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SALT LAKE CITY – It's official, Utah's 19-year-old Kai Beckstrand was crowned the winner of American Ninja Warrior. Kai Beckstrand, a St. George native, competed in Season 17 of the show, although it's not his first round. "When I started ninja at just seven years old, I never would have imagined winning the show," Kai Beckstrand told KSL TV.Kai Beckstrand and his family have been training in St. George for years. He is a former 'American Ninja Warrior Junior' winner. He told KSL TV his latest win meant a lot to both him and his family. "My sidelines had already wrapped around the course, came up the backside, and Luke was already lifting me up to celebrate with me," he said. Earlier in the season, Kai Beckstrand's mother, Holly, and his sister, Baylee, competed. Luke Beckstrand, his younger brother, was also competing alongside Kai Beckstrand this season. "Luke's just my biggest, best friend and partner I could ever ask for," Luke Beckstrand said. "To have them on the sidelines, cheering me on.. just a super great feeling to see them stand behind me in everything that I do.'In every appearance on American Ninja Warrior, Kai Beckstrand always made it to the finals. He came very close to victory last year, and this year, finally took home the in. Kai Beckstrand said it was heartwarming to have his hard work finally pay off. "All the hours, and really years at this point, of work that I've put in – to see that all pay off is super rewarding," Kai Beckstrand said. [gallery ids="812920,812921,812919,812922,812923,812918"] He is already looking towards the future, and told KSL TV he wants to be a volunteer firefighter. He got a special shout-out from the St. George Fire Department on his victory. He also just got engaged and is getting married in October.
