American Ninja Warrior

8/3/2022

Jackson Twait is a four-time veteran on “American Ninja Warrior” (ANW), a sports reality show that pushes elite athletes to their limit on obstacle courses of insane difficulties.

The 24-year-old first caught the Ninja itch back in eighth grade, but it wasn’t his first television aspiration.

“I just saw it on TV and started watching it, and it was like, ‘Well, shoot, that’s something I want to do,’ ” he said. “Before that, I wanted to do ‘Wipeout,’ and before that, I wanted to do ‘Fear Factor,’ like, in first grade.”

After being involved in athletics in high school, Twait decided to focus on rock-climbing to train for the show. ANW’s ever-changing variety of obstacles require agility, coordination, balance and brute strength.

As luck would have it, a Ninja U gym opened in Cedar Falls, where Jackson was attending the University of Northern Iowa. The local Ninja community welcomed him with open arms and helped him understand the specifics of how to train for the show — and how to get on screen.

Applicants answer several questions and submit a three-minute video showcasing their abilities, personality and backstory. And then, you wait.

Tens of thousands of people apply, but only about 400 people get a call.

“Usually, it’s a Los Angeles area code.” Twait said. “So, in the Ninja community, it’s a big deal — you’re waiting for that 818 call.”

He completed his first season in 2019, scoring the second fastest time in his qualifying round. In the years since then, he’s perfected his training regimen. For nine months each year, Twait frequents Climb Iowa in Grimes and the East Village. During the ANW season, he moves back to Cedar Falls for more intense obstacle training. His actuary job with Nationwide in Des Moines allows him to work from home.

An unexpected target of a Ninja’s training? Their body clock.

“Filming after the first round takes place overnight,” Twait explained. This way, the show’s producers don’t have to worry about the sun’s movement in the sky between cuts. “So we’re going into the gym at 2 a.m. to do our workouts and stuff, which is the primary reason I moved back to Cedar Falls, so I can train late at night. I can’t really go rock climb at 2 in the morning.”

Another reason drawing Twait back to Cedar Falls is his group of Ninja friends he’s grown up with in the sport. This season of ANW has featured three other Iowans, all of whom trained at the Cedar Falls gym: Ella Sankey, Chris Behrends and Levi Enright.

On the course, balance and technique obstacles are Twait’s greatest foe. Bounding across spinning spheres, hanging from a bar used to jump from one spot to another — that’s what bumped him off the show in 2019 and 2020. He doesn’t like the volatility of obstacles where miscalculating by even a fraction of an inch can mean the end of a run, or even a season.

But don’t get him wrong — just because the course requires precision doesn’t mean his actuarial brain is over-analyzing risk and probability.

“Absolutely nothing.” That’s what goes through Twait’s head during a run.

“I try to map everything out in my mind ahead of time and just have it ingrained in my brain, so that way I don’t need to think about things,” he said. “But if it’s just pure strength, and I can just kind of grunt through stuff, then that’s where I feel most comfortable.”

Last season, it wasn’t an obstacle that took Twait out of the running. He had qualified for the national finals in Las Vegas but was forced to withdraw after exposure to COVID-19.

This year, he’s back with a vengeance. He missed his mother’s wedding to compete at the qualifiers in San Antonio, Texas. His next run in the national finals is slated to air later this month. If he advances far enough, he’ll have a chance to win $1 million — something only two other competitors have accomplished.

It’s not about the money, though.

“I just want a year where I finish the year knowing I gave it my all; I made it as far as I could,” he said. “Honestly, I just want to be happy at the end of the season and feel like I performed to my abilities.”

But here’s the thing: ANW finished filming back in May, and contestants must remain hush-hush until their episodes air. So, was Twait happy with his performance at the end of this season?

“I’ll save that for the next interview,” he said with a smile.

While he — and the rest of Iowa — wait for results to be revealed, Twait continues to work his actuarial magic at Nationwide. When he’s not working, you might find him trying different local restaurants, searching for the best Brussel sprouts in Des Moines. (Centro is currently in the lead.)

If Twait does go the distance on the show, the prize money and acclaim won’t be going to his head. His first plan after winning is to break his strict diet.

“I’m gonna get a pancake,” he said.

“American Ninja Warrior” airs on NBC, Mondays at 7 p.m. ♦