Flying high: Former ‘American Ninja Warrior’ contestants share their faith at Convocation

Friday’s Convocation at Liberty University proved to be an incredible display of athletic prowess, with former “American Ninja Warrior” contestants taking the stage to share their experiences on the competition TV show and demonstrate their skills on the course.

Joined by Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge, former contestants Liberty alumnus Josiah Singleton (’19), Carrington Hammond, Grant McCartney, and John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies Dr. Chad Thornhill spoke about their faith and the trials they have had to undergo both on and off the course.

Thornhill, who appeared in Seasons 13 and 14, said his time on the show allowed him to fully live out God’s calling for Christians to glorify Him in everything they do, whether in serious or joyful situations.

“It’s amazing all the things our bodies are capable of,” he said. “Being around the sport, you see some things that look superhuman. It’s incredible, and that’s God’s design. We can also find a lot of goodness in the fact God has meant for us as Christians to experience joy. We should be disciplined in our lives, but He’s given us good things to enjoy.”

McCartney, who competed in Seasons 7-13 and spoke at Convocation in 2017, shared his story of losing several close family members to drug and alcohol addiction but noted that he found comfort in the fact that Jesus could empathize with his pain, as is evidenced in John 11 with the story of Lazarus’ resurrection.

“There is sadness in life,” he said. “I love that Christ stopped and cried for Lazarus because it reminded me that He knows what it feels like. He knows He’s going to bring Lazarus back to life, but He stood there and cried first. So, I know He knows how I feel to lose. That sadness and hurt was only equated by God’s peace throughout the journey.”

McCartney, who also holds the Guinness World Record for consecutive flying bar jumps with 15, said that this peace has helped sustain him through all the wins and losses of his life.

Hammond, a Lynchburg native, spoke about how she overcame several ACL injuries in her training and through that grew in her relationship with Christ. She competed in Seasons 14 and 16. This growth eventually led her to be baptized by McCartney in the water of an obstacle course at Ultimate Backyard Warrior in Rocky Mount, N.C.

“Always be the one to intercede for the Lord, because you never know how its going to impact someone’s life later on,” she said,  noting the impact McCartney had on her faith.

A former member of the Flames Men’s Golf team, Singleton said he had previously found his self-worth in competition but now chooses to identify himself as a sinner saved by Christ and child of God. This realization allowed him to compete with a newfound joy, one that even caught the attention of “American Ninja Warrior” sideline reporter Zuri Hall, who asked why he seemed happy despite falling short at the Season 14 nationals.

“It was in the moment that I got to share with her that my identity, my self-worth, my joy, none of that, was rooted in my performance or circumstantial things that can change on a whim, but it was rooted in the finished work of Christ and what He said I am: a child of God. I’m redeemed, loved, and forgiven,” he said.

Following the panel discussion, the speakers, as well as several members of Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development team, completed a Ninja Warrior-inspired obstacle course constructed in the Vines Center. Later in the afternoon, Liberty students were invited to return to test their own strengths on the course.