Two athletes from northeast Wisconsin compete in one of the toughest physical challenges on television Monday night.
"I've always been a monkey, I was a competitive gymnast growing up and I just needed some other outlet after I got done competing,” said athlete, Drew Knapp.
"As soon as you touch that first obstacle, it's nothing but you and the course and it feels so cool,” said athlete, Luke Chambers.
For both Luke Chambers and Drew Knapp, making it to Las Vegas in the American Ninja Warrior competition was a life goal. Family and friends watched Monday night as Knapp finished the course.
Chambers was eliminated, but he says he looks at the positives of making it to Vegas, something most people will never do.
"My whole life, it's all about obstacles, you know, we face obstacles on the course, as ninjas, but also in life as everybody faces different obstacles, so, you know, when you compare it to really easy or really hard obstacles, it's all just the same thing,” he said.
Knapp says he uses the competition of other athletes to get better, even watching close as others take on the same course that he passed.
"You gotta go out there and you gotta have that mindset that you're going to take down this course, you're going to overcome these obstacles,” he said.
Both athletes say for them the competition has become a lifestyle.
Knapp moves on to the next round, which you can see on NBC 26 next week.
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