Utah ICU Nurse Competes On ‘American Ninja Warrior’

ST. GEORGE, Utah – An ICU nurse in Southern Utah  will take on the semifinals course Wednesday in “American Ninja Warrior” Season 12.

This is Howard’s second season on the show. Last year she fell on the fifth obstacle in the qualifier course. In her first episode on the show this season, she finished all the obstacles and hit her first buzzer.

“With everything going on right now I didn’t know if ‘Ninja Warrior’ was going to happen this year,” Howard said. “But I’m really grateful … to have that experience and compete.”

Last season she remembers seeing her friends and family on the sidelines and in the stands to cheer her on. Season 12 has been a different experience altogether, with friends, family and coworkers watching virtually. Howard also found herself feeling a bit more pressure this year.

“Going into this year I felt like people were starting to know who I was and could expect things from me,” she said. “It’s really big moves, swinging and flying, which I feel like is one of my strengths.”

Howard is a former gymnast at Southern Utah University. After graduating, she decided she was not done competing and started training on obstacles at a local gym.

The whole experience has been especially helpful for her this year, as she works on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic as an ICU nurse in St. George.

“Working in the hospital right now, ‘Ninja Warrior’ is kind of my release. It’s what I do to clear my head,” she said. “So, it was just really fun to be able to do that and run a course.”

You can watch Howard compete in the semifinals Wednesday at 8 p.m. on KSL TV.