American Ninja Warrior competitors answered your questions

I really shouldn’t have a byline on this article. It was completely put together by the fans and the competitors of American Ninja Warrior and I love that!

The other day, I decided to experiment with opening a line of communication through our Instagram account. First, I asked fans what question they would ask their favorite Ninja. I received a lot of really thoughtful responses. I selected a few to start with and tossed them out to the Ninjas. There was no requirement to answer, but I received so many responses!

I’ve collected a sampling of those answers below. I think they offered some insightful information to really good questions!

What made you start American Ninja Warrior?

• Donovan Metoyer: “Ninja Warrior on G4!”
• Jay Lewis: “I wanted to try all the fun obstacles I saw on TV.”
• Verdale Benson: “Reminded me of the fitness challenges and obstacles I face in the Army.”
• Rachel Degutz: “Jessie Graff.”
• Mike Beadle: “Matt Iseman, Spoke about overcoming obstacles at a conference.”
• Ryan Meeks: “My son saw it on TV and said, ‘Dad, you could do that!’ 3 years later, we are both on ANW!”
• Owen Dyer: “I was inspired by my younger brother to get into the sport.”
• Brian Kretsch: “I love watching SASUKE. Trying to conquer the near impossible course was my first inspiration.”
• Vance Walker: “Saw it on TV at Luke Milmans’ house and we decided to try it.”

Elizabeth Morris/NBC

What keeps you motivated after a failure?

• Jay Lewis: “Remember the reason that I do Ninja is to have fun on the course.”
• Verdale Benson: “I look at each failure as a learning opportunity and step to get me closer to my goals.”
• Ernesto Perez: “I remind myself that failure is a part of life. Stories are more fulfilling when there is failure.”
• John Mack: “The need to be better. Getting right back to work keeps (me) motivated.”
• Allyssa Beird: “The only true failure is to quit! Every fall is a learning opportunity and leaves goals unmet!”
• Enzo DeFerrari Wilson: “Failure is the motivation!!”
• Xavier Dantzler: “Think about all the reasons why I’m doing it.”
• Owen Dyer: “I watch footage of ninjas that I look up to. That makes me want to go after my goals.”
• Cody Johnston: “Wow! That was fun, let me try that again. Keep training and have fun.”
• Brian Kretsch: “Self-belief, recognizing how much I’ve grown, and holding on to the original passion for total victory.”
• Vance Walker: “The goal still isn’t achieved.”

Elizabeth Morris/NBC

How do you handle nerves when you’re struggling on an obstacle?

• Jay Lewis: “Understand the worst thing that can happen is I fall, which isn’t the end of the world.”
• Verdale Benson: “I focus on the objective of clearing an obstacle, the nerves go away once I start.”
• Ernesto Perez: “I take a deep breath. Remind myself that everyone feels the same and push through.”
• John Mack: “Breathing. Just focusing on something simple like that keeps me focused and calm.”
• Allyssa Beird: “No nerves on the course! I listen to the vibe of the audience and use it as motivation.”
• Xavier Dantzler: “Say to myself, ‘This is easy.”
• Brian Kretsch: “You can only feel one emotion at a time, so I (fill) myself with love and gratitude to block out the nerves.”
• Vance Walker: “I just try to treat it like stuff I’ve done before.”

Elizabeth Morris/NBC

Think we should do more “instant interviews” like this? Drop into the comments below and ask the questions you want the Ninjas to answer.