One Naperville native has jumped, climbed and leaped into tonight’s central regional final on “American Ninja Warrior.”
18-year-old Andrew Pickert will make his finals run tonight on NBC at 7 p.m.
Naperville dream to national stage
Pickert qualified with a time of 1:07.53 at the regional semifinal, which aired Monday, July 20.
“It’s hard to put into words what this moment meant to me. For my entire life the thought of getting to do this was just a dream, something I would think about but never considered a possibility. I never would’ve had this moment without the support of everyone,” Pickert said on Instagram.
Pickert started watching American Ninja Warrior when he was six and began training for ninja competitions at just 10 years old.
He is coached by American Ninja Warrior champion and fellow Naperville resident Jesse Labreck. Labreck is the general manager of Ultimate Ninjas gym in Naperville.
American Ninja love story
Through Labreck and her husband, fellow Ninja Warrior Chris DiGani, Pickert was introduced to his girlfriend, Emerson Muise.
Muise also competed in the semifinals this season. Muise is from California and trained with Labreck for the American Ninja Warrior Junior championships.
Though separated by hundreds of miles, Pickert and Muise covered the distance to attend prom together last spring.
Pickert and Muise at prom. Photo courtesy @andrew.pickert1 on Instagram.
“Andrew, I’m so incredibly proud of you. Seeing you on top of the warped wall, accomplishing a lifelong dream of hitting a buzzer is something I will never forget and cherish forever,” Muise wrote on Instagram after Pickert’s semifinal run.
Pickert and Muise expressed their gratitude for the Ninja Warrior couple that brought them together.
“Jesse and Chris, we owe so much to you,” Muise wrote on Instagram. “You helped shape us both into the athletes and people we are today, and there are not enough ways to thank you for that. From the outpouring of love you showed to a 14 year old girl you just met on ANWjr, to coaching and believing in Andrew since he was 10 years old, we wouldn’t be here without your love and support. And we certainly wouldn’t be together if it wasn’t for your determination to make it happen.”
Featured image courtesy: @andrew.pickert1 on Instagram
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