Zimmerman to try out for 'American Ninja Warrior'

Sandy Zimmerman, Michael Anderson Elementary physical education teacher, is no stranger to challenges, especially when it comes to sports.

Her accolades in athletics include playing basketball at Gonzaga University and being a former national judo champion. Now she seeks one more milestone - American Ninja Warrior.

Zimmerman is training for the eighth season of "American Ninja Warrior" a popular sports entertainment TV show where athletes attempt to complete four stages of obstacle courses, each one increasing in difficulty.

Potential contestants go through several steps before qualifying for the competition. Among the requirements for contestants include being in decent physical shape, filling out a 20-page questionnaire, making a 2-3 minute video and participating in a regional qualifying round. Show producers select 100 applicants from each region to participate in the qualifiers.

"What drew me to the show is that it's fun and inspiring," Zimmerman said. "The athletes are also what drew me to it. The athletes who make it far aren't always the ones you expect. You'll have these big, muscular guys and they don't do well."

Zimmerman has many reasons for trying out for the show. The first one is simple - she believes she can do it. The second reason is because no mother has made it through one-third of the entire course.

"I want to be able to represent all moms and to show them that you can be a mother, still be fit and have fun," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman currently trains on obstacles in her backyard and downstairs. Her husband built several obstacle courses for her as a wedding anniversary present. Obstacles in the backyard include a salmon Ladder, a structure with one movable rung that competitors carry with them as they ascend, and one of the classic obstacles on "American Ninja Warrior." She also uses rope climbing and a mini trampoline to jump to the bar on the salmon Ladder.

She runs across medicine balls placed on tires, which mimics the Unstable Bridge. There are the Quintuple Steps, where she leaps off a series of angled platforms.

In the basement, Zimmerman swings across a rope and grabs on to baseballs hanging on chains. This obstacle mimics the show's Cannonball Alley course, which consists of three different sized balls increasing in size on a slight decline that swing back and forth from two secured lines.

"It's become kind of a family thing, my kids will do a kid version of the workouts and I'll do the 'American Ninja Warrior' version," Zimmerman said.

Besides the obstacle courses, Zimmerman will workout on the play area in her backyard, and playground equipment at local parks in creative ways to "make it more American Ninja Warrior-like." She also balances her "American Ninja Warrior" workouts with other activities such as judo and playing basketball.

"It's become a lot of hard work and it's been fun," Zimmerman said. "During a workout, if there was something I couldn't do before or didn't do well the first time and I've gotten better, it shows that the hard work is paying off."

Zimmerman is almost finished with filming her audition video. She filmed at the Pacific Judo Academy in Spokane where she trains and included clips of her submitting one of the black belt practitioners. She also filmed a shout out clip at Michael Anderson in September with her students. The video will be published on Youtube. The more "likes" she gets, the better chance she has of getting on the show.

Besides the videos, Zimmerman spent the entire summer completing the application process.

"I put a lot of time and thought into it," Zimmerman said. "They also ask how you plan to train and work out. They want to make sure people are prepared for the competition."

During the application process and filming, Zimmerman was touched by the support she's received from families. When she went into teaching 16 years ago, her motivation was to inspire people.

"Me doing the training has been really inspiring for many people," Zimmerman said. "I've received emails from families that are now working out together and building obstacle courses. They tell me 'We are exercising as a family.'"

Zimmerman is also excited to share her story with a larger audience. She grew up in the foster care system and had a rough childhood. She then discovered sports where she learned important lessons from her coaches, who she said gave her hope.

"One of the questions on the application is "what is your proudest non-athletic achievement overall?'" Zimmerman said. "Despite my childhood, I've built a great life for myself and my family. There are a lot of different populations I can reach and inspire."

The competition for "American Ninja Warrior" is from March to May and airs in the summer.

If she gets selected for the regional qualifier, she would most likely go to California. For Zimmerman, the training so far has been incredible and she looks forward to competing on the show.

"There are so many milestones I can reach, getting past Stage One and Stage Two," Zimmerman said. "I want to hopefully get that buzzer and be the first mother do to this."

Below is a link to Sandy Zimmerman’s American Ninja Warrior audition Youtube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE1Hba6lCGU

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].