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This American Ninja Warrior Athlete Hasn't Worn Shoes in 7 Years & Competed Barefoot
"I'm making it all the way up the Warped Wall, and I'm doing it barefoot," Langdon Dinsdale said ahead of his ANW run.
The Season 16 premiere of American Ninja Warrior was action-packed. The first and second rounds of Qualifiers were exhilarating as veteran and newbie Ninjas soared through the obstacle course. The Top 12 men and Top 4 women from each round proceeded to the Semi-Finals, but there were some fascinating frontrunners along the way who came so close to the next stage. A competitor who had Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila downright tickled was the Barefoot Ninja, Landgon Dinsdale, who took the stage wearing — you guessed it — no shoes.
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Check out the highlights from Dinsdale's entertaining Season 16 run, below.
Barefoot Ninja Langdon Dinsdale nearly conquered ANW Qualifiers
Dinsdale is a biomechanic specialist from Clermont, Florida who joined the ANW family in Season 16 as a first-time competitor. The Barefoot Ninja approached the course with a unique strategy centered around his fondness for going barefoot.
"I basically haven't worn any shoes for the last seven years," Dinsdale told ANW producers ahead of his run. "Not only do I run triathlons, marathons barefoot, I work barefoot. I go to stores barefoot. Weddings? Barefoot. Funerals? Barefoot. I try to do everything possible barefoot."
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Dinsdale continued by explaining that his background as a biomechanic specialist has led him to embrace a barefoot lifestyle, and he encourages others to do the same.
So would the Barefoot Ninja's unconventional approach to the ANW course be a recipe for success? "I'm very confident that I won't have any trouble on any of the obstacles at all," Dinsdale explained. "I'm making it all the way up the Warped Wall, and I'm doing it barefoot."
As Dinsdale's run began, he expertly scaled the Pole Vault across the water and didn’t need any shoes for the swinging Double Twister obstacle, which he soared through with flying colors. As Dinsdale approached Dangerous Waters, he stumbled just a tad before regaining his (bare)footing.
The dreaded Duck Duck Goose obstacle, which ended the journey for several Season 16 Ninjas, proved to be Dinsdale's demise. Just as the Hosts were commenting on how good the Barefoot Ninja's feet looked (all things considered), Dinsdale lost his grip and tumbled to the water below. While Dinsdale's feet have seemingly never let him down, it was ultimately his hands that ended his ANW run for Season 16.
Watch Season 16 of American Ninja Warrior on Mondays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
