Category: Athletes

Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten

 

With so much emphasis being put upon conquering Mount Midoriyama, it may be surprising that only two ninjas have completed the entirety of the American Ninja Warrior course. This is not an indictment on the ninjas or their dedication, rather it shows how volatile the sport can be. The ninjas only have one chance to complete the course, with one mistake deciding their fate. One missed handhold or a jump that is just an inch too short is the difference between reaching the next stage and having to wait an entire year for another chance to compete. ANW is a sport of precision, so it is not surprising that there have only been two competitors to reach Stage 4 of the National Finals.

Stage 4 is a simple stage. There is only one obstacle, a climbing rope. This 75 foot rope must be climbed within 30 seconds. By itself, this is a relatively easy obstacle, but what makes this obstacle especially difficult is that it must be completed after the previous three stages. When most athletes fail to complete Stage 3 because of mistakes due to exhaustion, adding a 75 foot rope climb onto the end borders on cruel. The competitors likely find some motivation through the prize of a million dollars and the title of American Ninja Warrior.

The first time that anyone reached Stage 4, two reached it at the same time. These two ninjas are Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten. Isaac Caldiero is one of the best rock climbers in the country with an uncanny knack for making any obstacle that he takes on look easy. Geoff Britten is another rock climber with forearms that would make Popeye jealous (seriously, they are the size of his biceps).

Taking on the obstacle first, Geoff Britten climbed the rope in 29.65 seconds. Finally, someone had completed the course! It was, in fact, possible. Now, all eyes set on Isaac Caldiero. Caldiero managed to climb the rope in only 26.14 seconds, a full three seconds faster than Britten.

Now, the people who run ANW faced a unique question: what do you do with the prize money when two people win? The show had no plan for this situation, so they decided that Isaac Caldiero, having completed Stage 4 faster, should receive the prize money and title of American Ninja Warrior. While Geoff Britten may be the first American Ninja Warrior, Isaac Caldiero managed to be the American Ninja Warrior with an extra million dollars to his name.

 

<http://sasukepedia.wikia.com/wiki/American_Ninja_Warrior_7>

Drew Drechsel

 

Remember how I talked about athletic freaks in the post about Joe Moravsky? Well Drew Drechsel is American Ninja Warrior’s answer to LeBron James and Rob Gronkowski. Drechsel began his American Ninja Warrior career in ANW3. His interest in ANW grew because the parkour tricks that he needed to do for an adrenaline rush were becoming too dangerous. That is right, the tricks that Drechsel was doing were so dangerous that a parkour runner, who is well aware of the dangerous nature of parkour, thought the tricks were becoming unsafe. Rather than risking his life with parkour, Drew Drechsel chose something that he felt was equivalent, American Ninja Warrior.

While many athletes receive nicknames based on an aspect about themselves like their job or a physical feature, Drechsel’s nickname was based on an observation. Drew Drechsel is “The Real Life Ninja.”

Since he began in ANW3, Drew Drechsel has been one of the longest tenured ninjas to compete in American Ninja Warrior. He has kept a consistent level of success, always reaching at least the Second Stage of the National Finals. Additionally, Drechsel is one of the few Americans that competes on SASUKE. Not only does he compete on SASUKE, but he excels. Drechsel has reached the third stage in every season of SASUKE except for his first when he suffered a serious knee injury, tearing his right meniscus, ACL, and MCL in addition to breaking multiple bones in his lower leg.

Despite his injury, Drechsel was soon ready to compete for American Ninja Warrior thanks to aggressive rehabilitation. From ANW4 through ANW6, Drechsel and David “Flip” Rodriguez were rivals, testing each other’s limits. After ANW7, however, Drew decided to refocus and worry about finishing the course rather than outpacing Rodriguez.

The single most impressive point in the career of Drew Drechsel, in my mind, is his work on Wingnut Alley. On the Second Stage of the National Finals of ANW9, one obstacle became a clear ninja-killer: Wingnut Alley. The transitions proved too difficult for many of the athletes, many had trouble building up enough momentum to move between the wingnuts, and those who could often had trouble keeping a grip on the wingnut upon landing due to the power they had built up.

Drew Drechsel, on the other hand, was too strong for the obstacle. Because of the advice of the other ninjas, Drew Drechsel launched at nearly full strength from one wingnut to the other. While he managed to reach the other wingnut with ease and keep a grip, his landing was rough and he injured his arm, causing him to fail the proceeding transition.

As evidenced by his failure on Wingnut Alley, if anyone has the physical skills and focus to be the next American Ninja Warrior, it is “The Real Life Ninja,” Drew Drechsel.

 

<http://sasukepedia.wikia.com/wiki/Drew_Drechsel>

Joe Moravsky

 

When people think of what an elite athlete looks like, they probably imagine someone like LeBron  James or Rob Gronkowski, athletic freaks who look like they have been lifting weights since the womb. If you passed Joe Moravsky on the street, though, chances are you would think nothing of it. Despite his modest build, Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky is an elite athlete.

Joe Moravsky went the farthest of any rookie ever, reaching Stage Three (and being the second to last man standing). Including that rookie season, ANW5, Moravsky has reached Stage Three four out of his five years competing. With this information alone, it is clear that Moravsky is one of the best ninjas that the sport has to offer.

The Weatherman was clearly not happy with being second-place, however, and came into ANW9 with a vengeance. Generally, Moravsky is a speed-runner, constantly trying to beat records for how quickly a course can be beaten. On Stage Three of the National Finals, however, Joe changed his strategy completely. Like a surgeon, Moravsky used skill and precision to systematically destroy the course.

Joe Moravsky’s Stage Three Run (Starting at the Peg Cloud)

The Weatherman handled the first five obstacles of Stage Three with relative ease. Of course, these obstacles are extremely difficult, but like any elite competitor, he makes it look easy. You can start to see him sweat, however, as he reaches the sixth, new obstacle, the Peg Cloud. The Peg Cloud requires the ninja to move between vertical beams using mobile, tiny handles. Using creativity to handle the obstacle, Moravsky used his legs to ease the load on his arms, looking like a member of the circus in the process. The strength required to navigate the Peg Cloud alone is immense, let alone after handling the five obstacles preceding it. Nonetheless, Moravsky handled the obstacle like a champ, only failing the course after the Time Bomb, another new obstacle.

As the only competitor in ANW9 to beat the Ultimate Cliffhanger, Moravsky became the last man standing. While being the last man standing is an unofficial title, it shows the level of excellence that Moravsky has reached and that fans have grown to expect. Never judge a book by its cover, especially if that book is the elite ninja warrior Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky.

 

<http://sasukepedia.wikia.com/wiki/Joe_Moravsky>

Kevin Bull

 

Some ninjas are known for their ability to destroy courses systematically. Some sprint through the course like there is a pack of wild dogs chasing after them. Some ninjas are known for wearing costumes. Kevin Bull is known for a different distinctive feature, his complete lack of hair.

At the age of 21, Bull began losing his hair. He was quickly diagnosed with alopecia universalis, which affects hair across his entire body. While the condition may appear harsh, people with alopecia only lose their hair. There are no other physical effects, though there are also negative social effects brought on by the condition.

Bull is not the only elite athlete to be affected by alopecia. Charlie Villanueva, a professional basketball player, has alopecia universalis like Bull. Other professional athletes such as Ryan Shazier and Joshua Dobbs, both Pittsburgh Steelers, suffer from alopecia areata, a less severe version of alopecia. While all of these men faced difficult times due to their medical condition, they have all grown stronger because of alopecia.

While Bull’s condition is distinctive, it has not held him back in competition. Kevin Bull has never been a top ninja, but he consistently makes it to Las Vegas and competes at an extremely high level. What Bull may be best known for is his unique handling of Cannonball Alley.

As a walk-on in ANW6, Bull was managing the Venice City course, hoping to reach Vegas as a rookie. On his way, Kevin was forced to take on Cannonball Alley. Cannonball Alley forces contestants to grip progressively larger “cannonballs” in order to avoid falling into the water below. While most people would move between the cannonballs using only their hands, Kevin Bull did an impression of a trapeze artist. The confidence required to take on an obstacle in this nontraditional way is exceptional, let alone doing so as a walk-on rookie.

With the recognition that his condition and his rendition of Cannonball Alley provided, Bull decided to give back. Kevin used his fame to bring attention to the Children’s Alopecia Project[https://childrensalopeciaproject.org/]. Rather than being selfish with his success, Kevin Bull decided to help children with the same condition as his own.

While he may not be the best ninja, Kevin Bull has left his unique mark on American Ninja Warrior and has proven himself to be one of the best people to have competed in ANW.

 

<http://dermatologytimes.modernmedicine.com/dermatology-times/news/american-alopecia-ninja-attacks-awareness>

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.americanninjawarriornation.com/2017/8/31/16217330/kacy-catanzaro-american-ninja-warrior-wwe>

<https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/08/31/kacy-catanzaro-american-ninja-warrior-wwe/614951001/>

Jessie Graff

With how physical American Ninja Warrior can be, some might assume that all of the competitors are male. This assumption could not be further from the truth, in large part due to Jessie Graff.

Like many other athletes on ANW, Jessie has a background in gymnastics. In fact, Jessie took part in competitive gymnastics for a considerable part of her life. In school, she transitioned into the pole vault, competing at the NCAA level. She currently holds the pole vault record at Georgia Tech and Nebraska University. In addition to gymnastics and pole vaulting, Jessie took circus classes at an extremely young age and has multiple black belts. All of these experiences have created the dynamic athlete required to succeed in American Ninja Warrior. Jessie is not all brawn, however. She intended to major in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, continuing from her success as a member of the National Honor Society in high school.

Jessie Graff doing a back handspring in a dress at the 2016 Emmy’s

After graduating from college, she became a professional stuntwoman. She has acted as a stuntwoman in films such as X-Men: First Class, Live Free or Die Hard, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and in television shows such as Agents of Shield, NCIS, and, most recently and famously, Supergirl. Jessie’s athletic accolades are stellar, and her body of work as a stuntwoman speaks for itself. Graff had even competed on a different obstacle course show, Wipeout. She has truly earned her fame, however, through American Ninja Warrior.

In ANW5, Jessie hit the ground running. She became the first woman to qualify for a City Finals course, wearing a chicken costume no less. Before she could follow up that success, Jessie unfortunately tore her ACL, TCL, and meniscus. While Jessie was away, Kacy Catanzaro became the first woman to climb the famed Warped Wall. When Jessie returned, however, she came back with a vengeance. Graff reached the national finals in Las Vegas, but the dreaded warped wall prevented her from going any further.

Entering ANW8, Jessie faced an even taller challenge: the Warped Wall grew to fourteen and a half feet after the success of Ninja champions Caldiero and Britten. In the qualifying round, Jessie had to face the Warped Wall. Unlike her previous attempts, Graff overcame the obstacle. She became the first woman to climb the new, taller Warped Wall. During her Stage 1 run at the National Finals, Jessie successfully climbed the Warped Wall with an ever shorter run-up. Graff proceeded to complete Stage 1, the first woman to ever do so.

As a member of the USA team in the special USA vs the World competition, Jessie completed Stage 2. Though this run was not during season competition, this run immortalized Graff as the first woman to compete for the USA team and as the first woman to complete Stage 2.

Jessie Graff is a trailblazer, disproving any misconceptions about female competitors not being good enough to compete, while acting as a wonderful role model. Jessie Graff is an exceptional athlete and an integral part of the American Ninja Warrior past, present, and future.

Sources

<https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/jessica-graff-192957>

<https://www.martialartsentertainment.com/jessie-graff/>

<http://m.imdb.com/name/nm2421085/>

<https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/08/29/american-ninja-warrior-jessie-graff/89563008/>