Casting has begun for Season 13 of American Ninja Warrior and veteran ninjas have begun posting on social media as they get their invitations to be on the show. Unfortunately, fan-favorite ninja and stunt woman Jessie Graff made an announcement that she would be sitting out this season. It was a difficult decision for her and a disappointing one for fans, but she has a good reason.
Jessie Graff first set foot on the American Ninja Warrior course during season five. At the time, she was one of only a few women who attempted the course and she impressed everyone with her skill, quickly becoming a fan-favorite contestant. She originally ran the course dressed as a giant chicken, though in future runs, she chose to dress like a superhero to inspire her young fans. The costumes were also symbolic of her day job, as she has worked as a stunt woman for many movies, including both Marvel and DC movies and TV shows. She ran in seasons 7-12 and was invited as the first-ever woman to compete in the spin-off competition, USA vs The World. She hasn’t missed a season of American Ninja Warrior in six years, so her announcement that she would be missing season 13 was a big deal.
Graff was still recovering from injuries going into her season 12 run. She is known for not only pushing through barriers, but also pushing herself through pain. The strenuous American Ninja Warrior courses led to even more extensive injuries, which required multiple surgeries and serious rehab to address. Graff realized if she continued to push as she had, she might do permanent damage to her body. She made the choice to sit out a year, explaining on Instagram, “This time, I’m being smart and responsible, so I can heal fully and come back stronger than ever!"
Rather than just a simple announcement, Graff made an entire music video with the help of some of her family and friends. She wrote new lyrics to the song “Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine, a group known for their emotional and impactful music. Jessie’s lyrics talk about her extensive injuries, frequent rehab work, her mistake of overtraining in the past, her impatience with needing to take it easy, and her commitment to building her body’s core strength back up before returning to challenges like American Ninja Warrior. Appearing in her video are many familiar faces, including fellow ninja and professional rock climber Meagan Martin and show announcers Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila.
As disappointing as it is for fans to know she won’t run the course this year, Graff’s followers on social media are praising her decision to put her health first and are grateful for her openness about the long journey to recovery. The stuntwoman for Wonder Woman and its less-respected sequel Wonder Woman 1984 has shown that even a superhero needs time to heal. Fans want to see her back to full strength, hopefully in time for season 14.