American Ninja Warrior's Grant Mccartney says he thought there's no Season 12, got just 3 weeks to train for it
'American Ninja Warrior' Season 12 premieres on Monday, September 7, on NBC at 8/7c. This year, as many as 50 athletes will participate to achieve total victory and Grant Mccartney is one of them. "Just prepare yourselves... it’s going to be a smashing good time," Grant exclaimed when MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) caught up with him to learn more about his training methods further, love for the game and beyond.
Grant glides when he runs but that comes from months of training. Like others, Grant too was uncertain about Season 12 and got a call with about three weeks of notice before the competition began, which meant he had to dial up the intensity of his workout routine. He knew that gaining strength would not be possible but all's not lost as he could make up for that loss by working on techniques and skills. "I spent most of those three weeks running off school courses at Iron Sports in Houston. Doing speed courses, technical courses, and endurance courses. I would also run three days a week to try to cut weight from 3 to 5 miles a day."
For regular, this might seem daunting but Grant finds joy in entertaining people and pushing his own physical limits. This returning athlete believes that 'American Ninja Warrior' has helped stretch his flexibility, endurance levels and strength in different directions. But every pro has a master, and Grant is no different. He tells MEAWW how Daniel Gil has been an integral part of his training sessions. His "attitude and consistency" are two things he is immensely inspired from. "He isn’t shaken by much on the course or off the course. He has gained a level of skill that allows him to just make the competition if something goes wrong and I think that is a great skill for life as well," he pointed out.
Despite the rough patches, failures, and uncertainties that competition brings with it, Grant has made plans for the future. He wishes to purchase a home with the $100,000 cash prize but that is not what solely drives him to win the show. He wants to reach out to people, motivate them, help them overcome obstacles and move past emotional and traumatic life experiences. Grant believes one becomes a ninja the moment one chooses to overcome an obstacle in whatever fashion. "To all my future ninja warriors: many come to me and say they want to be a ninja as well. My first advice for them is that you are a ninja as soon as you decide to be. As soon as you try any obstacles or start in the journey you are a ninja," he expressed.