Why We Love American Ninja Warrior

Unless you've been living under a rock, by now you have either watched, or at least heard of, the television hit American Ninja Warrior.

On the surface, it is an exciting display of strength and grit carried out by hundreds of physically gifted and brawn-oriented athletes. In itself, that is interesting enough. But, if you've taken the time to check it out for more than a few minutes here and there, you can easily understand why ANW is so much more than just that.

This series, now in its 11th season, offers something very different from the typical sporting competition. In fact, several things.

First off, most of the top competitors have had, or still have very typical lives, especially in terms of careers. There are no shortage of teachers, first responders, pharmacists, students, caregivers, and pretty much every other profession you can think of. In essence, we are talking about "real people" here. Some have turned their passion into gym ownership, and working as stuntmen and women in Hollywood, but even at that, they aren't typically the most glamorous jobs that put people in the limelight.

Then we have the fact that there are a variety of competitors of different ages. The youngest contestants in the official competitions can be 19 years old. However, some of the starts are well into their 30s, and in a few cases are in their 40s. The show has seen athletes up to 70 plus!

Then there is the structure that encourages both genders to compete together. It's not often that we have this in major sports or competitive events of any kind. If you are a fan, you undoubtedly know about the notable female athletes like "Mighty" Kacy Catanzaro, the first woman to finish a city finals course, and make it climb the warped wall. Or one of my favorites, Jesse Garff, the first to compete in a city finals course, and first to get to, and complete, stage two in Las Vegas. Then there are countless other female stars like Megan Martin, Alyssa Beard, Michelle Warnky, and Barclay Stockett to name a few. Top male competitors include Drew Drechsel, Flip Rodriguez, Kevin Bull, Joe Moravsky, and Isaac Caldiero, the winner of the competition in season seven.

And then there are always tons of inspiring stories. They range from people running the course after major injuries, to overcoming homelessness, and even donating an organ to someone. Each and every episode has something special. Recently, a young man with autism completed the course to move on to a city finals.

But perhaps the most compelling part of the show is not the competition, but the camaraderie. In a world in which we are used to athletes and celebrities, and even regular, everyday people for that matter, fight and argue over their differences, and sometimes even the pettiest things, it's hard not to notice the friendliness among the show's participants.

Yes, there is a healthy sense of rivalry and competitiveness. However, the emphasis here is on the "healthy" part. Instead of seeing people call each other out on social media, or get in each other's faces on the field of play, time after time you see those either waiting to make their run, or those who have already taken it, standing on the sidelines cheering for their fellow ninjas. Sometimes, a number of athletes who are running in another city stop by for no other reason than to cheer on their competitors. You won't find that happening in too many other places.

So, why do we love American Ninja Warrior? What's not to love? Even if you are a late bloomer to being a fan of this series, I urge you to check it out for yourself. If you don't find it captivating and inspiring, I don't know what you will.