STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Becoming an American Ninja Warrior JACKSO N GRI F F E TH Georgia ’19
Jackson and his wife, Katherine, on the American Ninja Warrior starting platform.
ON MARCH 16, 2017, I answered a phone call from an unknown Los Angeles phone number. I had been keeping my phone close since New Year’s Day when I decided to submit a last-minute application to the American Ninja Warrior TV show. I threw my video submission together in one day and had never even trained on a Ninja obstacle before. The man on the phone introduced himself as an agent and said, “I sure hate calling people to tell them they didn’t get picked to be on the show. Which is why I’m happy this isn’t one of those phone calls!” I was one of 600 competitors chosen from 77,000 applicants to compete on American Ninja Warrior, season nine. Seven years ago, this dream was impossible. I fractured my spine while playing football at the University of Georgia, an injury that would send me down a long and humbling road to recovery. The world of athletics I enjoyed so much suddenly became far-fetched. Forget scaling the Warped Wall — I struggled to stand up straight. Looking back, that injury forced me to take a serious look at my life. I grew personally, spiritually and academically. Over the next few years of physical therapy and incredible support from family and friends, I regained much of
Wearing my American flag gym shorts and dental white coat, I excitedly took to the starting platform. I knew in that moment … I was blessed to be running that course.
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VOLUME 2 NUMBER 9
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Jackson has participated in various competitions since his American Ninja Warrior experience.
the physical ability that I lost. Now with a new appreciation for health and an enduring desire to push myself athletically, I had the chance to try something new. I had about a month to train before the show. Having little previous climbing experience, I knew my biggest weakness would be grip strength. I began rigorous training. My hands were constantly blistered. When the time came, my wife Katherine and I went to Kansas City, Missouri, with my parents, uncle and friend. We met other competitors from across the country and had a great time getting to know one another. We speculated what obstacles the course would include since we were not allowed to see the course until the night of the competition. I had school final exams the week after the games, so I spent much of my downtime studying. When the night finally arrived, I reported at 11 p.m. and waited on set until 4:30 a.m. when it was my turn to run the course. Wearing my American flag gym shorts and dental white coat, I excitedly took to the starting platform. I knew in that moment, regardless of how I did, I was blessed to be running that course. I cleared the Floating Steps, Hang Glider and Broken Pipes obstacles comfortably. I felt confident moving into the fourth obstacle, Crank It Up, and moved through it smoothly until my fingers started losing their strength. I tried to push through to
OCTOBER 2018
the dismount but fell to a watery fate. I just missed the top 30 group moving on to the finals, but I felt peace knowing I tried my hardest and had an awesome time. My experience on the show brought many surprise blessings. I had incredible support from our community and the Dental College of Georgia, new friends from the Ninja Warrior community and the chance to share this adventure with the same loved ones who helped me through my injury. Dental school can be stressful. Having a regular training regimen helped me stay balanced and healthy. When presented with an opportunity, go with confidence, try something new and have fun. "
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