Kacy Catanzaro
As I mentioned in my blog post on Jessie Graff, women and men compete on equal grounds in American Ninja Warrior. This aspect of ANW is something that I truly admire. The sport doesn’t feel the need to cater to anyone specific. Some may feel that having the exact same course for both genders is a weakness, but I think it is the exact opposite. By providing a sport where everyone is on an equal playing ground, everyone has a chance to show their greatness and prove themselves.
Personally, I am not a huge fan of Kacy Catanzaro. She has never struck me as especially interesting. Nonetheless, I understand why she is important and how different, for the worse, the sport of Ninja Warrior would be without her. Kacy Catanzaro understood that greatness is attainable, no matter what obstacles you may face.
Kacy Catanzaro, like many ANW athletes, is a former gymnast. You can tell by looking at her (she is less than five feet tall). Catanzaro first competed in ANW5, where she had difficulty due to her height. She made it to the city finals as a wildcard, where she had an early exit. At the time, she seemed like any other competitor.
Catanzaro came back with a vengeance. In ANW6, she reached the warped wall. For most women, this obstacle would mean the end of their run. Only two women, Jessie Graff and Nika Muckelroy, had reached the Warped Wall before. Neither had completed it. If ever there was an unbeatable obstacle, for women the warped wall was it. Despite these odds, Kacy became the first woman to climb the Warped Wall.
Kacy accomplished what had previously been thought impossible. In the process, Catanzaro became an icon for ANW. The quantity of women competing in American Ninja Warrior grew exponentially after Catanzaro’s infamous run, and many of the top women competing today were inspired by Kacy.
After ANW6, Kacy never reached those same heights again. In ANW9, after all of the pressure that she faced throughout the years, Catanzaro announced that she intended to retire. Rather than continue with American Ninja Warrior, Kacy would become a wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Catanzaro made a huge impact on American Ninja Warrior. Without her, there would not be nearly the amount of women competing as there are today. Kacy Catanzaro is one of the most important competitors in American Ninja Warrior history, and she will be remembered for her huge impact on the sport.
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/08/31/kacy-catanzaro-american-ninja-warrior-wwe/614951001/>