'Ninja Warrior' star's jaw-dropping transformation

Ninja Warrior is renowned for delivering surprising results.

It’s often the most unassuming contestants who dominate the competition, and vice-versa.

However, it’s a pre-race transformation that truly blew audiences out of the water on last night’s episode.

Matthew Marazita blitzed the notoriously challenging course, and he did it on the back of a truly inspirational transformation that rendered the 21-year-old unrecognisable when he stepped up to the course.

As he explained, he had been in a traumatising car accident, which left him injured and shrinking away from society.

He became a virtual recluse for eight months, drowning in a heavy depression and as far from the determined young man who nabbed the second spot on last night’s episode as could be imagined.

He lost three jobs, withdrew from friends and stayed home ‘24/7’.

Before and after shots demonstrate the jaw-dropping transformation that Matthew underwent, after being inspired by watching the challenging gameshow during his struggles.

He told the camera that he credits Daniel Mason, who was the ‘Barefoot Ninja’ on last year’s season of the show, with his newfound confidence.

“(Daniel) introduced me to Ninja Warrior training,” he said.

“That’s the turning point where I shaved my dreadlocks off, met new people.”

The startling transformation shocked the audience, but not as much as his startling completion of the course in snappy time that saw him finish up in second place.

“To compare this to how I was before, I’m so happy how life has turned out in the past year. That’s why I love Ninja Warrior,” he said.

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