BYRON CENTER, Mich. — One year after Ron Zaagman traveled to Los Angeles for the filming of season 16 of American Ninja Warrior, he was able to enjoy watching his performance on the obstacle course on T.V Monday night, surrounded by friends and family at his home in Byron Center.
"Those lights turn on, and you've got six or seven cameras, and they are yelling action, like, let's go. It is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences," said Zaagman. "Your heart leaps out of your chest."
Zaagman said filming takes place throughout the night, and that he was the first one of the shoot to tackle the obstacles.
"As you're running, you get this tunnel vision, and as you're going through the course, you go through it in your mind so many times that it feels like you've already run the course," said Zaagman. "Then you just kind of got to lock it in and make your body do what your mind has already done."
Zaagman's has earned the nickname "Ice Ninja" due to his work as an ice hockey and skating coach, along with being a Zamboni driver.
His passion began with a love for obstacle course racing, but he then took it up a notch, then competing in local warrior and spartan races.
It was after he was one of 14 people, out of 600 total participants in a Grand Rapids Ninja Warrior competition, when he realized he wanted to go to the next level.
"I submitted a video, and they surprised me by telling my wife that I was going to be on," Zaagman recalled. "My family was surrounding, and they just kind of called and said, 'Hey, you're going to be on American Ninja Warrior!'"
Monday night was his third appearance on the show. Zaagman said he has been dedicating eight hours a week of training for American Ninja Warrior on top of his regular workouts, parenting, and his day job in I.T. He said he trains at local gyms and on home-built equipment modeled after obstacles.
Zaagman said when people ask him why he trains so hard, he replies: "It's for my kids."
"I want to be with my kids as long as possible, but also, I want to inspire people," said Zaagman.
He said he was diagnosed with cancer when he was 10 years old.
"I went through chemotherapy that was supposed to last nine months, but my body couldn't handle it, and went for 15 months, and because of that, I lost my hair, I lost all my muscle mass, I couldn't eat," said Zaagman.
He said it was during that time that he had a realization of how he wanted to spend his future.
"I remember laying in the hospital bed and thinking, 'wow, like, if I get out of this, like I'm going to try and do something great and try to inspire other people,'" said Zaagman. "I think Ninja Warrior has been kind of my outlet to being able to inspire people that have been down and out, and just kind of bounce back, and come back from that, and to be successful."
Zaagman said he plans on submitting his application to be in season 17 of American Ninja Warrior, which would be his fourth appearance.
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