Watch the First Woman to Clear Grueling 'Ninja Warrior' Course
by Andy NeuenschwanderHere's a little inspiration for all of you diminuitive people out there.
Katy Catanzaro, a former NCAA gymnast, is the first woman to successfully complete the "American Ninja Warrior" course and make it to the finals in Japan!
Catanzaro took the course by storm despite the fact that she stands at just 5'0" and weighs in at about 100 lbs. The course favors those with longer arms and legs, due to some obstacles that require, for instance, running up a slightly curved, 14-foot wall.
For those unfamiliar with the show, "Ninja Warrior" started in Japan and became hugely popular due to the infamous difficulty level of the competition. Every year, hundreds of contestants take on the "Ninja Warrior" obstacle course, which has multiple stages of varying difficulty and challenges the contestants' stamina, speed and strength.
"Ninja Warrior" is so difficult, in fact, that only three people have ever won the entire competition by completing the fourth stage, a 75-foot rope climb with a time limit of just 40 seconds. No American has ever completed the fourth stage.
While there was a "Ninja Warrior" course specifically designed for women in the Japanese program, Catanzaro is the first to complete the co-ed course and qualify for Mt. Midoriyama.
The Texas native will now travel to Japan to attempt the full "Ninja Warrior" course along with the rest of the American qualifiers. Check out Kacy's amazing run below: