BELLVILLE — Nate Tackett survived a brain tumor, a growth that had to be surgically removed five years ago. So an obstacle course doesn’t strike fear in his heart.
Not even under the bright lights of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” which airs tonight (Monday) at 8 p.m. as its 13th season rolls on.
The 33-year-old Clear Fork High School graduate traveled to compete in the Tacoma, Wash., qualifying round on April 2, a far cry from the Valley, where he starred at running back and safety for the Colts’ football team.
Though the show’s rules prevent him from discussing how he fared in the popular competition, Tackett doesn’t hesitate when asked if he enjoyed the competition.
“Absolutely,” the former All-Ohio football player said Monday afternoon during his lunch break at McGhee’s Tehnical Water Services on James Road in Bellville. “It was a blast.”
The 6-1, 170-pound Tackett, who first tried an obstacle course at the Arnold Classic in Columbus in 2017, made it onto the TV program in 2018, advancing to the city finals in Indianapolis.
He finished 15th in the qualifying round, falling on the fifth obstacle, the “spin hopper.” In the city finals, Tackett was foiled on the third obstacle, the “wheel flip.”
“I went to dismount on the third obstacle and was looking ahead to the next one and my toe touched the water,” Tackett said.
Regardless of how he finishes, the American Ninja competition has helped stoke the competitive coals for the “Colt Warrior,” who remembers being laid up for several months after his brain surgery.
Tackett said he likely had the tumor in his head for his entire life, which led to seizures.
“It turned out to not be cancerous. I think I was probably born with it. My mom said I was a hard baby to deliver, so that kind of made sense,” he said with a laugh.
“Ninja training was a motivation to get up and do something,” said Tackett, who along with his wife, Crystal, have three children — Alexis Rodriguez, 14, Caleb Tackett, 9, and Braxton Tackett, 6. “It helped me to get back into doing sporting type things.”
In order to be selected by NBC to compete, Tackett and other competitors have to submit videos each year. The avid outdoorsman was thrilled this year when he was selected for a second try.
NBC flew him across the country for the competition, spending three days in “The Evergreen State.”
“I had a great time,” said Tackett, who has training obstacles at his home and also trains at the Movement Lab Ohio gym, partially owned by American Ninja Warrior legend Michelle Warnke. “I know a lot of the Ninjas now and they are all very helpful.”
According to the TV show’s website, the 2021 season features more than 400 competitors, ages 15 and up.
A top prize of $1 million will go to the winner if they can conquer all four stages at the National Finals in Las Vegas. To get there, competitors will need to make it through the qualifying rounds and semifinals.
It’s a different sort of competition than he was used to growing up on the gridiron, including a semi-pro stint with the former Mansfield Marauders.
“When I was playing football, you never wanted to help an opponent,” he said, laughing. “Other Ninjas talk and help. They tell me how to approach a certain obstacle. It’s a great group of people to be with.”
Hackett, now back at his high school football playing weight, had bulked up to 195 when he competed in Indianapolis.
“I have gotten a lot better grip strength now,” he said, “but I think speed and endurance are my best (tools). Being 25 pounds lighter now, it’s definitely a lot easier to hold up your body weight.”
