'American Ninja Warrior' Season 17 premieres June 2. What to know about Milwaukee's returning star, Taylor Amann

Yahoo

02-06-2025

The lineup for "American Ninja Warrior" Season 17 is made up of new and veteran Ninjas, according to NBC Insider.
One Ninja returning to the grueling obstacle-course show? Former Wisconsin Badgers pole vaulting superstar and Milwaukeean Taylor Amann.
After winning "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness" with two teammates coming up on a decade ago, Amann competed on "ANW" four times, making it to the national finals once.
Not being in "the best space mentally" when she last competed on Season 15, she said in a previous Journal Sentinel interview, she fell on the second obstacle of the qualifying course, which meant she wouldn't advance to semifinals.
After that, Amann thought she had retired from her time as a Ninja. But then, she kept going "back-and-forth" on whether that was how she wanted to end her "ANW" career.
"As a competitive person and someone who's been an athlete my whole life, I couldn't leave it at that," Amann said.
Filled with nerves and excitement, Amann flew to Las Vegas in October for filming.
To see if Amann made the cut, episodes of Season 17's Las Vegas qualifiers will begin airing on June 2 on NBC.
Here's what to know about Amann and Season 17 of the sports-entertainment competition show:
29 years old.
Amann is a Hartland native who lives in Milwaukee.
Amann is a social media manager at The Weaponry, an advertising agency. Her side hustle: A photography business in which she captures weddings, couples, families, seniors and branding.
As an influencer, she has brand deals with Wantable, which has included a collection of her picks, and BYLT Basics.
Amann graduated from Arrowhead High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After competing and winning "Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness" with two teammates in 2016, Amann went on to compete on "American Ninja Warrior" four times: Seasons 11, 12, 13 and 15. Season 17 will be her fifth attempt (not including "College Madness").
"Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness": Won.
"American Ninja Warrior":
Season 11: Made it to the national finals.
Season 12: Eliminated during the qualifying round.
Season 13: Made it to the semifinals.
Season 15: Eliminated during the qualifying round.
Season 17: TBD.
Last year, Amann started Ninja training again, which reminded her of "how fun it was," she said in a previous Journal Sentinel interview. That, paired with encouragement from her boss, she decided to give the obstacle course show another go.
Amann applied to be a part of Season 17 at the last minute last summer.
A couple weeks after submitting her "ANW" application video, Amann received a call from a show producer, inviting her to compete on the upcoming season.
In general, Amann works out just about every day. She does HITT (high-intensity interval training) and circuit training focused on strength, with a little cardio.
To prep for the show, she added in training at Ultimate Ninjas Oak Creek, where she practiced pull-ups, hanging, swinging and balance obstacles. She met the gym's owner, fellow "ANW" fixture Michael Silenzi, competing on the show a few years back.
She also prioritized her "mental game," working on staying calm, focused, positive and confident, regardless of the obstacle at hand. That was "the toughest part," she said in our previous interview.
"I've been an athlete my whole life. I like being competitive," she said. "It's just kind of like trusting what I can do. 'Cause as long as I'm training for it and working out every day, I know that my body's ready for it. It's just, my head could be holding me back. So, just staying positive about it."
Amann started competing in gymnastics at 5 years old. She was a part of the Midwest Twisters Gymnastics, then competed for the Arrowhead High School team.
She committed to pole vaulting after her junior year of high school. As a pole vaulter at UW-Madison, she became a three-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American.
According to NBC Insider, the show is hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila and Matt Iseman, along with sideline co-host Zuri Hall.
"ANW" Season 17 will feature a lineup of new and veteran Ninjas; the return of some fan-favorite obstacles, including CannonBall Alley; and a few surprise format changes, according to NBC Insider.
"This season is really looking at the future of Ninja but also celebrating the past ..." Iseman told NBC Insider. "We saw some upsets that you never would've predicted in a million years. And then we saw redemptions that just made your heart swell. So the season was filled with so many highlights and so many incredible moments."
This season's prize? $1 million.
"The path to victory will demand even more mind-boggling strength and jaw-dropping speed as these Ninjas are put to the ultimate test," NBC Insider reported. "From the inspiring Ninja stories to the high-flying leaps that take our breath away, Season 17 is bringing the heat."
"American Ninja Warrior" Season 17 airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on NBC. The season premiere is June 2.
Episodes steam on Peacock, NBC's streaming service, the day after they air.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: American Ninja Warrior Season 17: What to know, how to watch, Taylor Amann