STORY: Sargent pursues Ninja Warrior dream

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on January 17, 2017 9:59 AM

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bcoley@newsargus.com

Chase Sargent hungers for the next challenge.

He was a competitive gymnast for 12 years, and has taught it for the past nine.

He's been an actor and model, with credits in shows such as One Tree Hill, Eastbound & Down, and the movie A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song.

So when the idea of becoming an American Ninja Warrior came into view, the 22-year-old instantly jumped at the opportunity.

"It's to a point where I haven't competed in years," Sargent said. "I was a born competitor. And between having to work and stuff like that, I needed something to give me drive. So when I found American Ninja Warrior, it was crazy how things started happening."

American Ninja Warrior is a TV show that features athletic competitors trying to complete a series of difficult obstacle courses. The main goal is to reach the finals on the Las Vegas Strip to become the next American Ninja Warrior.

The ninth season will air this summer.

Sargent hopes to be a part of it.

The first step is filling out an extensive application. Once that's completed, applicants must take a head shot and shoot a video displaying their abilities.

Sargent's video, entitled "Chase Sargent American Ninja Warrior Audition 2017", was uploaded to YouTube on New Year's Eve. The video has surpassed 1,500 views thanks to aggressive promotion on social media.

"The way it works is that after you submit (the video), there's possibly a qualifier that you would have to compete in before you get on the show," Sargent said. "Or if they want you enough, they'll pick you and put you directly on the show live."

Sargent, a graduate of Faith Christian Academy, has been involved with gymnastics since he began flipping at age two. Around 14 to 15, he dabbled in the entertainment industry and interacted with actors such as Lucy Hale and Danny McBride.

Currently, he serves as coach and gym manager at Traditional Gymnastics.

He began his training for American Ninja Warrior in July. Usually on Mondays and Wednesdays he travels to Triangle Rock Club -- a rock climbing gym in Raleigh -- to take advantage of the gym's shapes and holes that are associated with American Ninja Warrior.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he travels to Gold's Gym to work core movement and legs. Then on Friday and Saturday, he'll practice at Traditional Gymnastics to work the technical skills like free running and parkour.

"It's pretty much six days a week, and I train on average about two to three hours," Sargent said. "I know I burn about 1,000 calories or more when I work out."

Sargent's diet is just as intense as his training routine.

Initially, he attempted to live life as a vegan, but soon realized he wasn't getting all the necessary amino acids and nutrients with that diet.

So now, he begins his day with oatmeal, two clementines, apples and two bananas. On the side is a "green machine" shake that includes, but not limited to, broccoli, apples, pineapple and kale.

Sargent said he eats about six times a day. After he eats breakfast, he'll pack several 200 to 300 calorie meals such as peanut butter sandwiches and almonds.

"One of my dad's students from a long time ago told me, 'A nice car, do you give it bad fuel? No'," Sargent said. "I was training really hard, but I wasn't fueling myself correctly. I took away pizza, spaghetti, sodas, juices and drinks. I brought myself down to fruits, vegetables, nuts, oatmeal and water. It was a hard transition."

All of his training was put to the test when he traveled to a competition in early December. The event was located at Level Up, which is an indoor obstacle course gym in Thomasville. Other notable participants included famous Ninja Warriors Brett Sims and Mike Cook.

Sargent said he had two goals before the competition began. One was to do his best, and the other was to observe the other athletes' behavior.

Even though he entered the contest at the last minute, it seemed the young warrior-in-training was more equipped than others.

"All of the training I've done has had nothing to do with obstacle courses," Sargent said. "My strategy is be fit enough to do the course not train for the course. I watched everyone goof around and be silly and show off, and when I went, I was able to get further than those people."

Sargent was eventually disqualified due to a landing error, but he's happy that occurred because the experience motivates him. He plans on traveling to another competition in February.

He always wants to push to the next level. That's what he's done for gymnastics. That's what he's done for acting. And that's exactly what he's going to do for American Ninja Warrior.

So there isn't a specific list of goals he wants accomplished in the coming months. The only concern is facing the challenge head-on, like Sargent's done all his life.

"I'm not in it because I want to win it," Sargent said. "This is more like an opportunity. It's a chance to just go out there and see what happens. I want to leave it to the possibilities and not limit it with an idea or a goal. The only goal is to be on the show."

Here's the link to view "Chase Sargent American Ninja Warrior Audition 2017"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olAEoY3tlwg