I’m truly excited and humbled to share that I just got my official invite to compete in American Ninja Warrior 8!  I’m deeply grateful to have an opportunity to continue to compete in the show, it’s been a surprisingly amazing and transformative experience.  This will be my seventh season competing in American Ninja Warrior, and I never could have guessed that during that time it would rise from being an unknown show on G4 to a global sensation.  It has captured the imagination of not just America, but of the world.  It’s consistently been one of the top-rated summer shows in the US over the last few years, and the past few weeks have seen both Ninja Warrior Vietnam and Ninja Warrior France go down.  Who would have guessed an obstacle course competition full of the “every man (and woman)” competing against elite professional athletes would resonate so profoundly with so many people?  I feel so lucky to get to continue to be part of this journey.

I’ll be competing this year in the Oklahoma City region, which is one of the five regions for this season, along with about 100 other invited competitors (another 15-20 “walk-ons” will join us to compete after waiting in line for days).  The competition will start on Friday May 13th for the OK City Qualifying round, and then the top 30 competitors will advance to the OK City Finals the next night to determine the top 15 ninjas that will advance to the National Finals in Vegas sometime in June.  Twice in the last four seasons I’ve made the Regional Finals only to fall just short of progressing to the National Finals, so my goal is clear – make the National Finals for the first time.  I feel good about fulfilling my American Ninja Warrior 8 Pledge to be better prepared for this season than I have been for any previous season, I feel healthy and without injury for the first time in several years.  No excuses.

Thank you everybody for your continued support and enthusiasm, it means a lot.  I used to think that folks would think less of me and that I was nuts for my pursuit to be one of the top obstacle course runners in America even as I fully entered middle-age (will turn 45 shortly), but I’ve had the opposite experience, I have been deeply touched by the encouragement and love I’ve received on this journey.  Thank you, and I can’t wait to get on that course!