From the Olympics to American Ninja Warrior, Matt Iseman has done it all. He just got back from Tokyo and he sat down with us to talk about what's next.
This summer's Olympic Games were historic and unique to all the ones that came before it. Emotions were already high, but knowing these athletes have trained their whole lives for those moments brings extra depth to watching the games.
"When you watch the Olympics or Ninja, you're seeing people who have trained their entire lives often for this one moment in the spotlight," he says. "You see people who are pushing themselves to the ultimate achievement, to being the best in the world at something."
These games were also amplified by the fact that most of the athletes did not have their families supporting them in person due to COVID restrictions. Special moments where they got to see reactions from their families and hometown viewers made the games so much more heartfelt.
American Ninja Warrior is currently in the semi-finals of season 13 and the contestants are hungrier than ever to compete. The million-dollar prize has only been awarded twice, the rest of the time people are competing for the love of the game, says Iseman.
"It's been unbelievable to just see people finding a home, not just for their athletic pursuits, but I think a place where they feel 'I found a community of people where we can stumble, we can fall, but we get better together,'" he says.
Iseman is a man who enjoys giving back as well. He does incredible and important work with the Arthritis Foundation. As someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis, it's personal for him. The foundation was one of the first places where he found people who were going through the same thing he was.
"It's not just about are you sick or healthy, it's how well are you living your life, and I think The Arthritis Foundation is trying to get people to live the best life they can."
