This 32-year-old has become the first female ever to complete the American Ninja Warrior course
Jessie Graff, a stunt-woman, dominated the event which is designed to only be conquered by the fittest and strongest of people
AN AMERICAN woman has made history by becoming the first female to complete stage one of the Ninja Warrior national finals.
32-year-old Jessie Graff, a stunt-woman, dominated the event that sees competitors jump, swing, twist and climb their way through an intense obstacle course designed to only be conquered by the fittest and strongest of those who compete.
Out of those taking part, only eight people finished the course, and Jessie made it to the end in with an impressive 12 seconds to spare -making her the fourth fastest finisher.
Jessie, who has previously appeared on the show dressed as Wonder Woman, wore a Green Lantern costume for her historic appearance, showing off her incredibly fit physique at the same time.
She said afterwards: “I always knew I could do it, but I never let myself fully believe it would happen until I saw it happening,” she said afterwards.
“I hope it will show women that feminine is strong — that we can frequently do more than people think we can — sometimes even more than we believe ourselves, if we’re willing to work for it,” Graff told .
“We may have to train smarter and harder, but if we achieve greater focus, technique and strategy, we can beat the guys.
“I know I’m not the strongest or the fastest. There are plenty of women who can do what I did, but I’m honoured and grateful to have been the first — to get to be a part of this huge movement in which we challenge our perceptions of what’s possible.”
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Speaking to , Jessie added that her achievement would give her a boost in other areas of her life too.
“Knowing that I can conquer the most finicky, volatile course, under the most pressure, gives me the confidence to know that whatever challenges arise in my life, I’m capable of staying centred and making the best decision possible,” she said.
“As far as being the first woman to do it, there are more women than ever who are fully capable of doing what I did, and even more. I’m grateful that it came together for me on the right night, and I’m looking forward to seeing more women hit that buzzer in the future.”
Jessie has been a stunt-woman on TV shows like Supergirl, Heroes and Wonder Woman - so she had the perfect skill set to complete the course.
It’s the former gymnast’s fourth appearance on the show, and she’ll return for stage two on September 12.