Every time Jesse “Flex” Labreck hits the course on “American Ninja Warrior,” the Oakland native impresses ninjas and athletes around the country.
Labreck, a former University of Maine and Messalonskee High School track and field standout, took to the course again in an episode aired Monday night at a city qualifying event in Cleveland.
Labreck made things look easy, finishing an ANW course for the first time and becoming one of just two women to hit the buzzer in Cleveland, finishing a challenging circuit in 4 minutes, 22.06 seconds as shown in this YouTube video.
American Ninja Warrior is a reality TV show aired on NBC in which competitors tackle a course featuring various obstacles.
Cleveland’s course featured obstacles called Floating Steps, Rolling Log, Razor’s Edge, a Ring Jump, an I-Beam Gap and finishing with a run up a parallel warped wall.
Other Cleveland contestants included NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who failed on the Ring Jump.
Labreck, who specialized in the heptathlon and owns 11 UMaine records, made her mark on American Ninja Warrior last summer, qualifying for the city finals in Philadelphia.
Competitors who make it past their city finals will compete in Las Vegas later in the season.
Labreck is one of 35 competitors who will compete in the Cleveland city finals in an episode to be aired later this summer.
In Monday’s episode, Labreck once again used her track and field prowess, flexibility and superior upper-body strength to tackle the course.
