Blind Contestant’s Inspirational Attempt on ‘American Ninja Warrior’

George Back
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Nico Gentry looked like any other ninja attempting to qualify for American Ninja Warrior during the San Antonio qualifying round. But unlike most of the ninja hopefuls, he had to first overcome the major obstacle of being blind.

Gentry was born with a neurological disorder called nystagmus, which affects the muscles behind my eyes. He said, “Basically, any time motion is involved, I’m completely blind. The information just does not make it to my brain.”

Despite being legally blind, Gentry excelled in martial arts and became an avid fan of the Ninja Warrior franchise. With an enormous amount of training and determination, Gentry finally got to the point where he was able to run the obstacle course.

While “flying blind,” Gentry was able to leap through the Floating Steps, soar past the Tic Toc obstacle, and even run across the Spinning Bridge. Unfortunately his grip slipped on the Sky Hooks and he plummeted into the water.

While falling was a bit of disappointment for the contestant, it was still inspirational to see him take on such a daunting challenge and make it further than most.

American Ninja Warrior airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

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