Q&A with Dan Polizzi

Oswego resident Dan Polizzi, an 11-year veteran of the Aurora Fire Department, has  a not-so-secret second life — as a four-season finalist on NBC’s popular TV show,  "American Ninja Warrior. " With a degree in computer science from Illinois State University, Polizzi followed his brother into a firefighting career after finding that a desk job did little to satisfy his sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. In the show, elite, often self-trained athletes tackle extreme obstacle courses, complete with giant warped walls, rope climbs, cliffhangers and various water hazards. Here, Polizzi describes how, starting as a fan of the show, he worked to become an American Ninja Warrior himself. 

Tell our readers about growing up in the Naperville area. What kind of kid were you?

I was an energetic kid — I always wanted to be outside.  I used to love climbing trees. My dad was very keen on sports. He got me into baseball and football and wrestling when I was a pretty young age. I just always enjoyed athletics — it made me feel good and I liked to take on challenges, especially physical feats.  

 Did you continue with team sports in high school?

I went to Waubonsie Valley as a freshman, but because of where I lived I moved to Neuqua Valley in my sophomore year. It was a brand new high school. I had to make a decision on what sports to do and focused on just football and wrestling. It freed up some time and gave me kind of a break in the summertime, which was nice. But sports was always a challenge for me. 

Did you continue with sports in college? 

I graduated high school in 2000 and took a year off. It was an interesting year. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I didn’t want to jump right into it. I took a couple of classes at community college, then decided I’d really be better off going to college. I decided to stay local, near my family, and went to Illinois State. I took business, then leaned toward computer science. I thought I really couldn’t go wrong with that. I had some opportunities for wrestling in college, but I decided not to do sports. I knew the training was very involved and my life would basically be all wrestling, so I decided to try going in a different direction and just experience school.

What took you in the direction of firefighting? 

My brother was working to be a firefighter so I learned a lot about it from  him. I thought it was a really cool profession. It was something I could see myself liking. I was working in computers and I was doing pretty good at it, but I was getting kind of bored. It was hard to be stuck inside or at a desk for a long period of time. In my spare time, I would train with guys who were firefighting. It felt like a good fit for me. 

This was around the same period as 9/11. Were you influenced by that, too?

I know I was. I was in college when it happened. The idea of firefighting was in the back of my head all the time, so 9/11 affected me a lot — it was a call to service. 

How did your firefighting career play out from there? 

It was a difficult process. It’s very selective and physical fitness is important. I was in great shape and was very gung-ho. This is what I wanted to do. I think the most challenging thing is the stress you put on your body. The physical exertion, the excitement, the action of the job. I’m really an adrenalin junkie, I like that stuff. We get called out, on average, eight to 10 times a day — car accidents, medical calls, rescues, fire calls. I’m also on the dive team so I get called for water rescues. We’re trained to help people and when we show up, they’re always happy to see us. 

How did you first get involved with "American Ninja Warrior"? 

When I was in college, I didn’t watch a lot of TV but I was drawn to a Japanese show called "Sasuke." They would select 100 people and they would just attack an obstacle course. I would look at the obstacles and think, man, I wish I could try that! A few years later, when "American Ninja Warrior" came on TV, I thought, this could be my chance. The first year I applied they invited me on. I started looking in the Chicago area for anywhere I could train but no gyms popped up on searches. So I just tried to mimic things on the show, like jumping off walls or running up quarter-pike ramps in a skateboard park. I felt so strong and I thought, this is my shot. All of a sudden, I was out in Baltimore and it was like a dream come true. It was definitely one of those surreal experiences.  

How did it feel to compete for the first time? 

I was on cloud nine the whole time. But when you first step up to the course, nothing can get you ready for the nerves. It’s one shot, and if you fall, you’re done. You’re on camera, there are lights everywhere and people are talking to you all the time. There’s a big countdown and your heart just starts pumping like crazy. You have to just calm yourself down — there’s so much adrenaline. The obstacles helped me focus. That first qualifying round, there were six obstacles, ending with a giant curved wall. I hit that buzzer and made it into the winners circle. 

Since then, you’ve made it to the Las Vegas finals four times. How does it feel to make it that far and get knocked out? 

When you compete and you fall, it’s extremely humbling. This year, it was so difficult for me to swallow because I knew I could beat it. But I made a mistake and had to accept that I screwed up. But you give yourself 15 minutes of being mad about it, and then it’s time to get back into thinking of how you can do better next time. 

What is your advice to others who want to get on the show? 

You have to start out obviously getting yourself strong enough to do the show. I tell people to start by doing pull ups to get your upper body strong. Core strength is really important. And you need exercises that are agility-based. Go to a trampoline park or to one of the new ninja gyms. Work on balance and agility, then start putting all that stuff together on obstacles. The show gets 70,000 to 80,000 applications a year and they select just 600. You really need to define yourself when you apply — your job, your interests, your hobbies. You really need to stand out.

What’s next for you? 

I hope to continue being part of the show. It’s really cool how it has changed and evolved. It inspires people to be physically fit and go for their goals. I hope I can help get that message across. 

RAPID FIRE

Favorite sport to watch? Ice hockey. I used to play. I admire the players for all they put themselves through. 

Push ups per day? About 100.

Bench press? About 200 – 225 lbs. I don’t go too heavy. I go for actual strength rather than maximum strength. 

Biggest goal on the show? To always do better than I’ve done before. 

Toughest challenge? I’m a heavier competitor, about 190 lbs. Others are maybe 40 or 50 pounds lighter.  So obstacles where you have to hang by just your fingertips are definitely my biggest weakness. 

Favorite local hangout? There’s a place in Oswego called Saw Wee Kee Trail. It’s a bike trail. 

Where do you work out? XSport in Naperville. They have a lot of equipment and a swimming pool. And there’s a dance area where I like to work on break dance moves!  

Other interests? This summer, I’ve been doing a lot of wake-boarding. And fishing.

Favorite area restaurant? Probably Maggiano’s.