On Like Donkey Kong – American Ninja Warrior 7

So excited!  Just got my official invite to compete in American Ninja Warrior 7!  I’m truly honored and humbled to get another chance to have this amazing experience.  For a middle-aged dad who spends most of his time either humping his corporate job to provide for his family or trying to be an engaged fun dad for his three incredible and active little boys, I really appreciate having this insane experience once a year pretending to be a ninja and testing myself against some ridiculous obstacles on an adrenaline-soaked stage .  And being part of the amazing ninja community with its diverse, passionate, and supportive members has given me a lot of wonderful friends that simply like to play and have fun.  I’m deeply appreciative of these things, and when I step on the course in Houston in just four short weeks for my 6th straight season I’ll feel that gratitude as I push myself to go further than ever before.

Donkey Kong

Tags:

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015 at 12:51 pm and is filed under American Ninja Warrior 7, Getting In. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Eric Matta

    Huge congrats and best of luck!

  • Vernon Whelchel

    Awesome awesome awesome!!! Make #6 the best year yet!!!

  • Matt Laessig

    Thanks Vernon, I appreciate that!

  • Matt Laessig

    Thank you Eric! I’ll do my best!

  • Jasmine Cochran

    I’ll be there, too! This is my first time, and I’m pumped and have butterflies all day, everyday!

  • Matt Laessig

    Congrats Jasmine! You competing to Houston? If you are, please come up and introduce yourself if you see me!

  • Jasmine Cochran

    Yep! Any pointers leading to the big day?

  • Matt Laessig

    Don’t overtrain the last week or two, come to the competition rested and healthy! Too many folks don’t know how to handle the excitement leading up to the competition and hurt themselves in that last stretch and have to compete less than 100% (or not at all).

  • Jasmine Cochran

    Duly noted!

  • Jake Harwood

    Hey Matt, Congrats on getting in for season 7. I’ve enjoyed reading several of your posts and can really relate to the training and injuries as I am nearing 46 years old. I watched your video about the Achilles tear and can totally relate to the lack of explosion as I ruptured mine about 4 years ago. I’ve been following and watching ninja warrior for a couple of years now and submitted a video this year with no response. I was wondering how many days in advance do you think I would need to go and camp out to have a chance at a walk on spot? I live in Austin and was going to try to walk on in Houston. – Jake Harwood

  • Matt Laessig

    Thanks Jake, I appreciate the words of encouragement and appreciation of my blogs! What I most hope to do with my writing is connect on some level to both competitors and folks like me. Good luck walking on in Houston, I admire your determination! It is hard to tell how early you have to line up, Venice partly sets the standard as it is first to go, but it is also LA with some crazed fans and fame seekers. My best guess is that with it happening on Saturday night, you will need to be there by the preceding weekend at some point. I would bet that folks start lining up that weekend, and you would need to be there by Sunday early afternoon to have a top 15 spot. If I were committed to walking on, I’d get there Sunday AM to claim my spot. That’s just my best guess, caveat emptor!

  • Jake Harwood

    Thank you for your best guess. I was thinking that it would be best to head out a week early, just hoping for something different. Just got the time off work. I know it’s still no sure thing, but if nothing else, I should have an experience to remember for the rest of my days. I’ve never even waited over night in line for anything. Not getting any younger…Got to live in the now. Hope to meet you in Houston.

  • Ian Waggoner

    Hey Matt, I ran Houston and introduced myself to you Friday. Do you know of any training groups in Austin? Want to train together sometime?

  • Matt Laessig

    Hey Ian! I don’t know of any regular training group here in Austin. I’d definitely be up for training sometime, for sure!

  • Muse Bedri

    I wish I could be there in person; it sounds like fun.