'American Ninja Warrior' Vance Walker on grueling back-to-back victories: 'So difficult'

When Vance Walker reflected on becoming an “American Ninja Warrior” champion last year – only the third since the show’s 2009 premiere – he had a secret.

The 19-year-old, born with cerebral palsy, hadn’t just won Season 15 filmed in May 2023. He also triumphed in Season 16, taped just days later.

“It filmed six days in a row,” the Houston, Texas, native, who now lives in Tampa, tells USA TODAY. “It was three days of Season 15 immediately into Season 16. It was very tough to be able to go from that right in the next season.”

The Las Vegas desert’s elevation and filming well into the night further complicated a brief shooting schedule. “It films from 9 p.m. to sometimes after sunrise,” Walker says. “We're getting back to our hotel rooms after the sun is already up, and we're sleeping for three hours, max.”

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After one season of competition, “you already can't move for multiple days,” Walker says. “So going from that right into the next season, it was so difficult.”

Still, Walker conquered the obstacles of Stage 3 and the 75-foot rope climb challenge of Stage 4, which must be completed within 30 seconds, in Monday’s finale. He is one of the few contestants able to move past the portion of Stage 3 dubbed Pizza Party, introduced this season. For the feat, competitors have to grab onto large slices of pizza suspended in the air and twist the slices before proceeding. Contestants only saw the challenge up close just minutes before Stage 3 started, Walker says, and it eliminated six hopefuls.

“Stage 3 is usually my strong suit, but (in) that obstacle I was absolutely terrified, and a lot of really good ninjas went down there,” Walker says. “It's a very technical move, and it was very hard to get right on the first try.”

The two-time champ, who also boasts two “American Ninja Warrior Junior” titles, reveals the secret to his training, what he credits for his victories and whether he’ll be back for more “American Ninja Warrior.” (Edited for length and clarity.)

Question: How many hours a day are you training?

Answer: I'm probably training at least two hours a day, every single weekday, actually in the ninja gym. I do probably an hour of cardio, outside of that. I spend probably an hour stretching my legs, stretching my shoulders and just making sure that everything is in peak shape for when I actually do go to train.

What do you think serves you the best in your training?

I train for each specific stage so intensely. I train before qualifiers. I train before semifinals. I do the races now, and before Vegas, I do every single stage. I do Stage 1 one day of the week, Stage 2 another day of the week, Stage 3 twice a week, and then Stage 4 once a week. I run pretty much exact replicas of these courses, and I think that's what really helps me, that I try to train things as close to the show as I possibly can.

In Season 15 you completed Stage 4’s rope climb in 26.75 seconds. This season you did it in 27.6 seconds. How did the two runs compare?

For Season 16, when I got there, I was like, “OK, well I've seen all of these people do rope climbs. Most of them did one a few days ago. They couldn't have gotten that much better since then, so I just need to get to the top, and I'm good.” So at that point, I was like, “Yes, I am absolutely exhausted. But also, I can't fall on Stage 4. I've gotten all the way here. If I get up there, that's $1 million. So I was just fighting for it as much as I could.

My Season 16 time was actually a second slower than (Season 15), and that's saying something because my first season I missed my hands on the rope twice. And (in) Season 16, I did not miss my hands at all, so that should have been a faster climb. That just shows how exhausted I was.

In the finale, we don’t get to hear from you after you win your second title. How did it feel to win twice in the span of a week?

It was an extension of the greatest moment of my life. Winning Season 15 was everything that I had ever worked for. It was eight years coming together and just finally achieving the thing that I wanted more than anybody else.

(Season 16) was just an extension. Every single moment was like “OK, well, I'm just enjoying it now, but I can keep doing it. I've already done what I needed to do.” So I was just going out and enjoying the courses with no real stress. Every single course run, just hitting the buzzer was an extension of the moment that was already great. And being able to do it for a second time just made it that much cooler.

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To what do you attribute your two victories?

The mindset that my mom gave me growing up, which is “Whatever it takes.” I grew up with cerebral palsy and didn't know if I would ever be able to even walk without braces on my legs. (My braces) would have a certain level of tightness. (My mom) would get her own tool, tighten them even more when she wasn't supposed to. She would be pushing my legs and (asking), “Does it hurt?” I would scream, “Yes, stop!” And she would be like, “OK, good” and push even farther.

And it was just that mindset of whatever it takes to even be able to walk, to be able to do sports in the first place. And when I had that vision of, “OK, I want to be one of the few people to ever achieve this,” it was not a question of if, it was a question of when, and I was going to do whatever it took to get there.

Will you continue to compete in “American Ninja Warrior?” What's next?

I'm not done with the show, even though I've won it twice, even though I've certified my status. I love competing. I love this sport. I definitely want to come back as long as I possibly can.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Ninja Warrior' winner Vance Walker on back-to-back victories