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'American Ninja Warrior' tests physical and mental toughness. Thanks to his training regime and Leeds, Nate Hansen has both.

One of Nate Hansen鈥檚 favorite childhood traditions was Monday nights, when the family would gather on the couch for ice cream and 鈥淎merican Ninja Warrior.鈥�

Today, he鈥檚 not just Nate Hansen, but Gnarly Ninja Nate, a physics-defying athlete who has qualified for the show鈥檚 Season 13 national finals, which airs beginning tonight. And while he鈥檚 one of 64 finalists who鈥檝e trained for the obstacles they must overcome to win, what those other competitors don鈥檛 have is an education from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.听

And if you think those obstacles are just physical, Hansen鈥攁 senior studying marketing and real estate鈥攚ill be quick to correct you.

鈥淪uccess in the physical challenges on the course comes down to your mental state,鈥� Hansen said. 鈥淚f you can approach each challenge with confidence, that鈥檚 when you鈥檒l be successful.鈥�

That attitude has helped him train as a ninja, but it鈥檚 also made him a better student. Hansen arrived at Boulder with a prestigious Daniels Scholarship, but admits his academic career got off to a difficult start, especially as he started training for the show.听

鈥淢y hobbies took over my education, and I developed some bad habits,鈥� Hansen said. Later in his freshman year, he said, 鈥淚 realized I couldn鈥檛 be a full-time student, a full-time athlete and an inspiration to all these people without being disciplined.鈥�

His marketing classes has been crucial in helping him build a brand for himself on social media鈥攁n important consideration for contestants on the show, who need a story to go along with their physical prowess. 听

鈥淲hen I started on the show, I realized it was a job as an athlete, but also a job as a marketer鈥擨 need to be able to promote myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y Leeds education has helped me with that. I鈥檝e learned not just to read a textbook, but how to apply what you鈥檝e been taught in different ways. That鈥檚 influenced me as an athlete鈥攜ou can learn a skill over and over again, or you can learn the movement behind the skill and then use that movement to overcome new challenges.鈥澨�

Overcoming challenges is old hat to Hansen. At age 12, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency; he absorbed more than his share of abuse from bullies as he went through school. At 5 foot 2 inches, he鈥檚 easily among the show鈥檚 shortest contestants, but he uses his height and his platform to be a model to others with GHD.听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have anyone to look up to until I met Brian (Arnold, a longtime 鈥淣inja鈥� contestant)鈥攁nd I still found it hard to relate to him, because he was so much taller than I was,鈥� Hansen said with a laugh. 鈥淚 want to be that role model for other kids, so they can look at 鈥淣inja Warrior鈥� and Gnarly Nate and say, 鈥業 can conquer anything and be just like him.鈥欌�澨�

Because he鈥檚 smaller than most competitors, he has to approach the challenges on the course differently. Watching him leap across platforms or swing from bars high in the air, you realize how much extra training Hansen has done to ensure he can complete the course.

'Prepare for the uncontrollable'

鈥溾�楴inja Warrior鈥� has taught me there are going to be difficult, dangerous, challenging situations, and sometimes you can鈥檛 predict them,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to prepare for the uncontrollable. You don鈥檛 always know how a new obstacle will behave, or how hard a test or project will be.鈥�

Hansen鈥檚 short-term goal is not to win Season 13 of 鈥淎merican Ninja Warrior,鈥� but to become the show鈥檚 first multiseason champion. In the longer term, he鈥檚 hoping his Leeds education helps him create a gym that emphasizes becoming a better version of yourself, as opposed to just training and working out. That鈥檚 meant carving out more time for classes even as he鈥檚 focused more on athletics.听

鈥淚 never want to go into a competition鈥攚hether that鈥檚 ninja or a test鈥攖hinking there was something more I could have done to improve my performance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to be sure in my education and athletics that I鈥檓 giving 100 percent at all times.鈥澨�

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