American Ninja Warrior is not just a TV show. It's a frame of mind. Meaning, it constantly challenges your mind to try new things, be brave, meet new people, go out of your comfort zone, and thrive to achieve. Yes, it's just an obstacle that you are trying to conquer. But, it's more than that...it engraves a sense of freedom in your soul! Freedom to put your walls down, freedom to fail, freedom to grow, freedom to let go of "being like everyone else", freedom to love fitness without pressure, and freedom to PLAY! Yes, PLAY! As adults, we don't play enough. This type of training brings the joys of playing back into your life. The childhood days of playing on the playground...falling, getting back up, laughter, getting bruises and scrapes from playing too hard, trying to balance, jump, reach, pull up, etc. It is freedom in the form of fitness. And I love it!
Over time, the American Ninja Warrior frame of mind seeps into your everyday life. You find yourself being braver at the gym, running that extra mile, tumbling with your kids in the yard, playing at the park, climbing trees, and just not taking life so serious! It has blessed my children with the same mindset. I constantly hear them talking about "being able to do anything." And they are so brave, which can be scary for me sometimes, but I love that they have that confidence! They are so involved with the ninja world, I hope the "ninja traits" continue to shape their character. So, thank you to American Ninja Warrior for uncovering another layer of my free spirited side. It has transformed the way I view life. I know, sounds ridiculous, but it just does something to your inner being! The ninja community is highly Christian based, so I have grown spiritually too. I can't explain it, but it's like everything came together. I feel like a better mom, healthier, stronger, more adventurous, brave and I am truly enjoying life like never before!
I want my kids to never fear being a beginner! And that's just what I did...I remember my first day of walking into the ninja gym. Total beginner, totally overwhelmed, and totally sore! But, I didn't fear failure and look what has happened as a result, more blessings than I can count! All starting with my goal to live out a promise to my mom...a promise to take care of my body! So, kids, never fear taking that first step, never fear failing, never fear being the outcast, never fear looking ridiculous, never stop challenging yourself, and never take life so serious that you forget to play!
So, that leads me to Oklahoma City!! I didn't get called to be a contestant on the show this year. SO many people applied, under 1% got called. That is crazy! Turns out, a lot of people with inspiring stories got called. In the end, it is a TV show, so they do have to pull the heart strings! However, a lot of very skilled veterans got called too. There are just so many strong and talented athletes! I was totally fine with not getting a call. I am believer in God's timing. This journey has opened up so many opportunities, way more than 20 seconds on TV. It wasn't my time, maybe one day it will be? But, I am not stopping training and soaking up the joys of ninja world! I actually got the opportunity to test the course! How cool is that?!
The show is taped in regions. Our region was filmed in Oklahoma City. Scott and I made the road trip while Gigi (Scott's mom) stayed home with the kids. I ran the course for 2 days. They would watch me run an obstacle then they would tweak it, make adjustments to get ready for the show! I LOVED this! I got the experience of the show without the pressure! And I did really good!! I actually made it just as far as the well known ninja girls that got filmed that night! Scott was so excited when we saw that I was a true contender!
Let me back up a second...my dad got SO sick the week we left. He got a kidney transplant 16 years ago. The life expectancy for a transplanted kidney is 8 years. So, needless to say, he is experiencing the effects of kidney failure. He is not a candidate for surgery. He is too old, weak and they fear he would never recover. So, he is making the most! He gets dehydrated easily, he always has a UTI because his kidneys don't filter, etc. So, he went to the hospital about a week before Oklahoma City for his "usual stuff." However, it was a storm of events from there. He needed a blood transfusion, he was severely dehydrated, his kidney count was way off. So, he stayed in the hospital for a week. This created insomnia because it's just so hard to sleep in the hospital. Put it all together, his mental state flipped like a switch! He seriously went into hallucinations and schizophrenic. So very scary to see. The doctors said it is somewhat normal for elderly people in his condition to get this in the hospital!!! I didn't leave his bedside. After two days, they had to sedate him to get him to sleep! They said it would "reset" his mind. Sure enough, he woke up back to his normal self. Tired, groggy, but much improved! It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen! He went home with nurse care while he built his strength back. He told me he would hold his breath and take me out of his will if I didn't go on this trip! So, I tried to clear my conscious and got on the road. I was exhausted, physically and mentally, but I was so excited for this experience!
While testing, they needed a tall tester to test the reach for an obstacle. So, they called Scott out of the crowd!! Ha! He's a good sport and went for it! Soaking wet, in his bluejeans! But, he had a blast and got a taste. The show is filmed from 8pm-5am...all night long! So, after I tested all day, we stayed up all night watching the show. Then, onto another day of testing. It was a tiring weekend, but will go in the books as one of my favorite experiences in my life. Scott and I enjoyed the adventures of the weekend, all the new friends we met, and stories of triumph we witnessed! Amazing!
One of the coolest parts of the trip was that we got to stay with one of my best friends! I've known her since Pre-k, and she recently moved to Oklahoma City. She was due with her 3rd baby at any moment, so it was exciting to see her nursery and hear all her baby stories! They came to watch some of the show too. I have really missed her, so I enjoyed our pedicure, lunch and laying in bed and talking! We also had some down time to be tourist. Oklahoma City really is beautiful!
Then, a month later, the show aired on TV. It was so awesome to watch it all edited! It's amazing how they have to shape it for TV. There is some definite editing involved! Scott and I were on TV a couple times. Scott is wearing the neon hat! Then, I was visiting with my ninja peeps and ended up getting a screen shot for a few seconds. When I came up on TV, my phone started blowing up..."I just saw you!" ha! 3 seconds! But, my children totally think I am famous! To wrap it up, this experience has been life changing and I am honored to carry on with this journey!
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