‘I grew up watching the series.’ Rexburg man to compete in American Ninja Warrior.
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REXBURG — One 24-year-old is gearing up to compete with some of the most elite athletes in the country and face difficult obstacle courses to try to win $1 million.
Brigham Youngstrom has the opportunity of a lifetime that he never dreamed of: competing on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” Season 14. According to NBC’s website, “Ninja Warrior is a sport that has been rapidly growing across the country, and kids of all ages are embracing it in record numbers.”
“American Ninja Warrior” is a sports entertainment reality show.
“I grew up watching the series and I always just thought it was really cool. I’m like, ‘Man, I’d love to get out there and try that out. It just looks fun!'” he said.
Youngstrom grew up in Rigby, watching the show with his dad. He now lives in Rexburg with his wife and child, with a baby on the way.
“My dad was always like, ‘Someday you should totally do it (the show),'” he said.
During the wintertime, Youngstrom is an ice engineer for his mom and dad’s business at LaBelle Lake Ice Palace. He has been captured in pictures doing crazy tricks and flips.
“I did gymnastics for 10 years,” he said. “This last year, I was doing some rock climbing and my wife was just like, ‘You should totally do “American Ninja Warrior,”‘ and I thought, ‘I haven’t thought about that in awhile,’ and so we got online to just take a look at the application, and the application was due in a few days and we’re like, ‘Why not?’ So we filled out the application.”
To his surprise, he got a call from the show and was told that he was accepted and will be competing.
“I didn’t get my hopes up too much about making it because I know thousands of people apply, and really not that many people make it in, especially this year. They told me that they are accepting less people than ever because of COVID and I made it,” he said. “So I was pretty excited to do something different and actually get to try it! It’s a little nerve-racking knowing that I’ll be on television with millions of people watching it air in the future, and there’s a chance of me just falling on my face right in the beginning, but my goal is to make it through, but you never know. I’m excited.”
He said he will be competing against at least 400 people. There are three different filming locations for the show this year which will be in San Antonio, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Youngstrom said his dad will be with him during the filming of the show, cheering him on the sidelines.
“He has always been really excited with my athletic achievements and all that I’ve done, so he’s pretty excited to come down and do something so unique with me,” Youngstrom said.
Youngstrom will also be representing his parent’s company on a national level. He has designed a shirt that will say, “American Ice Ninja Warrior” on it.
The obstacle courses change each season and are no doubt difficult. Youngstrom has tried hard to prepare himself physically by working out and doing CrossFit.
He would love to win a million dollars.
“That’s my goal really. I know it’s a big goal, especially for my first time but you know, I’ve done hard things before and my goal is up high. If I don’t shoot high, I can’t make it high. So I’m shooting high,” he said.
Youngstrom was told by show producers that “American Ninja Warrior” Season 14 is expected to air sometime in summer 2022 and will be streaming on NBC and Peacock.
Youngstrom said he is grateful for this surreal opportunity.
“Not many people can say that they’ve been on a TV show in front of millions of people trying to win a million dollars, so it will be kind of a fun thing to have with me throughout my whole life,” he said.
