Three Green Bay area athletes are just one step away from competing on American Ninja Warrior on NBC26. Drew and Dalton Knapp and their friend Luke Chambers are in Denver this week to compete in the regional finals. They made the cut out of 77,000 applications.
The Knapp brothers are no strangers to the popular show. Drew dominated the obstacle course on national TV last season, but Dalton even grabbed the spotlight on the sidelines, as Drew explained to America how his brother's battle with childhood cancer affected him.
"Dalton has been a hero and an inspiration to me for awhile and really pushed me to reach for those huge goals," he explained.
Drew's dreams of winning the competition were dashed last year when he fell off the rolling logs, but now he says he's back and even better.
"I wasn't prepared for what I experienced and how late we were staying up, and when we were competing and everything else going on, so I'm definitely wiser this year."
"On the show, you are competing at night. It's from nine o'clock to six in the morning. So for us, we've been trying to do later workouts, early workouts, just getting our body used to whatever they throw at us," Chambers explains.
The trio trains on a homemade, backyard obstacle course that they change daily in order to continue challenging themselves. They're focusing on improving their balance and strength, but they're also mentally preparing.
"I try not to think about it and that helps me not get nervous," Dalton says.
Whether they win or lose, the guys say they're in this together. "It's just going to be cool having that support," says Chambers.
They even plan to open their own gym called Warrior Jungle in De Pere this year, so they can share their passion with all of Northeast Wisconsin. Their business venture could get a boost through the show. The winner of American Ninja Warrior takes home a $1 million prize.
If the guys do well in Denver, they will move on to the show in Las Vegas. NBC26 will keep you updated on their journey.
The season premiere of American Ninja Warrior is June 12th at 7:00pm on NBC26.
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