Simon Brunner has been with Ninja Warrior Germany since 2017 and has always been in the finals since then. On Friday, October 28, he will start in the fifth preliminary round show (8:15 p.m., on RTL, RTL+ and in the sport.de live ticker).
In an exclusive sport.de interview, he explains how he prepares with a self-made course, why he hasn’t been able to win so far and what his life as a content creator looks like. Finally, he gives his personal ninja prognosis for the future.
Simon, you have been with Ninja Warrior Germany since the second season in 2017. What is the attraction for you?
In the beginning I did it mostly for fun. From the fourth or fifth season, I realized that I could be really far up there and started to train more specifically. I built my own ninja obstacles and really pushed myself. It then went better every year and triggered a real fire in me. I want to win Ninja Warrior Germany at some point.
How did you come to apply back then?
Parallel to the first season I was in “Ultimate Beastmaster” in the USA, that was my first competition and I took second place. When I got home I found out that there was something similar in Germany. Then I saw Ninja Warrior on TV and thought: “I’ll do that too!”.
Since your first start you have always made it to the finals, even in Stage 3 in 2021. How do you manage to consistently perform at this level?
That’s a good question. To be honest, it bothers me more that I always get to a similar point, but no further. The last stage is actually my strength. Last year I got kicked out at the doors. I then recreated the stage identically and trained until I was completely exhausted. My discipline helps me to be among the best every year. I make it to the final with my experience and training in bouldering and parkour, but the final touches in targeted ninja training make the difference. That’s when it’s decided whether you win or whether it stays in the final.
Will it get harder or easier to get to the finals over time? On the one hand you have the mentioned experience, but the competition is probably getting stronger…
It stays about the same. The competition is getting tougher, but I can say that about myself. I’ve found it to be about the same difficulty every year, even if the course gets more difficult.
Why is it that you haven’t managed to make the really big hit yet?
Of course, there is always a bit of luck involved. Some of my buddies fall into the water in the preliminary round and then just get through. I pretty much always stay dry to the point where if you fall in the water you’ll be disqualified. In the meantime, I’m also relatively strong mentally, but I’m missing the last bit of luck.
How did you specifically prepare for this season and what are your plans?
My goal was that I absolutely had to get to the mount. That’s why I trained a lot of endurance for Stage 3. We knew beforehand that there would be the Japanese mount with a chimney and a ladder to heaven. I copied it at home in the forest.
You’ve already placed second twice at Ninja Warrior Austria. What are the differences for you between the show in Austria and Germany? To what extent do the competition and the course differ?
In Austria, the athletes are less experienced and generally weaker than in Germany. But the course is not easier. There are about 20 athletes who have a chance to win the title. It’s hard to say who will win. Ninja Warrior Austria was discontinued.
You can often be seen doing crazy stunts on great sets on your social media channels. How do you find the locations and plan the stunts or does it happen spontaneously?
I often scroll through Instagram. If I discover a cool location, I save it. Many of the places are in the Alpine region and I’m often in the area anyway because I live in Innsbruck. Lake Garda is only three hours away from me and I can quickly get to all sorts of mountain lakes. I now have a list of thousands of video ideas. I finished my studies in sports management in the summer and decided to focus on social media and gradually work through all the ideas. There I can inspire people with sports or make them smile.
As an athlete and content creator, you now even have 113,000 followers on Instagram. What does your everyday work look like?
Very early in the morning, after getting up, I do technique training, specifically something for Ninja Warrior. Strength training is on the program in the afternoon. In between I go on video shoots. I either film myself for my channel or do something for my partnerships.
In the two editions of “Team Ninja Warrior Germany” you were successful with the “Magic Monkeys”. How were these competitions for you?
It was really magical and one of my greatest experiences. René Casselly is my best friend from the show and Stefanie Edelmann is a longtime friend. When you win with your friends and can share joy, that’s really special. In the first year we were very lucky, but in the second year we always had strong opponents and showed that we had the right skills.
Do you often train with other ninjas?
Unfortunately, I mostly train alone. This is often boring and less fun. If people from the Innsbruck area read this and want to try out my own course, they are welcome to contact me.
Will the Ninja Warrior Germany be called Simon Brunner in the next three years?
In any case! If I did and didn’t see myself at the top, I’d be in the wrong place.
The interviewer was Lionard Tampier