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SALT LAKE CITY — It’s easy to understand why NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" has become a hit TV show.
Yes, it's entertaining. But the contestant fails are just one reason. There is also something inspiring about watching an athlete conquer a course that looks impossible to complete.
It has made celebrities out of champions like Katie Catanzaro and Isaac Caldiero.
It has inspired many, especially in Utah, to try to build and conquer a ninja course.
“I’ve been building stuff since I was 2 years old,” Moxie Fitness Equipment founder Adam Piccari said.
Piccari and his wife build custom fitness equipment that go anywhere from large facilities to home gyms. Now they have built a two-story, 3000-square foot ninja course that you can try at FitCon on April 29.
“We did a lot of research, a lot of images on Google and just went with it. So hopefully we’re on the right track," said Megan Peterson, a former gymnast and current personal trainer. “I’ve always loved the show so the fact that we actually have this is awesome.”
The project is in the finishing stages and athletes who have tried out the course have a new appreciation for ninja warrior competitors.
Fear is the biggest challenge in conquering the course.
“I stood up there on one of the obstacles and couldn’t jump to the next one because I was too scared,” said Keslie Piccari, who designed and built the course with her husband Adam.
Crossfit enthusiasts are already taking notice.
“I’m like, wow, I’m a ways up here and trying to crawl across this thing and I’m tired and my grip is gone,” one enthusiast, Tony Donato, said.
The course also makes for a good change-of-pace workout.
“It’s fun to push yourself and it’s different, it’s so different,” Peterson said. “It’s not just go to the gym, do your weights, It’s a fun way to play. We always played when we were kids. I don’t want to grow up, so this is a fun way to be a kid all over again. I love it.”
If you’ve always wanted to try a ninja course you will soon get a chance. FitCon will debut the ninja course on April 29 at the South Town Expo Center and competitors can buy a ticket and enjoy as many runs through the course as they want during open qualifying. Those with the top 10 times will then be invited to compete for a championship on April 30 to determine Utah’s best ninja warrior.
For more information, go to fitconutah.com/ninja-challenge.
