St. George family advances to finals on ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ wins $10K

ST. GEORGE — The Beckstrand family of St. George made it to the finals of “American Ninja Warrior Family Championship,” which aired Monday night on NBC.

Holly Beckstrand competes on American Ninja Warrior’s “Family Championship,” Tacoma, Washington, April, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Beckstrand family / American Ninja Warrior, St. George News

The program featured Brian and Holly Beckstrand and their son Kai, now 16, competing as a three-person team as they navigated a series of increasingly difficult obstacles. 

The Beckstrand trio outlasted several other family teams during the episode before ultimately getting edged at the end by the Auer family from North Carolina. 

In the final challenge, which involved a massive obstacle called the “Power Tower,” the Beckstrands and the Auers were neck-and-neck virtually the entire time, but in a thrilling finish by the teenagers, Josh Auer hit the buzzer just a split second before Kai Beckstrand. To watch a replay of the finals run on American Ninja Warrior’s official YouTube channel, click here.

To see footage from earlier in the episode, courtesy of American Ninja Warrior via NBC, see the video in the player above.

Even though they came up just short of first place, the Beckstrands took home a runner-up prize of $10,000 for their efforts.

“If we had to lose, I’m glad it was to the Auer family,” Holly Beckstrand said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “They are great friends of ours and awesome people.”

Undated photo of Kai Beckstrand (left) with his parents, Holly and Brian Beckstrand, St. George, Utah | Photo courtesy of Beckstrand family, St. George News

Brian, Holly and Kai Beckstrand previously appeared on “American Ninja Warrior” and its variations, but Monday night’s episode, the inaugural “Family Championship,” marked the first time all three competed together. 

“It was my most favorite competition I have ever done,” Holly Beckstrand told St. George News. “ I wasn’t nervous because I knew the boys had my back. To be so successful together was awesome, too.”

Monday night, the Beckstrands hosted a watch party at their gym, The Grip Fitness, in Green Valley. Dozens of people showed up to watch the episode and cheer along with them. Although the show had been filmed in April 2021 in Tacoma, Washington, the competitors were not permitted to disclose the outcome until after the episode had been broadcast.

“The support we receive at the gym is always amazing, as well as all of the other families across the country supporting and rooting for each other,” Holly Beckstrand said.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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