Westside-Macon head football coach Sheddrick "Spoon" Risper has an opportunity to add another nickname to his arsenal in upcoming weeks: "American Ninja Warrior."
Risper, head coach of the Seminoles football team in Region 4-AAA, will travel to Miami on April 13 to try to qualify for an appearance on Season 10 of the American Ninja Warrior television series.
The series puts challengers through a variety of obstacle courses which test every part of the human body. The course is designed for the strongest and most limber competitor to come out on top after making their way through the grueling qualifying series. The goal for all competitors is make it to the finals course, named Mount Midoriyama, in Las Vegas, then win a million dollars.
Midoriyama, the stage 4 course, is a 75-foot rope climb, where competitors must climb the rope and hit a buzzer in less than 30 seconds. But that's just the final stage for approximately 3,500 competitors who attempt to qualify in cities across the nation.
Risper will need to make it through the regional qualifying stage in Miami to earn a chance in Vegas. He discussed his upcoming opportunity during a telephone interview:
Q. What does it take to become an American Ninja Warrior?
A. Well, a whole lot of soreness and determination. My body is so sore. I train and go to Atlanta to the Ninja Quest Fitness once a week. But this week, since we're on spring break and I have to compete in two weeks, I went twice this week.
Q. How did this whole process happen?
A. I have been trying to get on the show for the past two years, because I really like the show. I should have done this about 10 years ago when the first season occurred. I was in my early 30s then. I'll be 44 this year, so I thought, "I'm not getting any younger," so I turned in my application and my video. Then they gave us a call.
Q. What's the feedback from Westside? How's the support?
A. It has spread like wildfire down here. The students are so excited. My principal is excited, the assistant principal, my coaches, the community, they're all supportive. The Board of Education recognized me. As well after our basketball team that made the Final Four, then they surprised me and recognized me for going on American Ninja Warrior. There's certainly a buzz going around in our city right now.
Q. What's the biggest concern going into the competition?
A. The thing is, all of it is concerning. You have to have tremendous hand strength, shoulder strength and core, your abs, because that show pretty much deals with those body parts. My shoulders have kind of been taking a pounding. I have used part of my shoulders that I hadn't used in probably years. They're tender. I'm getting massage therapy every week to help with that, and I've been getting stem treatment and ultra-sound treatment this past week to get ready to compete and try to be as close to 100 percent as possible. I've been trying to take care of my body.
Q. From a kid's perspective, I imagine a challenge like American Ninja Warrior seems like a dream. Has this brought out the kid in you?
A. I was an outdoors kid. I was born in the 1970s so I'm a late '70s baby. We didn't have cell phones and electronic gadgets back then, so we got outside and played. From playing free tag, hide-and-go seek, climbing trees ... that type of stuff. We were outside all the time. So this is sort of like going back to my childhood with the physical activities. A bit more pain, though. When you're a kid, if you fall, you'll be hurt for maybe a day or two. But when you're my age it takes a lot longer to heal up.
Q. Is there a specific diet you've put yourself on?
A. Well, I had changed my diet anyway. I eat once a day at supper. I snack on fruit throughout the day and peanut butter crackers, which holds me over until I make it to dinner. For dinner, I mainly eat turnip greens and a few slices of ham. Really thin slices. I drink just water throughout the day and drink one glass of grape juice at night. I have dropped a lot of weight. A couple of years ago I was close to 190 pounds, but now I'm down to 162. Although I do have my cheat days. My diet goes from Monday through Friday after school, then I have a cheat day on the weekends.
Q. Tell me about the competition level.
A. Well, I'll be competing against around 100 people. I've met some of the people who compete on the show. Some have been training with me, and they're phenomenal. But the thing about it is, no matter how phenomenal you are, a lot of the people -- contestants -- tend to mess up on the simple things. So you have to take the simple things into consideration and not take them for granted because you'll fall and be eliminated. No matter how good you are, you have to be cautious throughout the obstacles. Like, for instance, starting off there are little platforms that you have to run and jump on. Sort of like little lily pads. And a lot of people fall on that, being careless because it's the very first thing. You have to be careful on things like that. They also have obstacles where you grab onto a platform and it goes down a steep incline, and it's a bit of a bumpy ride. You have to hold on tight with your legs AND your hands. So things that look simple really aren't so simple.
Q. With a prize like one million dollars on the line, what's the plan if you win it all?
A. It's going to be a huge homecoming. The first thing I'll do is donate money to my church. My family members, I'd give money to. And I'd definitely give money to our athletic department at Westside. I am a giving person and I believe in helping people. It's just my nature. My dad was like that before he passed. My mom's like that. We just like helping people. Whatever the good Lord tells me to do with the money, then that's what I'll do.
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