The Course Walk-Through
Our numbers were called by a casting member directing us to the course starting place. They called the numbers and names of all the ninjas who could be running up until the lunch break at about 12:30 a.m. These were the first 50 to 60 competitors. I was called because I was walk-on number eight. Here we go.
One of the producers read through the competition rules and then, obstacle by obstacle, talked us through what was acceptable and what was not. Then a member of the ATS (Alpine Training Services) team demonstrated successful completion of each obstacle. ATS is a company that sets up and tests the obstacles for ANW. Following each demo, there was a time for questions. As usual, there were a few questions, like “If we’re thrown from the Rolling Log, are we disqualified if our butt hits the mat in contrast to our feet landing on the mat like we just saw in the demonstration?”
After each demo was completed for each obstacle, all competitors were asked to raise their hand to signify they fully understood the requirements of the obstacle. A video camera panned the group to document that everyone acknowledged they understood the rules. Other than the video documentation portion at the end, this is a standard process for most local ninja competitions. This felt normal.
The Wait
How many walk-ons would get to run at the beginning? Maybe 10? There was much speculation by the walk-ons about how many of us would run and when. We wanted to know, and like most of this experience, there was no way to know. One rumor was that they would run 10 of us at the beginning. Others thought there would be five, and depending on how those runs went and how long they took there might be another five, but I was not confident I would run. Something in the back of my mind kept saying, “This is a TV show and the producers can make changes whenever they want. I still may not run.”
The sun had set. Those famous bright ANW lights now appeared across the course and the sky.
Significant experiences are hardly ever simple and quick. There are many steps to take to achieve most anything of significance. As with our course walk-through, it’s important to understand all the requirements when you take something on. You must learn what is required, what you must do, and what you must not do. Without this knowledge, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
How well do you commit to taking the many steps required to complete things that are important to you? How well do you work at learning all the requirements of an initiative before you take it on?
This is an excerpt from the book, What Just Happened? The Run: An American Ninja Warrior Cleveland City Qualifier Course-Run Experience, available on Amazon.
#ANW, #American Ninja Warrior, #Ninja Warrior, #ANW Jr, #American Ninja Warrior Junior
cwarnky
Well Done Life 