'American Ninja Warrior' tests physical and mental toughness. Thanks to his training regime and Leeds, Nate Hansen has both.
Nate Hansen Bus'22âbetter known as Gnarly Ninja Nateâcelebrates winning in the semifinal on 'American Ninja Warrior.' That victory sent him to the finals, which begin Aug. 30 in Las Vegas. (Photo:ÌęElizabeth Morris/NBC)
One of Nate Hansenâs favorite childhood traditions was Monday nights, when the family would gather on the couch for ice cream and âAmerican Ninja Warrior.â
Today, heâs not just Nate Hansen, but Gnarly Ninja Nate, a physics-defying athlete who has qualified for the showâs Season 13 national finals, which airs beginning tonight. And while heâs one of 64 finalists whoâve trained for the obstacles they must overcome to win, what those other competitors donât have is an education from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.Ìę
And if you think those obstacles are just physical, Hansenâa senior studying marketing and real estateâwill be quick to correct you.
âSuccess in the physical challenges on the course comes down to your mental state,â Hansen said. âIf you can approach each challenge with confidence, thatâs when youâll be successful.â
That attitude has helped him train as a ninja, but itâs also made him a better student. Hansen arrived at Boulder with a prestigious Daniels Scholarship, but admits his academic career got off to a difficult start, especially as he started training for the show.Ìę
Many of the show's physical challenges are extra difficult for Nate Hansen, who has growth hormone deficiency and is much shorter than other athletes. He enjoys using the show as a way to reach and inspire othersâespecially childrenâwith GHD. (Photos: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)
âMy hobbies took over my education, and I developed some bad habits,â Hansen said. Later in his freshman year, he said, âI realized I couldnât be a full-time student, a full-time athlete and an inspiration to all these people without being disciplined.â
His marketing classes has been crucial in helping him build a brand for himself on social mediaâan important consideration for contestants on the show, who need a story to go along with their physical prowess. Ìę
âWhen I started on the show, I realized it was a job as an athlete, but also a job as a marketerâI need to be able to promote myself,â he said. âMy Leeds education has helped me with that. Iâve learned not just to read a textbook, but how to apply what youâve been taught in different ways. Thatâs influenced me as an athleteâyou can learn a skill over and over again, or you can learn the movement behind the skill and then use that movement to overcome new challenges.âÌę
âYou have to prepare for the uncontrollable. You donât always know how a new obstacle will behave, or how hard a test or project will be.â
Nate Hansen Bus'22
Overcoming challenges is old hat to Hansen. At age 12, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency; he absorbed more than his share of abuse from bullies as he went through school. At 5 foot 2 inches, heâs easily among the showâs shortest contestants, but he uses his height and his platform to be a model to others with GHD.Ìę
âI didnât have anyone to look up to until I met Brian (Arnold, a longtime âNinjaâ contestant)âand I still found it hard to relate to him, because he was so much taller than I was,â Hansen said with a laugh. âI want to be that role model for other kids, so they can look at âNinja Warriorâ and Gnarly Nate and say, âI can conquer anything and be just like him.ââÌę
Because heâs smaller than most competitors, he has to approach the challenges on the course differently. Watching him leap across platforms or swing from bars high in the air, you realize how much extra training Hansen has done to ensure he can complete the course.
'Prepare for the uncontrollable'
ââNinja Warriorâ has taught me there are going to be difficult, dangerous, challenging situations, and sometimes you canât predict them,â he said. âYou have to prepare for the uncontrollable. You donât always know how a new obstacle will behave, or how hard a test or project will be.â
Hansenâs short-term goal is not to win Season 13 of âAmerican Ninja Warrior,â but to become the showâs first multiseason champion. In the longer term, heâs hoping his Leeds education helps him create a gym that emphasizes becoming a better version of yourself, as opposed to just training and working out. Thatâs meant carving out more time for classes even as heâs focused more on athletics.Ìę
âI never want to go into a competitionâwhether thatâs ninja or a testâthinking there was something more I could have done to improve my performance,â he said. âI want to be sure in my education and athletics that Iâm giving 100 percent at all times.âÌę
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