‘Ninja Warrior’ helps others ‘Live Unparalyzed’
By Amy Rognlie | Photos by Skeebo
Danielle Raesz knows what it’s like to have her hopes and dreams dashed, but that hasn’t stopped the young mother from her goal of competing in the next American Ninja Warrior competition, an action-packed TV series that follows competitors as they tackle a series of challenging obstacle courses in qualifying and finals rounds across the country.
“From September 2019 through March 2020, I was driving to Austin twice a week to ninja train. Once a week I was training with a coach one-on-one, and once I week I was training with my husband, Jason. On the other days I was in the gym focusing on strength and stability. Typically, I train for one to two hours a day, six days a week. I have competitions once a month, on average,” Danielle says.
Her hard work in the gym paid off when she received a call back for the show and was preparing to compete in a St. Louis qualifier in May—then the pandemic shut down everything.
Danielle took it in stride. “For our 11-year wedding anniversary in March, Jason surprised me with plans to build a ninja rig in our backyard so I could do some of my training at home. Within a week of us purchasing all the material and beginning the building process, all the gyms were shut down due to COVID. I was unable to train at a ninja gym for 10 weeks, but I didn’t lose any progress because of the home ninja gym Jason built.”
Because of the pandemic, Danielle had to re-apply for the season that is scheduled to air in summer 2021, but she continues to train hard.
In August, she competed in a regional competition in Austin, winning the Amateur Woman division and qualifying for the World Finals in September. “Texas has a huge Ninja population, particularly in Dallas and Houston,” Danielle explains. “Many people compete just to compete, so not everyone has the goal of starring on the TV show. It is a lengthy process to apply to the show and the producers are looking to see if you have a story.”
Danielle’s “story” involves her own personal journey through perfectionism. “I’ve been afraid of failure my whole life,” she says. “The idea of not being perfect in front of people made me sideline myself from various sports, opportunities, etc. We started watching American Ninja Warrior in 2012, I think, and I thought it looked so fun, but the idea of actually doing it was too daunting to consider seriously.”
It wasn’t until after her first daughter was born that Danielle had an epiphany. “After having my daughter, I went through a period of serious introspection. I realized that I couldn’t raise her to believe that she could do anything she set her mind to if I didn’t believe and live it for myself.” She smiles. “Our second daughter was born in 2018, and I went to my first ninja gym in the summer of 2019. I fell in love with the sport in a whole new way and knew this was something I wanted to (and could!) do.”
And do it she has, with the help and unwavering support of her husband, Dr. Jason Raesz of Advanced Chiropractic in Temple.
One of four chiropractic doctors in the office, Jason describes his practice as family-based. “The vision of Advanced Chiropractic is to help thousands of people in Bell County live pain-free, purpose-filled lives without the use of medications or surgeries,” he explains.
The staff focuses on teaching people how make health a priority in their lives, and they educate the community about what health is—the optimal functioning of our bodies.
“Jason and I are both incredibly passionate about fitness and health—living a healthy, purpose-filled life is one of our core family values,” Danielle says. “We want to inspire everyone that we are blessed to cross paths with to chase their dreams, and we believe that you can only chase your dreams if your physical body is working properly. Jason helps people achieve health through chiropractic, and I help people achieve health through exercise and nutrition.”
Now a certified personal trainer, Danielle is eager to share her new-found confidence with others.
“You can’t hate yourself into loving yourself. I tried that. It doesn’t work.” She shrugs, then smiles. “When I started ninja training, I knew that failure just came with the territory. But then the phrase ‘Live Unparalyzed’ came to me as I was writing my very first Instagram post about ninja. That was a life-changing ‘ah-ha’ moment. Live Unparalyzed is now not only my brand, but it is my life motto. I want to help people stuck in the paralyzing pit of self-doubt get out.”
Learn More
Live Unparalyzed, Danielle Raesz’s personal training business, exists to help women discover how to feel better from the inside out. “My heart beats to see people live purpose-filled lives,” she says. “I’ve learned through observation and experience that you simply cannot do that if you are not physically healthy. My goal is to help you achieve your goals.”
She offers online or in-person coaching in 8-week program increments throughout the year. Follow Danielle on Instagram @danielleraesz or Facebook.com/danielle.raesz for fitness and nutrition tips as well as information on upcoming program start dates.
