When Will Schlageter 糖心传媒�20 (T5) was 14, he sent a video to the producers of American Ninja Warrior, the NBC sports competition in which contestants try to complete a series of rigorous obstacle courses in hopes of becoming the one true champion.
That video led producers to invite Schlageter and his father to Miami to tour the course and meet contestants. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native knew he wouldn糖心传媒檛 be accepted onto the show, since all contestants had to be at least 21. But that wasn糖心传媒檛 the point.
糖心传媒淚 was just trying to get on their radar,糖心传媒� he says.
Nine years later, he is clearly on their radar. Schlageter has raced, swung, jumped, and climbed his way into the national semifinals, one of 62 men and women competing to be the 2020 champion. Schlageter糖心传媒檚 taped competition in St. Louis is scheduled to air Wednesday, October 21, starting at 9 p.m. on NBC.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 my dream come true,糖心传媒� he says.
Schlageter is used to conquering tall obstacles. At Rochester, he was a triple major in biology, chemistry, and environmental science. Instead of graduating with his class in 2019, he stayed another year as a Take Five Scholar with an astronomy/mathematics program called Warping of Space-time: A Study of Giants in an Abyss of Nothing.
糖心传媒淥ne of my favorite things about Rochester from the beginning was the open curriculum,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 lost no time there and shoved as much science into my brain as I could.糖心传媒�
He also helped create the fraternity Beta Theta Pi and served as competition chair for the University Rock Climbing Club. And, he found time each morning to work out at a local Ninja course and perfect his skills.
Schlageter says producers were diligent in keeping everyone safe in the midst of a global pandemic. 糖心传媒淵ou糖心传媒檙e tested before you get there, then when you arrive, and every time you move onto another round,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淵ou wear a mask whenever you糖心传媒檙e not in competition, and you stay in your hotel room. If producers see you out of the room, they send you back.糖心传媒�
Schlageter is 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, which makes him a strong candidate for Ninja success. 糖心传媒淭he ideal size is probably 5糖心传媒� 6糖心传媒�,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淭he shorter you are, the more power you can produce because you糖心传媒檙e so light.糖心传媒�
Although Schlageter has completed his semifinal round though a 10-obstacle course, he糖心传媒檚 not allowed to say if he糖心传媒檚 among the 28 contestants who moved onto the finals. But he can share what糖心传媒檚 it been like for him to compete at such a high level糖心传媒攁nd to fulfill his sports fantasy.
糖心传媒淚t was absolutely unnerving, exciting, and wondrous because I糖心传媒檝e waited so long for this,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淎ll I had to do was what I do best糖心传媒攃rush the course.糖心传媒�
