Jay Lewis Has Been Preparing for 'American Ninja Warrior' Since He Was 14

Reality competition American Ninja Warrior has gathered a group of dedicated fans in the years since it first aired, and competitor Jay Lewis is no exception. At age fourteen, he entered American Ninja Warrior Junior and made it to the semifinals before ending his season, but now, he's returned to the adult version of the show.

Here's everything you need to know about American Ninja Warrior Season 14 competitor Jay Lewis, explained.

Now seventeen years old, the young competitor told the New Haven Register in 2021 that he was first introduced to the show by watching TV with his grandparents.

"We really enjoyed watching it, but at that point, it was just something that whenever we went [to his grandparents' house] for a week in the summer, we’d watch it," he said. "But then we started thinking about it and we were like, ‘We really like this show,’ and we started recording it and watching the season."

Jay, a young soccer star, realized he had more passion for American Ninja Warrior than he did for soccer, and he started creating his own obstacle courses at home to practice. After a trial class at a ninja gym in his hometown of Connecticut, Jay says, he was hooked. At the gym, Jay started entering competitions with a ninja team, which earned him a way to apply for American Ninja Warrior Junior.

After placing in the top 16 on American Ninja Warrior Junior, Jay was eventually invited to compete in the adult version of the show for Season 12. However, the coronavirus pandemic put a temporary hold on his plans. After competing in American Ninja Warrior Season 13, Jay also faced off against his mentor (now also his rival), Joe Moravsky, during American Ninja Warrior: All-Star Spectacular.

Of the differences between American Ninja Warrior Junior and the adult version, Jay said, "It’s definitely a format of just having to beat the course to move on, which is something that I really enjoy,” he said. “On ‘Junior,’ it was a lot different in having the feel that you didn’t just have to beat the course, you had to beat the person you were racing…When I’m on the show, my only goal is to hit a buzzer. I’m not worried about going for the fastest time or any of that sort of stuff."

Now, Jay stars on American Ninja Warrior Season 14, where he is currently in the semifinals. Will Jay make it to Vegas? Only time will tell.

Catch Jay in new episodes of American Ninja Warrior only on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.