Majors: Biological sciences, Spanish
Hometown: West Point, NE
Leigh wasn't expecting much when she filled out the online application to be on one of her favorite reality TV shows. She had always been passionate about gymnastics, fitness and obstacles courses — but never thought that she'd be picked to appear on American Ninja Warrior.
Then she got an email. Her application had been viewed, and the team wanted to connect her with a former contestant for a training opportunity. They didn't make any mention of her being picked for the show, only that they felt she would benefit from the training.
"But that gave me a glimmer of hope," Leigh said.
One day as she waited in line at the Nebraska Union, she received a call from an unknown number. Thinking it was spam, she let it go to voicemail, only to find out afterwards that it was one of the American Ninja Warrior producers telling her she'd been chosen to compete on the show.
Leigh took a week off from classes to film her segment, and when she returned the Honors Program asked if she'd like to replicate her experience on the show for an after-school club.
Leigh agreed, and set about creating an obstacle course club for Lincoln Public Schools elementary students. She spent her fall break sharing her passion for fitness by showing her students how to hop, skip and jump through new challenges.
"I think it was a really neat way to have kids have an opportunity to be more active in their clubs," Leigh said. "Being passionate about something is a great way to share it with someone else... just be open to sharing what your niche is. Everyone has their own — so take advantage of it."
