Now in its 17th season, NBC’s American Ninja Warrior brings together the country’s most elite athletes to conquer the world’s most challenging obstacle courses. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila are back, along with co-host Zuri Hall, to call the action as the ninjas take on the intense competition. The athletes head to Las Vegas for the qualifiers and semifinals, culminating in the national finals where the fastest ninjas in the country will face a high-stakes course in side-by-side and head-to-head races. In a new bracket-style tournament, one ultimate champion will walk away with the grand prize and the crown of American Ninja Warrior.
Currently airing on NBC Mondays and streaming on Peacock, season 17 features two trailblazing ninjas, Clayton Jay Reeves and Jenson Little, who are making history as the first and second trans athletes to ever compete on the show. Rookie Clayton appeared in the qualifier round in episode five (which aired on June 30th and is now streaming on Peacock) and Jenson, a returning competitor in his fourth season, will compete in a qualifier on episode six airing this coming Monday, July 7th.
Originally from Romania, Clayton was adopted by a large family in Iowa. After coming out as trans in 2016 and getting little support at home, he turned to YouTube and built a following of over 20,000. Working as a vehicle detailer, Clayton also found community at his local ninja gym where he met former USA elite gymnast and American Ninja Warrior competitor Spencer Johnson who encouraged him to apply to be on the show.
Jenson began his ninja training back in 2015, thanks to his cousin, The Moustahce Ninja, Lucio Battista. He made his American Ninja Warrior debut on season 10, and came back for seasons 14 and 15. Now a doctor of physical therapy and an advocate for trans athletes, Jenson is proud to represent the community and hopes to inspire others to take on the Ninja course. This season, he is determined to defeat the second obstacle in the competition for the first time.
As season 17 of American Ninja Warrior continues, Clayton Jay Reeves and Jenson Little speak exclusively with The Queer Review’s editor James Kleinmann about what drew them to the obstacle course, trans representation, their training regimes, and their favorite LGBTQ+ culture.
James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: There’s such a focus in politics and the media right now on trans youth, what was your experience growing up in Iowa, for you Clayton, and in Upstate New York, for you Jenson?
Clayton Reeves: “Right now there’s a question around whether trans youth should transition; socially, medically, and all that. I often think about that and then I realize, ‘Wait, I was a trans youth myself.’ I didn’t think about my age or anything like that. I didn’t even think about gender. I just thought about what I felt like on the inside. In society, we have these gender norms, but with me it wasn’t that I was trying to be a guy, it was more that I was trying to fit what felt comfortable in my skin. Obviously, I totally stand for trans youth transitioning and feeling comfortable in their bodies, because at the end of the day it’s their lives and we all want to be able to live this one life that we have the way we want to.”
Jenson Little: “When I was a kid, I didn’t have words for who I was. I definitely remember going into those norms of playing with all the guys. I’d pretend to be a husband. I’d pretend to be a prince. I always gravitated towards that stuff and that was all natural to me. But I remember hitting an age when I was in third grade or so when my parents were like, ‘Hey, you can’t do this anymore. You’re a girl. You’ve got to dress like a girl. No more shopping in the boys’ section.’ I had a hard time with that. I didn’t understand. I definitely threw a fit and I was like, ‘This is me. Why can’t I do this?’ But for a while I went along with it. I accepted it like it was a part of life. That this was what I was supposed to do.”
“I also grew up in a pretty rural area in Upstate New York, so it wasn’t super progressive out there. I know my parents were trying to protect me, but it didn’t feel good. It’s hard when you’re not able to express who you are and you don’t feel like you can be yourself. It was hard to not feel confident and to feel like I was wrong for how I was feeling. For a while I tried to dress up nicer to be more confident, thinking if I did that maybe I’d actually feel good about how I looked, but I didn’t.”
“When it comes to trans youth, it’s really about supporting them. I think people have this idea that folks are pushing surgeries and hormones on kids, but it’s about supporting them in a haircut and the way they dress and saying to them, ‘You can be you. You can be authentic. We want you to be happy.'”
Clayton, you found a supportive community through your YouTube channel, didn’t you?
Clayton: “Yeah, I live in Iowa, which is very conservative and I was one of the only LGBT kids in my school. When I came out everyone was looking at me weird. My own parents didn’t have my back either. They were actually my biggest bullies. So when I turned 18, I dropped out of high school and left with only the shirt on my back. At that moment, I had no one and I didn’t have enough money for therapy. So instead, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to grab a camera and trauma dump on the Internet and see if there’s anyone else out there who feels like I do’, because I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. Then I realized that there were lots of other people out there who felt the exact same way, who were going through the same struggles as me. I built a community from that and I’m so blessed for it every single day.”
Jenson, this is your fourth time competing, how would you describe American Ninja Warrior to anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet?
Jenson: “If they haven’t been watching yet, I hope they watch it now! It’s an obstacle course competition, usually starting with a series of six obstacles. You compete in a qualifier course alongside people from all different regions of the US, then the competition progresses to the semifinals and onto the finals. It requires a lot of upper body power, explosive power, balance and agility. You’re swinging, flying through the air, hucking yourself at things and trying to catch something that’s seven feet away.”
Clayton, you’re a rookie this season. How did you get into ninja training and what does it mean to you to be competing on season 17 of American Ninja Warrior?
Clayton: “I’d just had a breakup and then I kept on dating after that, including some people I probably shouldn’t have been around. Then I realized that I was looking for exterior gratification instead of actually figuring out what my passion was and what I needed. I did tumbling as a kid and I really wanted to get into gymnastics and found Emerge Academy. They only do gymnastics for under 18s, but they also do ninja for adults.”
“I knew what ninja warrior was, I was already very sporty and loved that kind of stuff, so I gave it a go and now it’s my favorite thing ever. It’s turned into a great passion. At first, I went along to be part of a community of people. There’s some queer people there and everyone supports the LGBTQ+ community. It’s literally my second family. Spencer Johnson, who’s also on the show, is the owner and he’s my coach. Spencer was like, ‘I believe that you could make it onto the show, so let’s do it, let’s work together every day to get you on it.’ So that happened and I can’t believe that I actually made it. I’m really happy about that.”
How pleased were you with your performance on episode five?
Clayton: “I was shocked how amazing I looked up there! I remember how nervous I was to be on stage and everything, but I showed up for my community and I’m so blessed with my run as a rookie. I’m really happy with it.”
What kind of reactions have you been getting so far?
Clayton: “My phone’s blowing up right now! My favorite messages are from parents who have LGBT kids. They’re telling me how proud they are of me to be up there and to represent for their kid to feel proud in who they are. It’s awesome to get messages like that.”
What are your thoughts now going into the semifinals?
Clayton: “I’m super excited. I’m blessed to keep going with my journey and showing up for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Jenson, how did you initially get into ninja training and why did you want to come back for season 17?
Jenson: “Back in 2015, I actually had no idea what ninja warrior was when my cousin, Lucio Battista—who also competes on the show—dragged me to this obstacle course competition. He said, ‘It’s like American Ninja Warrior, have you seen it?’ I was like, ‘No, but I’ll go with you.’ I watched him compete and it looked really cool and he encouraged me to sign up. I’m athletic and I’ve been a rock climber for a long time, so I thought I’d give it a go. I did really well in the competition, but for a quite a few years there wasn’t a gym closer than two hours drive from me. So I’d only train two or three times a year for fun when I went to visit Lucio.”
In 2018, a gym opened closer to my house and I was able to train more regularly so I applied to be on American Ninja Warrior. I really wanted to be on the show to share my story and see what I could do. I kept applying to come back because it’s such a fun sport. It’s so cool to see what your body is capable of. I also wanted to represent my community because there’s a lot of media out there about trans folks and I wanted it to be coming from a trans person. Our messaging should be coming from us. The media needs more accurate stories.”
For each of you, what kind of impact do you hope that you being part of season 17 might have on folks watching at home, whether they’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or not?
Jenson: “I feel like it’s really powerful, no matter how you identify in life, to share your story. I think that’s the best way that people can learn. There are a lot of people who have never met a trans person or don’t know us personally. For those folks, I hope that through seeing Clayton’s story and hopefully through my story in episode six, people will learn a bit. I’m sure that they already did because Clayton’s story in episode five was amazing. For folks who are in the community, I think it’s amazing and I’m so impressed and happy that American Ninja Warrior has featured both of us because it helps people to see that I can be trans and I can be successful in life. I can do the things that I love and find jobs that I love. Hopefully it helps people to know that they’re not alone.”
Clayton: “It’s about uplifting people who feel like they’re less than, whether they’re LGBT or any other minority groups that feel like they don’t get the spotlight as much. The one thing I love about this show is that I get to share my story because I am a great athlete, but I also have this big part of me that not everyone gets to know. They do know I’m trans, but they don’t get to see what’s behind the door. I’m trans and I got on a show, but we also get backlash as trans folks. We also get our rights taken away.”
“I live in Iowa where a lot of rights are getting taken away right now. We need people like us to keep coming up and keep supporting and being like, we got this, we’re not going to stop, we’re going to fight harder. The more you steal our rights, the more we’re going to go out there and fight for our rights back. Because that’s the whole point of life: be there for yourself, be there for others, and show that we all need a space to live and survive as our authentic selves.”
Jenson, what was it like to return to the competition this season?
Jenson: “It’s awesome every time to be back. I definitely wanted to show up and to do better than I have in past years. I don’t think that I’ve shown what I’m capable of yet, so that’s why I keep coming back. I’m so impressed by you, Clayton, for crushing it in your rookie season because I’m guilty of getting stage fright and definitely blinking it out a few times. But every year I go, it’s more comfortable and I feel less nervous about it. It’s so cool to be out there with the community. It’s so cool to be on set and to test your limits like that.”
What’s your training regime like in the run up to shooting the season?
Clayton: “When I got on the show, I was only a year into the sport. I live 45 minutes drive away from the gym, but I’m committed to it. I love the people and I finally have a community I feel welcome in. Initially, I went more for the social aspect and to have fun, but after Spencer put in our applications to be on the show, that’s when we really picked things up. We usually practice for an hour from 8 to 9pm, but me, Spencer and some of the others who wanted to be on the show, would keep on training until about 1 or 2am. It was my life for that whole time because I really wanted to do as good as I could do, to show up for my community and to get my story out there.”
“Generally, we have practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Mondays and Wednesdays are more calisthenic, with pull-ups, push- ups, dumbbell lifts, and all that kind of stuff. It’s more like working out. Then Fridays are the fun days. We make one big ninja course and when one person falls we all go back do it again together, because Spencer says we’re one team and when one of us falls we all fall.”
Jenson: “I train once a week or so at my local gym. We have adult nights there and I coach there as well. We have a competition team with kids ages six to 18 who compete in all the leagues. When I’ve been called for the show, it usually ramps up to two or three times a week to step it up. My day job is very physical and demanding. I’m a physical therapist with folks who have disabilities such as Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, so I get a little tired between that and doing ninja and rock climbing. But when it’s time to go for the show I’m more focused on that training.”
I’ve been vegan since 2020, and I think there is sometimes a misconception that people on a vegan diet can’t be active and fit or build muscle. Jenson, how do you find being vegan and having that full schedule that you described and doing ninja warrior?
Jenson: “I’ve been vegan for about 10 years and I’m still living and breathing and I have all my energy! It hasn’t hindered me in any way. You’re right, people definitely have a misconception that you can’t be active and build muscle when you’re vegan, but you can get all the protein you need and all your your vitamins from plants as long as you’re good with your nutrition and you’re eating a well-balanced diet. I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel energetic, and it’s been awesome.”
What would you say to anyone watching American Ninja Warrior at home who is considering trying it out?
Clayton: “Go for it. Anything’s possible. It is a difficult sport, but the more you train and the more confident you are, the better the outcome will be. Like Jenson mentioned, I definitely had stage fright too, but I talk in front of the camera every single day. I love to be around people and I love to be the centre of attention a lot of the time, so that definitely helped. I was always nervous before I started my YouTube channel, but now I go on TikTok live all the time with thousands of people watching, so it’s a lot easier.”
“The more you stay with it and work out and train, you’ll find a group of people that will go down with you and support you and love you and it’ll work out. Even if you don’t want to be on the show, at least go to the gym and try it. It’s a good workout and you’ll meet a lot of great people.”
Jenson: “I agree, go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose. It’s an amazing experience and so much fun. There are so many gyms around the entire US now. If you Google ‘ninja warrior obstacle gyms’ you’ll find one if you want to shoot your shot at the Salmon Ladder and the Warped Wall! In some rural areas you might have a longer drive, but most of the time you can find a gym pretty close by if you’re in a city.”
One last question for you, what’s your favorite piece of LGBTQ+ culture or a person who identifies as LGBTQ+; someone or something that has had an impact on you and resonated with you?
Clayton: “I love the Netflix series Heartstopper. One thing I really love about it is that it’s a positive series for younger teens that shows what it’s like when you find yourself and a group of people who love you unconditionally. I also like things that show more of the trauma and the hard parts of being LGBT, but it’s so adorable to watch Heartstopper and realize, wow, there’s real love, there’s unity right there and everyone’s happy. That’s exactly what the LGBTQ+ community wants. We just want that love and acceptance of who we are, but a lot of times we don’t get that. I really enjoy that show a lot.”
Jenson: “One of my favorites is Sam Feder’s Disclosure documentary, which is also on Netflix. It talks a lot about the history of representation for trans folks. It highlights how we got to this point in society, a lot of the misconceptions and how we’ve been portrayed in the past and where it’s going now. It’s a fantastic movie.”
It gives me chills that you picked Disclosure because I see you both as being an important part of trans representation on screen right now and I’m sure so many people, especially young trans folks, are going to see themselves in you and that’s a beautiful thing. And a lot of people are going to want to try out ninja warrior too, including me!
By James Kleinmann
New episodes of American Ninja Warrior season 17 debut on NBC Mondays at 8pm ET/PT 7pmC and stream on Peacock.
Leave a Reply