Daniel Gerber only missed one season of Ninja Warrior Germany due to injury and the 27-year-old is also competing in season 8 and is in the second preliminary round on October 20th (8:15 p.m., on RTL, RTL+ and in the sport.de live ticker). to see.
His goal is clear: like so many times before, this time too he wants to make it to the finale of the show. In exclusive sport.deIn the interview, the ninja veteran reveals, among other things, whether he dares to climb Mount Midoriyama, which obstacle worries him and how he copes with strong weight fluctuations between the offseason and show preparation.
Your first start at Ninja Warrior Germany was in 2016 at the age of 19. What has changed since then?
Daniel Gerber: Back then I went in with no expectations and without much preparation. I just wanted to be there and see if it was something for me. I let everything happen to me; in the first season no one knew what to expect there. Of course things are different today. Personally, I have a lot more pressure because I set certain goals for myself and of course a lot of people know me and know what I can do.
What goals did you have going into your seventh season this year?
I definitely wanted to pick up where I left off last year – definitely make it to the final. Otherwise, the preparation isn’t worth it for me if I can’t deliver the performance I’ve trained myself to in the show.
Just like last year when you were eliminated in the preliminary round at the Himmelsleiter. To what extent does this mistake still bother you – especially since this season also features the endless ladder to heaven?
That’s definitely on my mind. Since I fell stupidly there, the ladder to heaven has become an obstacle to my fear. I respect that because you can always make a mistake. I never thought about it before, but since the mistake I always take my time, stop briefly in front of the obstacle and concentrate on it.
What role does the head play in ninja sports for you?
I definitely have problems with my head. I try to realize that many seasons have gone well and that I have already achieved a lot. And I try to convince myself that I can do it again and everything will be fine, otherwise I won’t be able to physically perform to my full potential. But the more I’m on the show, the more my head goes crazy. Sometimes the nervousness gets to me so bad that I almost don’t feel like it anymore, even though I’m really excited about the show.
What are you doing about it?
When I notice that my heart rate is going up, I do a lot of breathing exercises to get it to go down again. I try to distract myself with other things, lie down and get some sleep.
Can you say why you’re so nervous? Does the money or the TV cameras matter?
For me it’s not about money or winning at all. I just really want to confirm the performance from previous years so that the training was worth it. I always want to achieve the best performance. I don’t think at all about how many people watch the show, it’s really just about my own expectations.
Was it a relief when you were eliminated early because things could only get better?
At first it was of course a disappointment for me. But it wasn’t really difficult to top the performance next year. The motivation was of course great after that and I was happy last year when I progressed.
You have Arleen Schüßler and Benni Sigmund in the Couple talk tell me that you have big fluctuations in weight. Can you explain to us what the difference is between preseason and offseason?
When I’m not preparing, I train indoors or in the gym about three times a week. Until I have the written confirmation, I will only train on the side to keep myself fit. As soon as I start preparing, I cycle for half an hour every day at home on the home trainer. In the morning before work I do a small session and after work I usually do a big session with technical training, ninja training or strength-endurance training – five to six times a week.
The same goes for eating: When preparing, I stick to my nutrition plan and count every calorie. After that I eat absolutely everything – a lot and with great pleasure.
It sounds like you were very disciplined in your preparation. How do you flip the switch?
This really only works if I have a precise goal in mind. I always need a day X, I always need to know what I’m doing it for. I would have no motivation to do this permanently. I couldn’t do that because we are a big family and there is always food somewhere. I can only do without that if I have a goal.
When preparing, I bring my own food with me or eat beforehand if I’m invited somewhere. But my family and friends understand that too – they also know that I’ll be there for everything after the preparation. Then I’ll catch up on everything, and very quickly!
Can you cope with losing and gaining at least ten kilos over and over again?
Yes definitely. I feel just as comfortable at 90 kilos as at 80 kilos – and sometimes there are even greater fluctuations. But if I weigh ten kilos more, I notice it when I’m hanging in an obstacle, every second hurts even more and my arms start to tighten a lot faster.
Even at your best, you are heavier than many other top ninjas. Especially in the finale, the course often becomes arm-heavy. Hand on heart: With your stature, do you dare to climb Mount Midoriyama?
I would be able to do the mount myself, but not within the time limit. But I don’t think I’ll make it there. The final stage has always been pretty climbing-heavy, while I tend to go through the obstacles explosively and quickly. My muscles quickly wear out when I’m dealing with endurance-heavy obstacles, but I’m actually still far too heavy for that.
I often overcome obstacles faster than others, but as soon as I have to hang around for a little longer, it’s basically over for me. I’m not the type for the typical stage in front of the mount. I think most of those who have gotten through there well so far weren’t much heavier than 70 kilos.
Is there an obstacle that you feel like you physically can’t overcome?
In general, I can overcome any obstacle, but not under previous stress. If I have three or four obstacles in my arms, they are so pumped up that I can no longer sustain a jump from bar to bar using my finger bars.
Can you assess where the trend in obstacles in ninja sports is going in general? Is there a noticeable tendency towards climbing-heavy or dynamic stages?
I would say that there are more and more technical obstacles in the show. In the ninja halls you notice even more that it is becoming its own sport, there are many ninja-specific obstacles.
Dima, I’ll summarize: you avoid sweets during preparation, even though you like to eat them, you’re very nervous on the set and you don’t expect to win the show. Why is participating still worth all the stress, what excites you?
I don’t have anything else I would train for. I wouldn’t have a goal, no day I need a goal and the show is perfect for that. I like to get involved in the preparation.
Where did you get your goals from when Ninja Warrior wasn’t yet available in Germany?
Back then I did parkour and freerunning in an active group. We practiced different tricks together and back then my motivation was to keep moving forward and learn something new. But that became less and less – and that’s exactly when Ninja came. In the first season you could see that I was a bit fatter and had a small tummy, which Jan Köppen mentioned directly at the time. After that, the fire was rekindled and I found something new to train for because it was exactly my thing.
The interview was conducted by Maike Falkenberg.