‘American Ninja Warrior’ Winner Born with Cerebral Palsy Makes Historical past

Vance Walker is making historical past for a second time.

On Monday, Sept. 9, the 19-year-old from Tampa, Fla. was topped the primary back-to-back winner of American Ninja Warrior through the season 16 finale of the hit NBC present.

Walker — who was born with a type of cerebral palsy — beforehand gained season 15 of the present in September 2023

His win marks solely the fourth time the million-dollar prize cash has been awarded and the primary time it has been gained in consecutive seasons of the present, which dares contestants to finish excessive impediment programs.

“I’m eternally grateful to have the chance to be out on these programs in any respect, not to mention being the primary to win it twice,” the teenager mentioned, per an NBC press launch obtained by PEOPLE. 

“As soon as once more, within the phrases of Put up Malone, ‘They mentioned I wouldn’t be nothing, now they all the time say congratulations,’ ” he added.

“It feels superb,” Walker added to NBC Insider about profitable. “I have been so grateful to even be capable to compete on the present within the first place with all of the struggles that I’ve had rising up. I used to be born with cerebral palsy, and I by no means thought that I might even be capable to stroll with out braces on my legs…” 

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Walker — who was identified with spastic diplegia which affected his legs at 18 months previous — was topped after climbing a 75-foot rope up “Mount Midoriyama” sooner than the 4 different finalists.

The Texas-born competitor, who needed to put on leg braces all through his childhood resulting from his analysis, was up towards Caleb Bergstrom, Nacssa Garemore, Kai Beckstrand and Noah Meunier. Nevertheless, he managed to climb the rope in an unbelievable 27.6 seconds, which was a second sooner than runner-up Bergstrom.

Walker, whose dad and mom have been instructed when he was younger that he might by no means stroll with out braces, displays “extraordinary ability for his age group,” per the NBC launch. He got here third after making his present debut in season 13, and confronted setbacks in season 14, however returned and managed to win season 15.

Per USA At the moment, Walker mentioned season 16 was filmed shortly after his season 15 win.

“It filmed six days in a row,” he instructed the outlet. “It was three days of season 15 instantly into season 16. It was very powerful to have the ability to go from that proper within the subsequent season.”

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After profitable the 2023 present, Walker — who had beforehand dominated two seasons of American Ninja Warrior Junior — instructed PEOPLE that he wasn’t carried out competing.

“After I began watching the present, I by no means would’ve thought that I might’ve been capable of win the entire thing, particularly with having to put on these leg braces and struggling to work on issues like flexibility and all that,” he mentioned on the time. “However for those who put your thoughts to stuff like that, you are able to do just about no matter you need.”

“Irrespective of what number of instances I win, I am nonetheless going to stay round. [I’m] nonetheless going to compete,” Walker continued, insisting, “I am sticking round so long as I can.”