American Ninja Warriorseason 17 started off with a bang whenlong-time competitor Daniel Gil had the opportunity to hit his 30th buzzer, and after doing what he does best, making history once again. Daniel, who first appeared onAmerican Ninja Warriorseason 7 and has consistently been a competitor to watch since, may have made history during the season’s exciting premiere, but that’s only the beginning of the fun for the long-time athlete. Daniel, sometimes known as Kingdom Ninja, took the championship title duringAmerican Ninja Warriorseason 12 and has been looking for anotherANWwin ever since.
While Daniel’s been training consistently andcompeting in internationalNinjacompetitionsthroughout the last several years,American Ninja Warriorseason 17 may be the right path for him to find his way back to a win. With a return to form that’s going to be exciting for newer fans and long-time viewers,American Ninja Warrioris honoring its history throughout the newest season, bringing back obstacles from past courses and challenging competitors to more difficult runs. Daniel, who completed his historic 30th buzzer-beating run in just under 2 minutes, seems ready for viewers to see what he’s got this season.
American Ninja Warrior Champion Daniel Gil Is Looking For Another Win
He’s Ready For The Challenge
Although Daniel has been able to compete all over the world, he’s more consistently concerned about the present, rather than his competitiveANWfuture. As a trainer, motivational speaker, and competitor, Daniel has beenbuilding anAmerican Ninja Warriorlegacythat will keep his name part of the sport for years to come. With runs that his family, including wife Abby, daughter Isla Rose, and a recently announced soon-to-be second child, can be proud of for years, Daniel still has his sights set on going further.Sharing his excitement and hopes with Screen Rant, Daniel chatted about all thingsANW.
Screen Rant: I just watched your run for tonight’s episode. It was phenomenal, great to watch. Now, you’ve been a consistent finalist since your debut. What kind of strategies or routines have you implemented when it comes toAmerican Ninja Warriorspecifically to maintain such a high performance?
Daniel Gil: I mean, as an athlete and even, I mean, the mindset that I think that I’ve had as an individual, whether it was my, you know, singing, dancing, acting, then all my athletics was one that said, okay, if I’m doing something, I’m going to do it to try to be at the pinnacle, to try to be the very best that I can be. And not for a matter of like pride or arrogance, but I really want to represent well. I really want to reach the goals that I have for myself because as an athlete, especially, if I’m playing, I want to win.
I play to win. And so with the sport of ninja specifically, I have tried to do my very best to live a lifestyle and make a daily schedule and routine that makes those steps to get to where I want to go, right? So, I mean, to get the type of results you want, you have to be willing to do what others aren’t willing to do.
And so that’s kind of the way that I live my life. And thankfully, my life is revolving around American Ninja Warrior as like a full-time athlete and a coach and a traveling speaker and all those things, they’re conducive for me to live a lifestyle that helps me stay in a prepared mode, physical state, to compete well at these competitions and events.
Screen Rant: Yeah, and I mean, it works out. That’s fantastic. Now you mentioned you’re a motivational speaker, trainer, you’re now a dad, dedicated athlete. How do you balance everything and how do these roles complement each other?
Daniel: Oh, the balance is key. And I’m learning more and more that being a father means being flexible with my time and my schedule in ways that I didn’t before have to, right? And some people feel like, oh, I’m giving up so much. But in the reality is like, if I literally compare being there for my daughter, whatever her needs, maybe she’s had a bad night or my wife needs help with her so I need to stay longer before leaving for the day, it really doesn’t compare when it’s, okay, time loving my family well versus time doing my day schedule. So to be able to do that, have that mindset where, okay, when I’m training, when I am there, 100% of my focus energy attention is there or speaking or whatever it is that I’m doing. And when I’m with my family, 100% of my focus is there.
I’m not trying to juggle a bunch of things. I’m realizing that what’s in front of me is what I’m doing. And as a father, my daughter is always in my mind. So if ever a need arises, I’m dropping everything for her. And so it’s a unique new season of life that I’m in, but man, oh man, am I so happy to be here. And to have her on the sidelines this season on American Ninja Warrior cheering me on was something that just, I had never felt anything like it before. Just the joy of knowing that if I win or lose, she doesn’t care. She just loves her daddy is there. It’s so cool for me as a parent to get to do something, not just for myself anymore, but for my family, for my legacy and my children.
Screen Rant: Yeah, it was so sweet to watch, just even seeing you at the end there with her cheering you on, it felt like such a different run. Has fatherhood, other than having to drop things and be ready at any moment to kind of jump into dad-mode, has it impacted your training or your perspective on competition?
Daniel: Absolutely it has. I mean, my training schedule has changed a bit since becoming a dad. I mean, it’s not quite as rigid or structured anymore. [laughs] It’s more so, okay, what can I bring to my house and do here at home to then translate to the obstacles a couple of days a week. So I’m getting creative with it. Honestly, I’m still in the midst of it because this whole dad situation is relatively new.
I’m trying to find the best way that allows me to still give my time and focus to my passions and my goals, to my career without sacrificing my family because they’re of greater importance to me ultimately. So I’m trying new things and if something goes wrong, I’m like, okay, I’m not gonna do that. Time to have a good reverse gear when trying to rebuild the schedule as it is needed.
But it’s a lot of fun and it’s thankfully, thankfully by the grace of God, I’ve got a wonderful partner in all this. My beautiful wife, Abby, who’s literally the most understanding and caring woman that I’ve ever met. And so it’s really fun to be on the same team, on the same page as her with how we’re raising our children and how we’re kind of blindly walking into this parenthood thing together. It’s an adventure one day after the next and thankfully, we’ve got a very, very good baby. So it makes it easier when it comes to balancing and juggling all the rest of life’s responsibilities and priorities. So it’s different, but nothing we can’t handle. There are no obstacles too big for me and my family, so we’re just taking them in stride.
Screen Rant: Shifting gears a little bit. So you’ve competed onAmerican Ninja Warrior, you’ve competed in international versions of the competition. How do those competitions compare? Have you been able to kind of bring lessons from one to the other?
Daniel: Oh, absolutely. I mean, right now, there’s over 25 different countries in the world that have Ninja Warrior TV shows and even more that have competitions and such. But I’ve had the privilege of representing USA in Japan on their Sasuke Ninja Warrior show, the original one, as well as the Philippines, I’ve been there, as well as I went to France and watched their competition, and Indonesia, I got to compete there also. So there’s all kinds of competitions happening and I’ve gotten to showcase my skills and ability, represent my country in all those places, take my family with me also. And it is just so cool to see each different country’s kind of unique take and perspective on the show too.
For some of them, it’s more of a competition-based, others, it’s more of the reality TV-based. I love how in Japan, where it all began, they’re in their 40s of season. They started in the 90s, so they’ve been going longer than any other one. Each of their Ninja courses has mechanical, perpetually moving obstacles, which we don’t yet have in the States. And so there’s a whole different mindset and way that you have to strategize for these different competitions globally that is just so exciting for someone like myself, who’s kind of reached the pinnacle and done all that you can do on American Ninja Warrior, to now try my hand in these other international competitions and even coach the next generation even globally. It’s been so, so cool for me as an athlete to know that my legacy doesn’t just end with me, but ends now with my students that are competing on American Ninja Warrior alongside me.
Screen Rant: Incredible. It’s so great to see when someone who’s been in the competition for so long has those mentorships and has those trainees that really follow in their footsteps and end up competing alongside each other. As a veteran in the sport, how do you mentor those up and coming ninjas? What kind of advice do you offer them?
Daniel: Yeah, no, I try my very best to take as many under my wing as possible. Who wants to, of course, right? Because I wouldn’t be the Ninja that I am. Matter of fact, I wouldn’t be the man that I am, if not for the men and the women that have taken me under their wings, that taught me, that said, hey Daniel, there’s two ways that you may learn in life. You can learn from your own mistakes or you can learn from the mistakes of others. And so I’ve been able to bypass so many different potholes and pitfalls in life because of having other older, wiser men and women who have spoken into my life.
So I attempt to do that for this next generation of ninjas and just say, hey, if there’s a way that I can help you, maybe giving you technique or the beta for the course, as far as I can understand, then I’ll do that for you guys. And of course I get to prep them and teach them like, hey, you’re also gonna be on television. So remember, anything that you say or do, any of your reactions, like it’s not just about you, you’ve got the world watching.
So you’re able to either let that be added pressure or take the lens of an opportunity to be a role model, to be somebody else’s hero that’s watching the show. That’s been the mindset that I’ve tried to have. And as many people as I’m able to mentor and teach, like you’re able to kind of replicate your mindset, replicate who you are as an athlete and instill those virtues, instill those values into the next generation. Man, that is truly fulfilling as an older veteran in the sport now.
Screen Rant: I can’t imagine that anyone that you’re working with doesn’t take the utmost inspiration from you and have such respect for you. So, looking ahead, obviously you have been a fierce competitor withAmerican Ninja Warriorfor so long. What kind of goals do you have within the ninja community, both on and off the course?
Daniel: Yeah. Oh man. Well, on the course, I wanna hit more buzzers. I wanna compete on many, many more seasons. I feel like I just stepped into the prime of my life if I’m being completely honest with you. And I’ve got a lot more in me to give as an athlete.
As well as I’ve begun doing, what is it like commentating for live events and I love it. I’ve got the energy for it. I know the sport backwards and forwards. So there’s a lot of opportunities for a person like myself off of the front lines of competition where I’ll still be able to, what does my mentor say? Dance with the one that brought you. Ninja is what brought me to where I am in life right now, and ninja is gonna be what keeps me here. That’s gonna be what I stick with in my life and my future career. So I am so excited with where the sport’s going, how it’s growing and what the next couple of years are going to look like for Ninja Warrior.
