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ST. GEORGE — Utah-native Isaac Caldiero made history last year when he became the first official winner to claim the $1 million prize on "American Ninja Warrior." Now, St. George-based athlete, David Peterson, hopes to follow in Caldiero’s footsteps and leave his mark on the legendarily difficult competition.
“American Ninja Warrior” is a television show based off the global hit, "Sasuke," a Tokyo-produced reality show. Contestants navigate a series of grueling obstacle courses in an attempt to claim the prize money and title of “American Ninja Warrior.”
Peterson has been training for the competition since 2015. In recent months, he said he has kicked it up to a whole new level of intensity.
“The support from my wife and three kids to let me take time away from home in the evening to train has been crucial,” Peterson said. “I’ve focused quite a bit on endurance and different types of obstacle training, like swinging transfers from one obstacle to another.”
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Four men from St. George came together to take on "American Ninja Warrior."It was the complexity of the courses that attracted Peterson to the competition in the first place. He said he values the opportunity to test his abilities and seek new skills. An Eagle Scout, Peterson credits his early experiences with the Boy Scouts of America for instilling in him the persistence to overcome obstacles in life.
Peterson now works as the District Director for the Utah National Parks Council in St. George. In his role, he trains leaders and oversees district operations for more than 6,000 youth and 3,200 adult leaders.
Given Peterson’s strong ties to Scouting, it’s not surprising that he incorporated several Scouting elements into his “American Ninja Warrior” audition video. He then received a call from the show’s casting crew telling him, he’d been selected to compete in Oklahoma City on May 13.
If Peterson finishes the qualifying round, he’ll compete with the top athletes in the finals the following day.
“My goal overall is to have fun and enjoy the ride, but make it through qualifying and kill it in the finals,” Peterson said.
Peterson won’t be making the trip to Oklahoma alone. Three of his “American Ninja Warrior” training buddies, Brian Beckstrand, Jon Stewart and John Merrihew, have also been invited to compete in the competition. Like Peterson, they share a love for extreme challenges, and like Peterson, they’re all former Boy Scouts.
