By Annabelle Larsen | [email protected]

What does it take to be an "American Ninja Warrior?" Tyler Kurtzhals of Herriman took the time, practice and patience to find out for himself. Tyler Kurtzhals, 18, recently qualified for the semi-finals on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” and has been training and practicing fiercely in order to get ready for his competition in Texas. When asked why Tyler got involved in training to be a ninja warrior, his reply was,

“The thing that got me interested in "American Ninja Warrior" was when I was 8 years old, I saw it on TV for the first time and I was always the kind of kid to be climbing on everything I could see…so "American Ninja Warrior" seemed like the coolest big-kid playground at the time. And so I was just hooked, from the moment I first saw it. That passion for it never went away the whole time ”

Kurtzhals' interest in obstacle courses and strength training began at a very young age, and he was able to put in the time and dedication needed to pursue this interest and excel in the field. And there is a lot of dedication and training needed to participate in "American Ninja Warrior."

When asked about a typical day for Kurtzhals, his answer was,

“I start my morning with some breakfast, and then I usually go to work at the gym, so I can train while I’m working at the same time. I get paid to do everything that I want to do. So I can train while I work, but I also train at a place in SLC with a couple of friends after work.”

After talking with Tyler, it was clear to see that he eats, sleeps and breathes this lifestyle, and that he is thrilled to be able to participate in NBC’s show.

Tyler was asked what it was like when he got accepted to compete in American Ninja Warrior.“I was through the roof with excitement and just joy. Basically what happened was I got accepted on my 18 birthday, which made it ten times better. So, it was the best birthday present ever. It was 10 years of training in the making.”

That phone call changed a lot about Kurtzhals' life, overnight. Going from being a high-school student to competing in a nation-wide competition would be a big change for anyone. In response to this, Kurtzhals stated,

“I definitely could not have done it without my mom's help.”

Kurtzhals has just finished high school and will be attending a university in the fall to study Kinesthesiology. He hopes to continue to pursue his interest in obstacle courses and fitness, while also being able to help people achieve their dreams as well. Tyler has a deep belief in following your dreams and passions to the best of your ability.

“I say, if you have a goal like that, just go for it. The worst that can happen is that you fail. And if there’s anything that ninja warrior has taught me is that it’s okay to fail,  because every failure you have is a good learning experience to better yourself and improve next time. There will always be a next time so you can try again.

“Even if it’s not Ninja Warrior, just push everything you can towards that, and eventually your hard work will pay off, and make sure to stay humble and accept failure as it comes because failure is the only way you can get better at something, because no one will be perfect off the bat.

“I do hope that I inspired a lot of people, and I do want to see more people going after what they love and chasing their dreams.”