To kick of Season 3 of the 603 podcast, Dan Egan is joined by Abby Clark, one of the most accomplished women on American Ninja Warrior, to talk about what it actually takes to “hit the buzzer” when the obstacles are brand new, the water is cold, and one hand placement that’s off by half an inch can end your season.

Abby walks us through nine seasons of competition, the feeling of landing her first buzzer, and the long stretch of warped wall frustration that played out on national television year after year. We get deep into ninja training and technique, including how the salmon ladder really works, why athletes use a mixed grip on free-spinning bars, and why balance obstacles can be more dangerous than the biggest upper-body moves. If you’ve ever wondered how American Ninja Warrior rules work, we also break down qualifying advancement, racing formats, and what changes mentally when the show turns into head-to-head battles.

Then we zoom out to life beyond the course: staying an athlete after college, blocking out negative noise, owning a ninja gym, and exploring where obstacle course racing could go next with the sport growing worldwide. 

All this and more on the 603podcast.

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