American Ninja Warriorseason 17’sAddy Herman came into the competition this season as the reigning Women’s Champ, and with so much pressure on her shoulders, she was bound to perform on the course. After making her debut onAmerican Ninja Warrior Junior, Addy has become one of the strongest competitors in the sport quickly, gaining traction as she learned all about the competition from her fellow Ninjas. After competing onAmerican Ninja Warrior Junior, Addy got the opportunity to hone her skills and figure out her competition style. Once she headed into the main competition, things got much tougher.
With a blend of grace and grit,Addy’s worked hard throughout herAmerican Ninja Warriorjourney.Through her teenage years, balancing high school, online coursework, and rigorous ninja training, Addy transformed from a determined kid with big dreams into a national champion. Working hard to ensure that she was training the right skills, Addy was able to create strength in her performance no matter what obstacle she faced. Speaking to Screen Rant about her run in theAmerican Ninja Warriorseason 17qualifiers, Addy shared more about her journey and what it takes to truly become a true Ninja champion.
Screen Rant: So, you’ve been onAmerican Ninja Warrior Juniorsince such a young age. How did that experience shape your strategy as you moved into the more adult competition?
Addy Herman: Yeah, I definitely think it played a huge part into it. Just having that experience of already having done obstacles on like national television, even though it wasn’t the same thing. It did also throw me off a little bit my first season on American Ninja Warrior, the adult show, just because I was used to the racing and kind of a different format and being just me against the obstacle course in my first season that I did A&W was different. But as I got used to that, I think having experience in Ninja Warrior from such a young age has played a huge part into my success on the show.
Addy Discussed Her Training Strategy
She’s Specific About Training The Warped Wall
Addy opened up about the fact that training is a huge part of her life, making it clear that she does her best to change up her training in order to fit what she expects to come in the competition. Speaking specifically about the Warped Wall, Addy shared that it’s important to train the wall in a specific way. Speaking to Screen Rant about her tactics. Addy revealed whatAmerican Ninja Warriorobstacles she focuses on when she trains.
Screen Rant: Awesome. It’s awesome that you got the chance to really hone your skills, even if it did throw you off at first. So at 16, you became the youngest female to clear the Warped Wall during Women’s Finals. What kind of mental and physical adjustments really helped you get through the wall? Because the wall, I can only imagine the wall is tough after you’ve done all the obstacles leading up to it.
Addy: Yeah, 100%. And I think that’s something people don’t realize just watching on the show is it’s totally different doing it in isolation or at a gym or something, not before you’ve run all these other obstacles on the National Finals course. So I’d say that’s the main thing that I did physically and probably the most helpful thing I did physically was training the Warped Wall after an obstacle course or after a workout, just when I was already exhausted to kind of make it, I guess, like simulate the National Finals in a sense.
Because I know when I get there, I would be super tired. I’d be out of breath. My legs would be sore. So working on that physically, doing it in exhaustion was the most helpful thing. And then mentally, it’s also hard because with all the other obstacles, if you fail, you’re done. But the wall, you kind of know in the back of your head, if you fail, you may keep going. So you really have to be strong mentally and know even though you can keep going, it affects your time, it affects your fatigue. So you have to get it on your first try, even if you’re not necessarily failing or getting wet. It’s going to play a huge part into if you succeed on the course or not. So that’s something I definitely had to learn throughout my seasons competing is treating it as if it was a one and done obstacle.
Screen Rant: That’s really interesting. I’m sure that’s probably really nerve wracking to kind of head into that situation. I know you’ve talked about having nerves before competition before. How do you train mentally to kind of channel your nerves into that performance?
Addy: That’s probably the hardest thing to kind of recreate the nerves of a competition in training. But I think it’s just really important for me, or it has been really important to focus on my identity going into a competition, where I know that I am capable, I’ve practiced, I’ve trained for these obstacles. But at the end of the day, knowing I as a person am more than obstacles on a course.
And if I do fail a course, it doesn’t make me a failure. And I think switching that mindset of failure and changing it into a growth mindset helps me kind of calm my nerves and not only calm them, but use them to know that I’m capable of clearing the course, know that I’m capable of moving on, but not let it define me.
Screen Rant: That’s awesome. That’s such a healthy mindset to have. I want to ask you about your backyard course or your training course. You use that course for yourself. Also, I’ve understood that people come and visit the course and train with you. Is that correct?
Addy: Yeah, they do. We actually have a huge summer competition every year. So I make a ton of friends on Ninja Warrior on the show and also the sport outside of it. And we have people from all over the country come to do this three stage comp that myself, my boyfriend Noah, who’s also on the show and Matt Bradley designed. So it’s a ton of fun and kind of a way to bring the whole community together.
Screen Rant: That sounds awesome. Such a fun time. How did building that course and training on your own personal course, how does that help you when you’re in competition? Do you feel less familiar? Does it help to have a course that you’re really familiar with in training and then kind of get you out of your element when you’re in competition with different obstacles?
Addy: Yeah, for sure. And the best thing about the course that I have at my house is the structure stays the same, but we can always change out the obstacles. So if I ever see obstacles that I think will be a problem for me in competition or something that I’d struggle with, my dad usually helps me build the obstacle, recreate it at my gym at home. And I’ve kind of always lived by the mantra of never having or the goal should never be to have a weakness. So if you see a weakness, you train it until it’s not a weakness anymore. Or if you’re afraid of an obstacle, train it until it’s not a fear anymore. So I think having the rig at my house has been super helpful in giving me the freedom to kind of recreate those obstacles that I do struggle with.
Screen Rant: You mentioned your dad. I watched your run for tonight’s episode. And your mom was so fun to watch. She was so excited. How does her presence, your family’s presence really help and not support in keeping you grounded and keeping you moving forward?
Addy: I think it’s really cool the role that my family plays in my athletic career and my success because they all definitely have very different roles and react in different ways. So if you watch my mom on any of the episodes, she’s losing her mind. So excited for me. Also, so nervous for me. She kind of like feels all the emotions she thinks I’m feeling for herself. So on the sidelines, she is losing it. But it’s just like nobody cares as much as my mom. And at the end of the day, if I do fail, she’s the first person there to give me a hug when I get out of the water. The first person to give me a pep talk and give me confidence or like to pray with me before my run. So she as like amped up as she gets about it, also knows that I am more than ninja. And that’s such an important person to have in my life.
And then my dad on the other side. So my mom takes me to all the competitions, travels with me, has always been like the person there. And my dad is kind of more behind the scenes. He built the entire rig. I helped, but he did most of it in my backyard course. He designs and builds obstacles for me. He watches, gets all the virtual sideline stuff set up at my house. And I do have two younger brothers, so he usually stays behind with them. But he is just as invested in my runs and my career in this as my mom. So to have them both there for me in different ways has been absolutely amazing.
Screen Rant: That’s so sweet. Your qualifying run didn’t go the way you were hoping, I’m sure. But you’re getting to move forward to the next stage this season. What do you take from those tougher performances to help you move forward?
Addy: Yeah, coming into this season was really different for me. I actually didn’t even know if I’d be able to compete because I had a pretty severe ankle injury in the April before. So I was actually cleared to compete three days before I flew out. And that meant that my training that entire time was really different. So I still kept practicing upper body stuff. I worked on strengthening things every single day, was in PT every day. But it did not allow me to be able to run courses like I usually do for training. So running a course and coming back and running this course for the first time on the show was hard because I have these high expectations for myself. I’m coming in as the reigning women’s champion. And I kind of had to really hold it together mentally to know physically I’m cleared to do this, but I didn’t get the preparation that I had had previous season.
So I was really hoping for a buzzer. Obviously, that’s always the goal is to get that buzzer. But I was really proud of myself for going out there and I was really grateful that I could just be back. And it kind of reframed the whole thing as I am so grateful that I’m even allowed to do this, that I’m capable of doing this again, that my body’s healed. But then again, I am a competitor. So I’m in this to win. I’m in this to clear. And so I’m using my qualifying run as a lesson, again, as growth of what I can do better and coming for more buzzers for sure in the next round.
