By Sarrah Peters
News Editor
On January 19, Team Ninja Warrior, a spinoff of American Ninja Warrior premiered. Local athlete Jimmy Bogle, Jr. was featured as part of the Average Jo-jo’s team. The other members of the team were Team Captain Jojo Bynum and Caitlin Shukwit. The team show involves members of opposing teams racing through an obstacle course to finish the course first.
This is the third Ninja Warrior show that Bogle has competed in, also appearing on American Ninja Warrior seasons 6 and 7.
“I trained all year for nine minutes of competition,” said Bogle, a 2005 Gaston High School graduate who played basketball and golf for the Bulldogs.
To get in shape for the show, Bogle does his best to stay in shape all year, but kicks it up a notch at the beginning of the year to get ready for the spring season of Ninja Warrior.
“The season is in the spring, so in January I really start to clean up my diet and hit it extra hard to get ready for the season,” said Bogle.
To train, Bogle also uses practice obstacles he set up in his backyard. He also trains at Absolute Fitness.
“They’ve let me put up a couple obstacles to train on there,” said Bogle.
Bogle says that he tries to have fun during the competition.
“The first year I got very nervous, and I didn’t do that well,” said Bogle. “Now I just try to go and have fun, and I tend to do better when I’m just out there trying to have fun as opposed to being so serious.”
In season 6 of American Ninja Warrior, Bogle got through the qualifying round, but not through the second round, which is the city finals round.
“I fell on an obstacle that I had passed the first night,” said Bogle. “I just let nerves get the best of me and I made a stupid mistake. The margin for error on that show is so small.”
Bogle has improved each time he has competed. In season 7, he reached the round in Las Vegas. His next goal is to win.
The original show was a Japanese show called Sasuke. Bogle used to watch it for hours.
“ I enjoyed it,” said Bogle. “I thought it was really cool how the people could do this stuff, but it looked fun. I said if they ever came to America, I’d like to try.”
He eventually got up the courage to train and apply, which involves answering questions about personality and fitness and submitting a video about why you should be selected.
On the show , Bogle made friends with the people he had watched for years.
“I had watched these people for years, and then you are hanging out with them at the hotel,” said Bogle. “It doesn’t seem real.”
Team Ninja Warrior airs on Esquire every Tuesday at 8 p.m. eastern.