Jessie Graff Research Paper

Jessie Graff recently made history. The NYC-born stunt woman was the first woman in history to make it up the 14 1/2-foot Warped Wall on America Ninja Warrior. This obstacle (the final one in the course) is 6 inches taller than previous seasons, only adding to the difficulty. Graff completed the course during the Los Angeles city finals. She also holds the distinction of becoming the first woman to qualify for the city finals, a feat she completed in season 5 of the show.

Graff is an established stunt woman, championship pole vaulter, and competitive gymnast. She has over 65 stunt credits to her name and growing.

Graff's recent appearance on America Ninja Warrior garnered much press which included articles in Huffington Post, ESPN, PopSugar Celebrity, New York Post and more. Action Academy had a chance to ask Jessie some questions about her motivation for doing the show, training, her stuntwork and more. Take a look:
Has this motivation (or reason) changed this time around?

I originally competed on the show, to promote my short film, epic chick fight. I only got a week's notice that I'd been picked, so I didn't really do any ninja specific training. I just went in with what I know from stunts and athletics.

I've always loved
Mentally?

The physical preparation happens all year, so when it comes to the day of competition, it's mostly mental. We don't get to see the obstacles we'll be facing until the day of competition, so it's all analysis. You have to watch carefully, because there are so many details and tricks to every obstacle, and you only get to see so many testers before the competition begins.

The obstacle with the rings was new. While you didn't specifically train for this obstacle, what was your tactic to tackle this