to be one of the fastest Ninjas) last year. It kind of just happened...It’s all a blur looking back on it. When I was on the course, it was more instinct. I wasn’t really trying to consciously think about what I was doing.”
Matthew seemed to have a similar strategy going into this season. (If it works, why change it, right?) When asked if he would be going for speed, Matthew said, “This year, I have not decided. I’m going to wait, see what the course looks like, & see how I’m feeling once I’m up there. Think that’s going to be when I pick.”
Matthew’s favorite memory from his rookie year is hitting the City Finals buzzer, and it’s worth noting that Matthew came in second behind Daniel Gil in that competition too! Will Daniel and Matthew be able to finish 1st and 2nd in their fourth consecutive city match-up? Keep tuning in to American Ninja Warrior on NBC every Monday at 8pm EST to find out!
Here’s a sped up version of Matthew’s City Finals run from last year in case the wait for this year’s City Finals is a bit too long.