<p>Joey: What does it take to be an American Ninja Warrior? Well, today I'm going to well be put through the paces with Maggie Owen, 17-year-old Metea Valley High School senior from Aurora, Illinois. Be kind to me. I'm a big guy. These hands, they got to stay pretty. Let's go, Maggie.</p> <p>That's not fair. I mean, I'm sure you're going to beat me on the course, but now you need to take my height from me.</p> <p>Maggie: I'm sorry, I'm sorry.</p> <p>Joey: That's okay. We can stand here.</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah, I can't give it to you.</p> <p>Joey: Now, you're an Aurora native and you go to Aurora High School, correct?</p> <p>Maggie: Yes, at Metea Valley.</p> <p>Joey: Metea Valley.</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah.</p> <p>Joey: Metea Valley and you compete in Ninja. What is Ninja?</p> <p>Maggie: It's just obstacle courses, basically. It's a very different sport than than a lot of people are used to, which is what I like about it. You have obstacle course, obstacle course racing, stuff like that.</p> <p>Joey: You can show me the ropes a little bit? Pun intended.</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah.</p> <p>Joey: Did you get that?</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah, I got it. I got it.</p> <p>Joey: Okay, what are we going to do?</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah, we're going to just go do one of my favorite courses out there and just do all the obstacles that we can.</p> <p>Joey: Okay. I need some swag. Do you have any swag?</p> <p>Maggie: Yes, of course. Here you go.</p> <p>Joey: That just came ... It just ...</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah, just appeared.</p> <p>Joey: It flew in like Maggie Owen, Ninja.</p> <p>Maggie: There you go. Different colors too, so we differentiate.</p> <p>Joey: Does it bring out the color of my eyes?</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah.</p> <p>Joey: Now, when did you start doing this?</p> <p>Maggie: I started doing Ninja, probably about like three and a half, four years ago. I did rock climbing for a while since I was nine before that, which is kind of what got me into Ninja.</p> <p>Joey: Did you feel like that was an easy transition from rock climbing to this?</p> <p>Maggie: Oh yeah. I think rock climbing is probably one of the best sports to do before Ninja. It helps you ... Like, I came into ninja already having grip strength and upper body strength, which helped me a lot.</p> <p>Joey: Yeah, and you actually competed on the American Ninja show, correct?</p> <p>Maggie: Yes. Yes. Season 13.</p> <p>Joey: How was that experience?</p> <p>Maggie: It was probably the best experience of my life. I think about it every single day, for sure. Just remembering how it was, and it was really awesome. Something I've been looking forward to for so long.</p> <p>Joey: Now, what was your favorite part about well, Ninja, but also doing the show?</p> <p>Maggie: My favorite moments of being at the show was honestly just standing on the starting platform, like trying to take it all in, like staring down the course in front of me and just like being able to like, I've gotten here, like my training's gotten me this far. All the people around me have gotten me this far. That's what I love. The Ninja community is one of the best out there. Everyone cheers for everyone, whether you're competing against them or you're friends with them. It's a really great community.</p> <p>Joey: [inaudible 00:03:36].</p> <p>Maggie: [inaudible 00:03:40].</p> <p>Joey: [inaudible 00:03:42]?</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah. [inaudible 00:03:50]. Yeah. [inaudible 00:03:53].</p> <p>Joey: Who else is your big support system coming in here?</p> <p>Maggie: I mean, for sure, my family is a huge support system for me, my mom and dad and my brother too. They love that I do this sport and they're huge supporters of me and then the Aurora community. I mean, my school has done like magazine stuff on me, videos and just a lot of things like that.</p> <p>Joey: Now, when you walk down the hall are you just like ... Or do you not walk down the hall, you're just like flying all the other things, they put ropes all over for you.</p> <p>Maggie: I would love that. That would actually be so cool. Put in a word at my school.</p> <p>Joey: Okay. I only have so much pull. Now, what about mom and grandma? I hear that they are here with you and you influenced them to actually even start doing this, right?</p> <p>Maggie: Yeah, so they do the adult program here, which is called ULTA FIT and they do some obstacles. It's a lot of like actual exercise workouts, but yeah, there's three generations here. My family working at the gym, which I think is really cool.</p>