After missing out on the buzzer at qualifiers during American Ninja Warrior season 16, RJ Roman was determined to get it this time. However, he didn’t have the easiest run through the obstacles, and didn’t quite feel 100% going into the challenge.
He did manage to make it to the end, though, and was even able to complete the qualifying circuit in less than a minute. That gave him a chance to attempt the Mega Wall, although he did miss out, which was something he thought was going to happen from the start.
We chatted with Roman about his run, his training for the year, and his support of one of his trainees, Grace.
GeekSided: Congrats on getting that buzzer. How did it feel after missing out last year?
RJ Roman: It definitely made it feel a lot cooler after missing one last [American Ninja Warrior]. Not only missing the qualifying buzzer last year, but that was the earliest I ever went out on a whole season, so it was awesome to get some redemption.
GS: What was going through your mind facing those obstacles?
RJR: I was definitely more nervous this time. I felt more pressure after having a bad season last year. I think I was also nervous because my body didn’t feel like it was at a hundred percent. That definitely played into my mentality, I guess, so I was probably more nervous for this run than I’ve ever been for any other Ninja Warrior.
GS: So, how do you stay focused in the moment, because I saw one slip in there and they can really throw you off a bit.
RJR: Yeah, I had a few slips for sure. When I say I wasn’t feeling a hundred percent, it was all in my legs for some reason. Maybe I just walked around too much, or maybe it was the flight. I don’t know. But before my run, I remember telling my brother, Flip, that the Mega Wall was not gonna happen for me.
When I was on the first obstacle, my legs buckled a little bit, and then I slipped on the balance obstacle. When I went to try the Mega Wall, I just collapsed on the first step. I don’t know what was going on that day, but I think what helped me stay focused was just trying to think of what I had to do to complete each obstacle, keeping my focus in the moment. Luckily, that carried me through to the buzzer.
GS: What has training been like for you this year? Was there something you focused on more than anything else?
RJR: Training was definitely different this year. This was the first time where I wasn’t training at the gym I own in Orlando. I was going there once a week for maybe the month before filming, so I didn’t get as much training on any Ninja obstacles for this season. I went into it feeling the worst mentally and physically this season.
GS: From what I understand, you have no idea which specific obstacles you’re facing before you get to the starting block. How do you train for everything possible?
RJR: With my training, I specifically just try to copy whatever the show’s done in the past. I’ll just set up whatever obstacles I’ve seen in other qualifiers and obstacles I haven’t touched yet. This season was really cool because it was all the old obstacles in training. Usually in qualifying, there are a lot of new obstacles, but this time, there wasn’t any new obstacles, so it was really exciting to see obstacles that I haven’t used in a while and obstacles I grew up watching.
GS: Let’s talk about getting to the end and finding out you were in under a minute, because you were very methodical with each obstacle. What was going through your mind when they said it’s time to do the Mega Wall?
RJR: I don’t know if methodical was the right word. I just felt like I was going really slow, and I had a couple of slip ups, so I just didn’t feel like it was going very fast. So that reaction that you saw was 100% genuine. I did not think that I was under a minute.
I was kind of hoping that I wasn’t. I was hoping that I didn’t make the Mega Wall because I just didn’t feel like I could do it in the moment. So yes, I was definitely shocked to hear that I was under a minute.
GS: So, I don’t know if this was the order for you when filming, but for us, we saw Grace [Gordon] straight after you. What was it like cheering someone who is becoming like a protégé to you in her first qualifier?
RJR: Yeah, it was awesome getting to watch Grace. There is something a little bit extra special with our connection with her having a skin disorder very similar to mine. She hasn’t been diagnosed with the same skin disorder that I have, but I’m pretty sure she has it. So, having a student that you can personally relate to makes that connection a little stronger, I guess. I’ve been coaching her for probably five years leading up to this competition, so it was awesome to finally see her get a huge moment.
She’s had a tone of huge moments in league competitions outside of the TV show, but none of them really compare to competing on American Ninja Warrior. I was just grateful to see her have such a great moment.
GS: She didn’t make it all the way through, but she should be proud of how far she got. Did you have any words of encouragement afterward?
RJR: Yeah, she did amazing, for sure. It’s not always about getting the buzzer. She has a message that she’s sharing to people, and she’s gonna make a huge impact on people’s lives with that run that she had.
GS: Just as my last question, how are you feeling going into the next stage?
RJR: I’m just trying to rack up as many buzzers as I can. I feel a little bit more relieved having hit a buzzer with how last year went, not just with American Ninja Warrior, but I had the opportunity to compete on Sasuke in Japan, and I did not hit any buzzers there either.
It feels nice to get the ball rolling a little bit. I feel a little bit more confident, and we’ll just see where it goes from here.
American Ninja Warrior airs on Mondays at 8/7c on NBC.