Most recently, Stewart made it to the semi-finals on the reality sports competition. “That felt great. It was wonderful,” he said. “My wife, Natalie, was there and she loved it.”
Out of the entire American Ninja obstacle course (in his qualifying round), Stewart admitted that the hardest part was the “Rolling Thunder.” “It was the second to last obstacle. You are worn out just from that alone. It is like doing 30 consecutive pull-ups, and then it drops two heights, so if you are not expecting it, you can catch you off guard. That will definitely get you tired,” he said.
Stewart is successfully able to balance both a family life (a loving wife and two boys) with his job as a Hueytown, Alabama, firefighter. “Family comes first, and then my job comes second. I train just as much as I can. I do traditional weightlifting in my gym, and every so often, I travel out of town to the nearest ninja gym, which is two hours away,” he said.
Each day, Stewart is motivated by his children. “I want to be healthy for them as they grow older. I want to be able to get around and have fun with them when they grow up,” he said.
For aspiring athletes who wish to compete on American Ninja, he said, “It’s never too late. Everybody has a start somewhere. Some people get discouraged because they are older and they’ve never done this before. My friend, John Loobey, is 65 years old and started a few years ago. Age is just a number! Keep pushing and keep trying.”
Stewart was also known for his famous pec bounce on American Ninja, which resonated well with the television audience and co-hosts of the show..
He defined the word success as “Being proud of what you accomplished.” “Sometimes, it may take time, but if you are happy with your accomplishment, then you are successful,” he said. “Having your loved ones proud of you is a great feeling.”
For his fans and followers, he expressed his gratitude. “Thank you for all the encouragement. I have gotten tons of messages and congratulatory remarks. It makes me want to try harder, do my best and give it everything I’ve got,” he said.
To learn more about American Ninja Warrior Season 9 semi-finalist Eddy Stewart, follow him on Instagram.
