Rutgers grad from East Brunswick soars to third ‘American Ninja Warrior’ finals

"Though she be but little, she is fierce," wrote Shakespeare.

Perhaps he envisioned Rachel Degutz climbing, jumping and soaring over any obstacle in her way. The 5-foot-3, 135-pound 24-year-old East Brunswick and Rutgers graduate recently was the highest woman scorer on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.”

Degutz, in the Aug. 7 episode, completed the semifinal course, beating friend and training partner Abby Clark. This secured Degutz a spot in the Season 15 finals in Las Vegas, set to air Monday.

This season has marked Degutz’s third consecutive year making it to the finals − a streak she was thrilled to keep going. But her ultimate goal was ringing the buzzer and Degutz, the only woman to complete the course that night, rang it loudly amid cheers, smiles and a few happy tears.

"I’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since I first saw ‘American Ninja Warrior’ on TV," she said. "This is for sure my career highlight. I did everything to plan. That hardly happens in this sport, so I am still in shock that it came together."

Degutz was on the field hockey and track teams at East Brunswick and a gymnast when she was younger. She stopped participating in sports in college but missed being active. She tried some college clubs, but that "missing" feeling remained.

A friend took Degutz to a local ninja gym during her freshman year. It sparked something, but it took a few more years before she returned.

"I was thinking about it all the time. I really wanted to go back, but it was hard to get there with my schedule and everything," she said. "When I finally got back there, I just fell in love with it. I started to go every week. I made friends there − everyone was really welcoming. I was really scared to go at first and intimidated, but looking back now, I know I didn't need to feel like that."

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While she came to the sport with natural athleticism and upper body strength, Degutz said being a ninja is the result of hard work, both physical and mental.

"I wouldn't say I came into it already being good at it," she said. "But it feels like a calling. It combined every sport I did as a kid and while I wasn't super good at it right away, I definitely had the potential to get very good at it. The combination of all these things, I think, led up to me finding ninja and needing it in my life."

At her first competition, Degutz fell on the first obstacle. But she got up and kept going − working hard to improve. She still works hard, following a strict workout regime and practicing regularly at several ninja gyms.

About five years ago, some gym friends sent in “American Ninja Warrior” applications; she did the same. Though unsuccessful, Degutz was asked to come test the course. This, she felt, was beneficial to her evolution as a ninja on the show.

This year, Degutz really trusted her training.

"I trained so much," she said. "And I feel like I went into the run being very strict in my plan − I didn't try to do anything too crazy. I’m super proud of all the training I put in − 5 a.m. rowing sessions, afterschool trips to the gym, solo sessions, mindfulness practice and so much more. You need to be very, very focused. And that's something that I think I did very well in this run because I was in flow 95% of the time. There was one moment where I had the thought, 'Oh my gosh, I'm ahead!' But then I just refocused. I do meditate, and I think that's helpful with me just staying present in these high-pressure situations."

Degutz also credits those who have helped her on this ninja path – her boyfriend who cooks for her every night, show producers and training partners, including Clark.

"I am honored to have raced Abby," she said. "Racing her was a huge challenge. She pushed me to my potential."

When not training, Degutz is a seventh and eighth grade science teacher at Florence Township Riverfront School. Teaching middle schoolers can be good training for a ninja, she laughed.

Achieving her goal of ringing that buzzer has taught this teacher many lessons. And she shares these with her students, "when they listen," she said.

"I've experienced a lot of failure going toward that goal. I've hit the water so many times before I finally had this, but I just kept going. That's what you have to do," Degutz said. "You can learn almost anything. You can get good at a skill or a sport or anything if you're very dedicated to it. It was an elite goal to be one of the top ninjas − a fantasy of mine − so I think this has really showed me that you can go after these ginormous dreams of yours.

“But it will take a lot of work. It is hard. To get good at something, it takes consistency. And practice. And if you are going towards a goal, like a crazy goal, you have to enjoy the grind of doing it, of working towards it consistently for years. Everything came together this time and it makes me feel all my hard work was worth it. Totally worth it because I enjoyed the process so much. And if you enjoy the process, it is all totally worth it."

Degutz will be watching the pre-taped finals at 8 p.m. Monday from her bed, six weeks removed from surgery. She suffered a "freak" injury participating in World Chase Tag, a type of parkour. After a few months’ recovery, she expects to be back training, readying for the next ninja season.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: American Ninja Warrior: Rutgers NJ grad Rachel Degutz makes finals