For the first time in the history of Ninja Warrior Germany, three athletes made it to Mount Midoriyama in Season 9: René Casselly, Moritz Hans and Sandro Scheibler – for the latter it was the first time.
In the sport.de interview, the three top ninjas reveal what happens in the last minutes before the big finale and what skills they would like each other to have.
What did you think when you heard which two ninjas were going to Mount Midoriyama with you?
Moritz Hans: At first I had a little déjà vu, standing on the mount with René again – with the knowledge that I wasn’t prepared for Mount Midoriyama again. I was a bit surprised at how far things went this year anyway, because the preparation time wasn’t that crazy. I was really happy about Sandro making it through Stage III. I put a lot of faith in him. That’s why I was really happy at times, but it would also have been nice to stand alone on the mountain and know: “No matter how it turns out, I’ll leave here as a winner.”
René Casselly: I already suspected that at least one more person would make it to Mount Midoriyama. I was backstage when Stage III was on and I heard that the audience was cheering and roaring. My guess was very much with Moritz Hans. But I was sure that I would have the edge against him on the mount because I did a lot more for it in training. Then came the information that someone else had made it. The fact that it was Sandro was rather surprising to me. I wouldn’t have thought that Sandro would buzz Stage III because he’s simply not the typical ninja in terms of build. That’s why his performance was very admirable. But I wasn’t afraid of Sandro or Moritz on the mount. I was very confident that I was ahead.
Sandro Scheibler: I was the first of the three of us to buzz Stage III and that was such an emotional and crazy moment for me. I actually had the feeling that I wouldn’t be the only one at Mount Midoriyama. That’s why I watched the others in a relaxed manner and with a lot of joy in my heart. With Moritz I thought it would be tighter, but I was really happy to go to Mount Midoriyama with him. With René it was a little more predictable because he was just extremely fit this season. I thought from the start that he would probably get it too. I thought it was a cool combination to be on the mount together.
How much training time did you put into specific mount training beforehand?
Moritz: I’ve actually never trained the complete mount as it appeared in season 9. I tackled the ladder to heaven a few times, but more with the ulterior motive of securing a direct ticket to the final in the preliminary round. If I had put more time into it, the plan would have worked. Things went much better with the ladder to heaven than last year.
Rene: A lot! It’s not just training on the mount, but also building strength for it. You want to expand your explosive power or your maximum strength endurance. There is much more to this. I recreated Mount Midoriyama at home and climbed it a few times almost every day. Things went sometimes better and sometimes worse. You always have to have a good day at the end. The form of the day plays a big role.
Sandra: I would say I did little to moderate amount of mount training. But I trained the ladder to heaven extremely often – like with Moritz because of the preliminary round. In my opinion, you can make up the most time on Mount Midoriyama by climbing the ladder to heaven. That’s why I prepared for the preliminary round and for the mount on the Himmelsleiter. I trained some more in rope climbing and practiced transitions a few times. I focused more on forearm and upper body endurance and focused on the technical aspects for Stages I to III.
Give us a look behind the scenes. How do you prepare before Mount Midoriyama? What happens in the last few minutes before you are called to the starting mat?
Moritz: You’re always nervous before every lap, before every run. But in front of the mount the feeling is completely different. Now for the first time there were three of us and I came second. You don’t actually notice much from the others and therefore you don’t know how far the person in front of you has come. It’s very exciting, also because it’s simply the very last obstacle. You know: ‘If I really give it my all here, I can do anything.’ It’s simply exciting!
Rene: You never know exactly how long you actually have to wait. In my case, Moritz and Sandro were at Mount Midoriyama before me. The most important thing is to stay warm and not just sit down and cool down. I then wander back and forth and of course I get a little nervous. I always have a positive thought in my head like ‘You can do it now. Just do it.’
Sandra: In the last few minutes before the mount it’s actually just a matter of memorizing the procedures. You go through the whole thing again. How do you want to start? How do I position my hands on the bar? I try to build up the feeling beforehand as if I were at the start. The idea is to put myself in that moment early on so that I don’t feel like it’s a new feeling when I’m on the starting mat. This takes some pressure off me and gives me more security.
What was your personal highlight from this year’s season?
Moritz: Well my highlight was definitely Stage III. It just ran really smoothly, even though I went into it with few expectations. I was so surprised by making it to Stage III. I think you saw it too. I couldn’t believe I hit the buzzer. It was really fun during the run. At times I was even able to relax and have a clear head.
Rene: My personal highlight? That no one was better than me!
Sandra: For me it was also Stage III, especially the buzzer. It was my big goal for years to conquer Stage III and that’s why it was an extremely emotional moment for me and those around me. When the time really comes, it’s simply an overwhelming feeling – a moment that no one can take away from me.
If you could steal one ninja ability from your fellow mounts, what would it be?
Moritz: The skill I would like René to have would definitely be ambition. In addition, the will, including the will to train, to be able to really fight to the end, to keep the goal firmly in mind and to see it through to the end. Sandro, on the other hand, is a guy who has an incredibly good sense of movement, especially when it comes to swinging, for example. I would really like that. Sandro looks so playful and he uses the momentum perfectly.
Rene: I have to think about it for a moment. I would say that Moritz is the strongest of the three of us. Especially in the area of hanging. But it’s more of a climbing skill than a classic ninja ability. Sandro already has good ninja technique and has also become much better in his head. But if I’m being completely honest, even if it sounds stupid, there is no skill that I would want to steal. I think that I can do everything that they both bring to the table.
Sandra: For me it is mainly the experience of the two that shows itself in the serenity. The experience is also reflected in their mindset. Especially on the mount it was much more special for me than for the two of them. I’m now trying to build up the experience slowly but surely. In addition, Moritz has a really bad endurance when hanging. Even when he’s not fully training, he hangs forever. With René, the attitude remains: he is always 100 percent convinced that he can do it.
What is your declaration of war for the 2025 anniversary season – 10 years of Ninja Warrior Germany?
Moritz: 10 years of Ninja Warrior, 10 years of Moritz Hans! All that’s missing is actually the big victory – and that’s exactly what I’m planning on getting!
Rene: Next year I’ll be one second faster!
Sandra: I was so close to the finish line and next time I’ll go all the way! It doesn’t matter whether I’m alone on the mount or with several people!
Sandro, would you be interested in getting a taste of a format like Let’s Dance?
Sandra: That’s a really funny question because a lot of people have asked me that, including René and Moritz. I would really enjoy it, even though I don’t have much dance experience yet. But I would definitely accept the challenge and put everything into it to go far – if not to victory!
René and Moritz, you were already part of the Let’s Dance Family and both made it to the final. Do you think Sandro also has what it takes?
Moritz: Sandro isn’t the mega dancing bear. How he would do it is difficult to say. But you also have a professional dancer at your side who can kick your ass and teach even the most dyslexic people how to dance. I’m sure it would be really fun with him.
Rene: I actually don’t know how talented Sandro is as a dancer. I mean, Moritz and I weren’t particularly talented beforehand and still made it to the final. But Sandro is a very likeable boy. I think it would be well received by the audience. I couldn’t really tell how well he would do until after one or two dances. In any case, I would begrudge him a request from RTL.
The interview was conducted by Natalie Salewski