Watch: One-legged Former WWE Star Crushes American Ninja Warrior Course
Watch: One-legged Former WWE Star Crushes American Ninja Warrior Course
You can't fake this. A one-legged former WWE star absolutely smashed most of a course on American Ninja Warrior course this week -- getting further than mos
You can't fake this.
A one-legged former WWE star absolutely smashed most of a course on American Ninja Warrior course this week -- getting further than most human beings with all of their limbs could ever imagine getting.
Zach Gowen, who performed for WWE in 2003 and 2004, had his leg amputated when he was 8 years old after a cancer diagnosis. The 33-year-old still wrestles on the independent scene. His signature move is the one-legged moonsault, which is insane visual in its own right. Gowen is regarded as the first one-legged performer in modern pro wrestling.
Nothing can quite compare to his excellence on American Ninja Warrior, though, which brought the crowd to its feet. Gowen removed his prosthetic before beginning the course and got further than most people expected -- by a great deal. The video, of course, went viral online.
"It’s insane," Gowen told Wrestlezone.com. "I am kind of in the middle of this hurricane now. I’ve never had this many eyeballs on me and my story. I think over the course of my WWE run there were certainly more cumulative eyeballs on me back in 2003. Right now, it’s so much so soon. Coming from zero and going to one hundred. It’s insane. It feels a lot different than it did back in 2003. I think the difference is that I am a more evolved person. I understand this has less to do with me and more to do with the message I am carrying. For me, there is a lot of gratitude that comes with that. I’m so happy that people are finding hope and inspiration from my story. It’s really a wonderful thing for me."
Gowen co-founded a non-profit last year to help children with special needs. It's his goal to be a role model for those going through similar things that he went through when he was a kid. A fan posted a video on Facebook of a young girl, who is about to have her leg amputated, watching his American Ninja Warrior run. Gowen said that was particularly inspiring.
Gowen said he'll continue his ninja training, but is not sure about doing the course again. If he does, there will surely be even more eyeballs on him and his cause.
By: Marc Raimondi
Photo Credit: American Ninja Warrior
A one-legged former WWE star absolutely smashed most of a course on American Ninja Warrior course this week -- getting further than most human beings with all of their limbs could ever imagine getting.
Zach Gowen, who performed for WWE in 2003 and 2004, had his leg amputated when he was 8 years old after a cancer diagnosis. The 33-year-old still wrestles on the independent scene. His signature move is the one-legged moonsault, which is insane visual in its own right. Gowen is regarded as the first one-legged performer in modern pro wrestling.
Nothing can quite compare to his excellence on American Ninja Warrior, though, which brought the crowd to its feet. Gowen removed his prosthetic before beginning the course and got further than most people expected -- by a great deal. The video, of course, went viral online.
"It’s insane," Gowen told Wrestlezone.com. "I am kind of in the middle of this hurricane now. I’ve never had this many eyeballs on me and my story. I think over the course of my WWE run there were certainly more cumulative eyeballs on me back in 2003. Right now, it’s so much so soon. Coming from zero and going to one hundred. It’s insane. It feels a lot different than it did back in 2003. I think the difference is that I am a more evolved person. I understand this has less to do with me and more to do with the message I am carrying. For me, there is a lot of gratitude that comes with that. I’m so happy that people are finding hope and inspiration from my story. It’s really a wonderful thing for me."
Gowen co-founded a non-profit last year to help children with special needs. It's his goal to be a role model for those going through similar things that he went through when he was a kid. A fan posted a video on Facebook of a young girl, who is about to have her leg amputated, watching his American Ninja Warrior run. Gowen said that was particularly inspiring.
Gowen said he'll continue his ninja training, but is not sure about doing the course again. If he does, there will surely be even more eyeballs on him and his cause.
By: Marc Raimondi
Photo Credit: American Ninja Warrior