December 12, 2024 • 28 mins
This episode was released on July 26, 2024.
🏆🎥 Join us for an exclusive interview with Daniel Gil, the "Kingdom Ninja," as he takes us behind the scenes of American Ninja Warrior! Discover how Daniel combines incredible athleticism with unwavering faith to conquer some of the toughest obstacle courses in the world. Hear his inspiring journey from humble beginnings to becoming a household name in the sport, and how he uses his platform to minister and inspire millions. Whether you're an aspiring athlete or simply looking for a dose of motivation, Daniel's story is sure to inspire and uplift you. Don't miss out! 🙌💪
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
American Ninja Warrior is a sport that is really, I mean, it's prime time.
(00:05):
And the things that these people are able to do is absolutely incredible.
I mean, I work out at the gym, but what this guest that we're going to talk about,
we're going to talk to in just a moment is able to do.
It blows my mind.
So Daniel Gill, welcome to Charisma News.
It's great to have you here.
You are, whenever I think of American Ninja Warrior, you are the person that I think of.
(00:28):
I don't see anybody else, but I just see you and your smiling face and that amazing head of hair
that you have.
So Daniel, welcome here.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for having me, John.
I'm so excited to get to be with you and just share my story, talk about my testimony,
and just really talk about what God is doing through this secular television show,
(00:51):
but all the many ways that He's using it for ministry to impact the lives of literally
millions of people who watch it on a regular basis.
And I've been involved in the sport for 10 years now.
I've done it longer than anything else in my life.
And I've just watched God take the talents that I've been stewarding and use them for
(01:14):
such incredible impact, not just within the four walls of a church, but outside in the
secular arena.
And it's been such a joy.
One of the most or the most fulfilling thing that I've gotten to do with my life is say
yes to God every day and use every gift and talent that He's given me.
Well, I want to talk about your personal journey with the Lord in just a moment.
(01:35):
But as we're recording this, the season finale of American Ninja Warrior just wrapped up the
other day.
And you completed the course, which is a miraculous, amazing thing by itself.
So congratulations for that.
But you were what, one second too slow for the million dollars.
(01:56):
Oh, my goodness.
Tell me about that event and just that whole experience there.
Yeah.
Oh, man.
I mean, it's bittersweet to say the least.
And yet at the same time, like from the get go, I never did Ninja Warrior for money because
honestly, I mean, point zero zero zero one percent of the athletes ever actually get
(02:21):
any money.
The drive and the draw is just to be on this TV show to get to compete on the world's toughest
obstacles, to showcase the world the way you've got or to bring awareness to whatever cause
that you want to bring awareness to through the show and the platform.
So for me, I said, God, I'm the kingdom ninja.
Matthew 633 is the reason why I do it.
(02:42):
I want to seek first the kingdom of God, live righteously, do the
best that I can and know that you're going to provide every need.
Maybe not every once in the time frame that I desire it, but all my needs have always
been met.
And I prayed this year.
I said, God, after coming so close in 2019 and losing on that rope climb, I said, God,
(03:05):
two things I'm praying for.
One, I want my rematch on that rope.
And two, I want to beat it because I fully believe that I am capable of it.
And so as it came down to those final moments of this season, I was one of eight people
to attempt stage four and one of only two to actually beat it this season, to finish
(03:27):
And I did.
And yet, I guess looking back, I'm like, okay, God, maybe I could have prayed for the
million dollars.
Yeah.
But again, God's got more than a million different ways to put any amount of money
into my bank account for kingdom purposes.
My job is to steward what I have, to walk by faith, to trust in Him, trust that, you
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know, whatever the results, He can work them out for good.
He can work them together for good.
He can comfort me in any situation so that I can comfort others.
And whatever valley or shadow of death I might go through in life, He's going to be with
me.
I don't have to fear.
So at the end of the day, I know that I can do it.
I did what I wanted to do.
I got exactly what I prayed for.
And you better believe I'm going to come back stronger next year and hopefully get
(04:12):
yet another attempt.
We'll have to watch and find out.
But it's a joy.
And yet another, you know, journey or leg of my testimony walking with the Lord through
American and your warrior.
Yeah.
So I want to talk about how you started this journey for, I mean, I grew up watching
(04:32):
American gladiators.
This is like the next level.
I mean, you are pushing your physicality to an extreme level.
I mean, just some of the things that I'm going to try to put a clip in here.
So just some B roll of you running and jumping and just, I don't even know how to describe
some of these obstacles that you have to do.
(04:53):
How do you even train for some of this stuff?
Or how did you originally first say that, hey, I want to do that?
Yeah.
Oh, man.
I mean, honestly, you know, Bible talks about we're knit together in our mother's room.
Like God formed us, fashioned us.
He knows us better than we know ourselves.
And for me, I grew up and I was the monkey boy in my family of five.
I was the athlete.
(05:14):
I climbed on everything.
I played about every sport possible.
And as, you know, athletic and amazing and talented as I've gotten nowadays, I was never
that good at sports growing up.
I was never the strongest, never the fastest, never the most naturally gifted.
But I was super competitive and gave my heart to the Lord at a young age.
As a kid, grew up in a Christian environment, had amazing pastors and leaders in my life
(05:38):
to help me avoid so many pit holes or pitfalls in life.
But in my high school years, I, in addition to being an athlete, got into like parkour,
free running, got a Bowflex home gym.
I took ownership of my health and wellness, my health.
I said, God, I've got one body.
I want to take care of it.
I want to be physically capable of doing anything that you call me to do, anything that you
(06:00):
ask me to do.
And at that time in my life, I said, God, I know I'm a Christian.
I know that my faith is in Jesus and Christ alone and what He did for me and what He continues
to do for me every day, taking me from glory to glory, faith to faith.
I said, God, I know that I've given you my heart, but from this day forward, as like
a 14 year old, I said, God, I'm going to give you my life.
(06:21):
I'm from this day forward.
I'm not going to live off of just the faith of my pastors or my parents.
This is my walk with you.
I'm choosing to make you the Lord of my life.
And I'm not just going to go to church because that's expected of me.
I want to learn who you are, what you're about, your character and your nature.
I'm going to get in the word of God because I want to know your prescribed method of living
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this life.
And so everything radically changed for me in high school.
I said, God, everything that I am is yours, my good, but also my bad and ugly, my hopes
and my dreams, but also my fears and my doubts and my insecurities.
I'm going to pick myself back up because I know the righteous fall seven times, but they
get back up and I'm going to trust you with every gift, every talent, every measure.
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Now, I grew up watching Ninja Warrior back when it was in Japan, Sasuke, and they had
American Ninja Warrior when I was in high school.
I said, God, that would be so cool.
But I live in a big family.
We're all homeschooled.
They don't film TV shows in Houston, Texas.
That would never happen.
So just whatever.
I'm just going to pursue you.
(07:26):
Graduated, went to a two-year school of ministry, got to travel the world, see signs, wonders,
miracles, places like Bulgaria, Japan, Malaysia, Honduras, Rome, Italy.
Just it ruined me for normal life, John.
And I said, God, life with you is the most fulfilling, most gratifying, most satisfying
and most impactful life I could have ever dreamed of.
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God, if I've ever said it, if I've never said it before, I'll say it again right now.
My life is yours.
Take with it.
Do what you want.
And then my job ended, which was like answering phones at a company.
And I went to my friends in prayer at my Bible school.
I said, guys, can we pray about this?
I need help.
I need direction.
I need guidance.
They prayed with me.
And literally the next day, a friend of mine in my tiny Bible school, like 20 students,
(08:11):
he said, hey, I work at a gym you might be interested in.
And I said, no, I don't lift weights.
I do calisthenics, body weight exercises, push-ups, pull-ups, running, climbing, jumping,
all that.
Thanks, but no thanks.
And he said, well, no, it's not a regular gym.
Have you ever seen that show Ninja Warrior?
I work at the only gym in Houston that trains people for the TV show.
(08:32):
And I was blown away.
And I said, oh, my gosh, yes, let's go.
It was almost like this light bulb moment where God said, okay, follow me and delight
yourself in me first and foremost and watch how these other desires that are in your heart,
watch how I bring them to fruition.
Oh, good.
I'm 37, four, you know?
And so I got there, miraculously got a job at a local gym here in Houston, began training,
(08:57):
tried two years of trying, auditioning, and getting rejected on the show before I finally
got my shot.
But when I did get my chance and my opportunity in 2015, I had the fastest time, went on to
become a rookie of the year.
And now, nine years later, have achieved total victory and completed every course on there.
(09:17):
Wow.
So these courses, let's describe a little bit about the courses and the training that
goes into that because it's hard to, you know, Ninja Warrior, you just think about movies.
Unless you've seen the TV show, American Ninja Warrior, you're just kind of like, okay, I
know kind of what a ninja is.
But like, what is it that you're actually doing and how do you train for it?
(09:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
So it's obstacle course racing.
So technically, I'm an OCR athlete, like an obstacle course racing athlete.
And so what Ninja Warrior is, it started out as a Japanese game show, if you can believe
that, where, you know, the athletes and competitors have to get from the starting platform and
go across a series anywhere from, you know, six to 10 different obstacles in succession
(10:03):
to try to get to the finish buzzer at the very end.
And so you're running up cross steps, you're jumping, you're swinging off of ropes, you're
you're jumping up bars, jumping over hoops and hurdles and running up curved walls, sometimes
up to 18 and a half feet before you get to the finish buzzer at the end.
And so of all the sports I've ever done, this is the most difficult because what you see
(10:28):
on the show when you watch us compete is the very first time that we touch any of those
courses.
Well, you have to be so physically capable, but then so good at doing something the very
something perfectly the very first time.
And so it is it's a whole, you know, obstacle in and of itself to be able to show up and
(10:51):
do what you plan in your head the very first time.
And so these gyms that are popping up all across the nation, we will replicate obstacles
that we've seen on the show, but of course, every year they have brand new obstacles that
have never been seen before.
And you'll see some of the fastest and some of the best ninjas go down early each year
(11:12):
because just the thing didn't move the way they thought didn't feel the way they thought
it would.
And, you know, I'll be the first to say that these courses are so physically demanding
with your grip strength or with how far you have to jump or the dismounts getting off
to the platforms.
It is it's truly a spectacle when you watch it and some of the most incredible feats of
(11:32):
athleticism that you you will see anywhere.
And I'm blessed to be a part of it.
And literally, I look back and I say, God, thank you for my background, because everything
that I've done in my life leading up to this, God was preparation, everything from athleticism
to be having a background in theater, because it is a production on the show.
I mean, interviews, there's B-rolls, there's hero shots, and you have the lights and the
(11:56):
cameras and the audience and you have to be able to stay focused and not not get distracted
and let your heart rate spike out of control.
It's a whole thing.
But I'm so blessed to be doing it.
I'll continue doing it as long as I can.
Amen.
You know, Daniel, as you're talking about this, I just the concept of deja vu is something
that's popping into my into my head.
(12:17):
And so I just want to ask, like, have you ever felt like God's given you a vision of
a course to come or how to do something in the moment, like right before that's the big
thing?
Like, how does God speak to you, I guess, in those moments where you're literally on
this obstacle course?
How are you connecting with God in those moments?
Yeah, oh, man, even I mean, and you'll see it too, when you watch me compete on the show,
(12:43):
like when I when I step up to the starting line, I always lift my hands up and I always
say a prayer and I say, God, thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you that I get to do something that brings not only fulfillment and joy to me
as an athlete, but also God giving me an opportunity to shine for you, just like Jesus said, let
(13:03):
your light shine before others so that they see you.
But then they give glory where it's due.
They give glory to God in heaven.
So when I'm standing there, I pray and I say, Lord, I've got a plan.
I believe that I've trained hard enough.
I train as a professional athlete.
I know that I've got what it takes physically.
But, Lord, there's new obstacles here.
I have a plan, but it might not always go according to plan.
(13:25):
Lord, give me the ability to be adaptable in this moment on this course.
God, if I hit a buzzer, Lord, I'm going to give you all the glory and show people what
it looks like to win.
But if I fall or fail, God, give me the grace to show others what it looks like to do that,
to fall, but then to get back up and show others to get back.
Show them what it looks like to get back up and move forward and allow God to use those
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moments as well.
And so as I'm running through the course, if things go smoothly, I'm just like, oh,
thank you, Lord.
Thank you, God.
This is going great.
This is awesome.
Or sometimes if things are getting out of hand or I'm getting confused or caught up,
then I'm like, okay, Lord, help.
I need help.
I need help right now.
And God has always been so faithful to, one, lead me with peace.
(14:13):
I'm never freaking out when I run these courses.
I've got friends that just literally will run off, throw up, and then compete because
that's how the anxiety and the nerves are.
For me, anytime those nerves begin to come up, I literally just cast them on God and
I say, Lord, I don't want to deal with this.
I know who you are.
I know who I am, whose I am, and why it is that I'm here in the first place.
(14:37):
My identity is not in a result.
My identity is not in performance.
My identity is in you and having the opportunity to do something I love and appoint others
to you do this.
So then it's like this carefree, this joy filled, and it always shows because I have
a big smile beaming from ear to ear every time I compete.
And that's kind of what it's like for me whenever I do compete.
(15:00):
It's just, I bring God into it.
It just like Psalm or Proverbs three, verse five and six.
In all of my ways, I'm acknowledging God.
I'm thanking His presence with me and knowing that He's going to direct my paths.
Amen.
Amen.
You talk about that in your book, the whole anxiety and you wrestling with that.
And so you talk about that in your book.
(15:22):
So let's talk about your book.
You've got a lot of stuff in this book, which is called Kingdom Ninja, a warrior's guide
to physical and mental or physical, mental and spiritual health.
What inspired you to write this book?
I mean, you're on TV, you're training all the time.
I'm sure you're helping other people and you're active in your church.
(15:44):
I know because I've seen videos of you playing bass for your worship team with the caption,
I learned bass because we needed a bass player.
And that's how I started playing the guitar myself with my worship team.
So I really think that's pretty cool.
But why did you write this book and what's the inspiration for that?
Yeah, oh man, John, it was it came out of a place of need from those around me.
(16:11):
You know, I've been an elite level ninja warrior, like OCR athlete for years and years with
great success and even better consistency.
And so I've been given opportunities.
I mean, my full time, you know, career other than an athlete is, you know, going to getting
into public speaking, whether I'm speaking at churches or schools about overcoming obstacles,
you know, even anti-bullying, whatever the needs of that school are.
(16:33):
I'm doing like keynote messages and I'm doing a lot of speaking.
And while I'm at these places, people will pull me aside afterwards and say, hey, can
you talk more about this?
Can you talk more about just being healthy?
Can you talk more about getting off the couch and starting some sort of physical routine
or hey, I heard you preaching about, you know, how the peace of God or the fruits of the
spirit or the way that God can work all things together for good.
(16:56):
You have all these verses that you share and you know the word of God really well.
Can we talk more about it?
So I began to see a need of just those around me that watch the show, those that follow
me in my life.
And I said, God, I can only talk to so many people at a time.
Well, what can I do?
How can I create something that blesses more than just the person that I'm right in front
(17:20):
of at this moment?
And so then I was given an opportunity, literally another miracle I consider, a publishing company
hit me up and said, hey, we love what you do.
We love who you are.
We love your platform and see God moving.
Would you like to do a book with us?
A couple of books, in fact.
And as soon as they said it, something in me sparked and said, yes, that's what I need
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to do right now with this season of my life.
So I sat down, I literally just prayerfully put all of my knowledge, all of my experience,
all of my history and my testimonies, everything from taking ownership of my physical health
and then taking ownership of my mental health and wellness and then taking ownership of
my spiritual health and wellness and spiritual maturity that I've just walked through all
(18:04):
these years of walking with the Lord.
And I said, God, help me put this into a book.
And it was like, Holy Spirit was just speaking to me day in and day out.
And I could not be more proud of how this book turned out.
And whether you're an elite level athlete or just someone who is a fan of the show and
wants to take better care of their own bodies, this book is for everybody.
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And whether you're an athlete or you more so just care about your mental health and
awareness or your spiritual health, there's so many different parts, so many different
components.
I give a lot of my own personal biography and background and history of what God has
done working with me through my life.
And I think regardless of who you are or your own athletic or personal goals, everybody
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can get so much out of this book.
So it was, yeah, we just launched about a month ago and I could not be more happy with
how it turned out.
Very cool.
Very cool.
You know, you're an inspiration to so many people.
And I know that a mutual friend of ours, Doug Stringer, told me about an experience that
he was able to connect you with a young boy named Liam, who is kind of like a make-a-wish
(19:15):
kid and by the grace of God, he is cancer free today.
But just tell me about this experience where you got to be somebody's make-a-wish wish.
Yeah.
Oh, man.
Just with the notoriety of being on TV, there are so many people that look at my life, so
many young people that look to me as an example, as a role model, as a leader.
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And from day one, when I first started competing on Ninja Warrior, I said, God, I recognize
this platform.
God, this isn't just about me and my own goals as an athlete.
This platform is about every single person whose life is going to be affected by me,
by my success, by my loss, by who I am and the integrity that I carry on this TV show.
(20:05):
And so, you know, to have an experience or an opportunity with someone like Liam to say,
hey, you know, I'm going through such a difficult season, such a difficult health crisis, and
all I want to do, my biggest thing is if I could go train with my Ninja Warrior heroes
at a gym and overcome some other obstacles physically, then I think that'll help me overcome
(20:27):
these obstacles in my health.
And so, when they reached out to me and said, hey, we've got to make a wish experience.
We want to run like a Ninja course with you at a local gym.
Would you be willing to do that?
And to me, it was like, God, there's no greater life than to take a moment from the busyness
or from chasing after you and your goals that you've given me, God, but to take a moment
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for the one, the person right in front of me that has come here and said, hey, can we
talk?
Can we overcome these challenges?
And to be there for Liam in such a crucial, pivotal moment in his life is something that
I will never forget and a moment that by the grace of God, he will never forget either.
He'll look back and say, I got through that and I overcame those courses with Daniel
(21:15):
Gill, but also in my health and I'll never forget that.
And I hope he never forgets that either, that God is always with us through every single
obstacle that we face, be it physical, be it emotional, be it mental, be it spiritual.
He is with us in those moments.
He's a God who cares and he's a God who knows our pain and walks with us through those situations.
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So to get to do that with Liam was amazing and he's one of many testimonies of a similar
nature where I got to share my life with others and help them overcome their challenges.
Yeah, Daniel, as we're coming to a close with our time here today, I'm just encouraged by
listening to you talk and I can just see the Holy Spirit just all over you as you're talking
(21:59):
and the joy of the Lord on your face is yet God is using you in an amazing way and you
have this platform.
It would be really easy to get caught up in your own strength.
My wife and I have been reading through the Bible in a year.
We just got married in December and so our first year we are going through the Bible
(22:21):
together.
It's a great foundation, but it's something that I've one thing I've noticed, especially
in the Old Testament, guys that relied on their own physical strength or their outward
appearance like King Saul and all these other guys, they got caught up and they were prideful
and they stopped relying on the Lord.
(22:44):
You seem like you've got a great head on your shoulders and you're staying humble.
What advice can you give to people that might be at the top of their game or working towards
the top of their game, but pride seems to puff up their life?
Yeah, I mean man, lay it down daily is what I would say in the same way that I wake up
(23:04):
every single day and I try to train myself in godliness.
I try to have the first thing that comes out of my mouth say, thank you God for this day.
Thank you Lord for another miraculous breath of air coming into my lungs.
I start my day off with the Lord and thankfully with the sport that I'm involved in, it is
the most humbling sport you could ever, ever attempt because you never know what you're
(23:28):
going to get and even the slightest break in focus will send you down into the water
and end your season.
Humility is something that by the grace of God and because of the sport that I'm in has
been heavily just drilled into me from day one.
Not only that, but because I was such a competitive person growing up, my family, my friends and
(23:52):
my wife, anytime my head starts to get even the slightest break, they pop that bubble
so, so fast because they know me.
They know yes, the good parts about my life.
They know my strengths, but they also know my weaknesses and so in any area of my life
where they begin to see a weakness of mine start to manifest, they say, hey, no, no,
(24:14):
no, no, we love you too much to let you stay down this offshoot that you're trying to take.
No, we love you.
We're not going to be yes men, Daniel.
We're going to be no, man, we're going to keep you in check and they do that to me because
I've given them access to my life.
I have people that I trust, people that I know that know the good, but know the bad
(24:35):
and keep me accountable and again, I try very hard.
Every day I re-commit, re-dedicate my life to the Lord and say, God, I can't live off
of yesterday's faith because today's problems are too big for that.
God give me exactly like Jesus said to pray, give me today my daily bread, give me exactly
(24:56):
what I need for today's obstacles in whatever form that they take and with that type of
mindset, that type of mentality and training yourself in godliness to say every day I'm
going to choose to make this decision and it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature
and it becomes so much easier to fall, fail, make mistakes, but say that's not who I am,
(25:17):
that's not what defines me.
I'm defined by my walk with the Lord and I'm going to be the first to get back up, the
first person to repent and start walking back the direction that God is leading me to and
called me to.
So that's what I would say for any of those that are chasing after dreams, stay humble,
keep that humility as one of the number one things in your life because we live in a broken
(25:38):
world where we have free will, we can choose to make mistakes, we will stumble and fall.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfect, the finisher of our faith and watch, watch
how quickly he'll mature us and grow us to where yesterday's problems don't have to
affect us today.
Amen, amen.
As we're wrapping up here, I just want to encourage people to check out Kingdom Ninja,
(26:00):
a warrior's guide to physical, mental and spiritual health.
You can go to kingdom-ninja.com to find out more about Daniel Gill and all the things
that he's doing because he is a Kingdom Ninja.
He is on American Ninja Warrior, but he is really focused on advancing the kingdom of
(26:24):
God with the gifts and talents that God has given him.
Daniel, as we're wrapping up here, would you just pray for people that are inspired by
what you're talking about here and how they want to take their next step with the Lord?
Yeah, absolutely, John, I'd be happy to.
Well, Lord, we just come before you and we're full of gratitude first and foremost.
(26:44):
Thank you for the lives that we live.
Thank you for the breath in our lungs, God.
Thank you for each and every new day that we are given where we have the opportunity
and the choice to pursue you, to pursue the kingdom of God above all else, God.
And I pray that for those listening right now, God, that whatever you've called each
of us to in any sphere of life, be it health, wellness, the arts, entertainment industry,
(27:09):
God, being leaders in various industries, God, even in our families, even amongst our
friends, amongst our peers, at our jobs.
God, I pray that we would recognize that you are with us, that you are for us, that you
have good plans for us, and you can redirect us whenever we fall, fail, or act in the flesh,
God.
All it takes is running back to you and you can redirect things for us.
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God, I pray that the goals that we have will just be given to you, God, that the steps
that we're taking each day to reach those goals, God, would first be gone to you, that
we take and we live our lives based on how we feel you call us to, that you lead us to
these.
God, I pray for grace and I pray for favor over every single person listening to the
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sound of my voice right now.
Grace and favor to do what you've called us to do, to be who you've called us to be.
Each one of our lives is going to look as unique as you've made us, God, because each
of us were formed and fashioned uniquely.
None of us are the same, and none of our callings are the same either.
So God, I pray that we would celebrate each other with where you've called us, how you've
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positioned us.
We're not called to look exactly like each other, but we are called to walk faithfully
with Jesus, hand in hand with our Father God each and every day.
So I bless them in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
Daniel Gil, it's been great to be able to talk with you.
I look forward to connecting again and definitely after you win next season.
(28:37):
Yeah.
Thank you, John.
I appreciate the opportunity to get to encourage, inspire and point people to Jesus today.
Amen.
American Ninja Warrior is a sport that is really, I mean, it's prime time.
(00:05):
And the things that these people are able to do is absolutely incredible.
I mean, I work out at the gym, but what this guest that we're going to talk about,
we're going to talk to in just a moment is able to do.
It blows my mind.
So Daniel Gill, welcome to Charisma News.
It's great to have you here.
You are, whenever I think of American Ninja Warrior, you are the person that I think of.
(00:28):
I don't see anybody else, but I just see you and your smiling face and that amazing head of hair
that you have.
So Daniel, welcome here.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for having me, John.
I'm so excited to get to be with you and just share my story, talk about my testimony,
and just really talk about what God is doing through this secular television show,
(00:51):
but all the many ways that He's using it for ministry to impact the lives of literally
millions of people who watch it on a regular basis.
And I've been involved in the sport for 10 years now.
I've done it longer than anything else in my life.
And I've just watched God take the talents that I've been stewarding and use them for
(01:14):
such incredible impact, not just within the four walls of a church, but outside in the
secular arena.
And it's been such a joy.
One of the most or the most fulfilling thing that I've gotten to do with my life is say
yes to God every day and use every gift and talent that He's given me.
Well, I want to talk about your personal journey with the Lord in just a moment.
(01:35):
But as we're recording this, the season finale of American Ninja Warrior just wrapped up the
other day.
And you completed the course, which is a miraculous, amazing thing by itself.
So congratulations for that.
But you were what, one second too slow for the million dollars.
(01:56):
Oh, my goodness.
Tell me about that event and just that whole experience there.
Yeah.
Oh, man.
I mean, it's bittersweet to say the least.
And yet at the same time, like from the get go, I never did Ninja Warrior for money because
honestly, I mean, point zero zero zero one percent of the athletes ever actually get
(02:21):
any money.
The drive and the draw is just to be on this TV show to get to compete on the world's toughest
obstacles, to showcase the world the way you've got or to bring awareness to whatever cause
that you want to bring awareness to through the show and the platform.
So for me, I said, God, I'm the kingdom ninja.
Matthew 633 is the reason why I do it.
(02:42):
I want to seek first the kingdom of God, live righteously, do the
best that I can and know that you're going to provide every need.
Maybe not every once in the time frame that I desire it, but all my needs have always
been met.
And I prayed this year.
I said, God, after coming so close in 2019 and losing on that rope climb, I said, God,
(03:05):
two things I'm praying for.
One, I want my rematch on that rope.
And two, I want to beat it because I fully believe that I am capable of it.
And so as it came down to those final moments of this season, I was one of eight people
to attempt stage four and one of only two to actually beat it this season, to finish
(03:27):
And I did.
And yet, I guess looking back, I'm like, okay, God, maybe I could have prayed for the
million dollars.
Yeah.
But again, God's got more than a million different ways to put any amount of money
into my bank account for kingdom purposes.
My job is to steward what I have, to walk by faith, to trust in Him, trust that, you
(03:48):
know, whatever the results, He can work them out for good.
He can work them together for good.
He can comfort me in any situation so that I can comfort others.
And whatever valley or shadow of death I might go through in life, He's going to be with
me.
I don't have to fear.
So at the end of the day, I know that I can do it.
I did what I wanted to do.
I got exactly what I prayed for.
And you better believe I'm going to come back stronger next year and hopefully get
(04:12):
yet another attempt.
We'll have to watch and find out.
But it's a joy.
And yet another, you know, journey or leg of my testimony walking with the Lord through
American and your warrior.
Yeah.
So I want to talk about how you started this journey for, I mean, I grew up watching
(04:32):
American gladiators.
This is like the next level.
I mean, you are pushing your physicality to an extreme level.
I mean, just some of the things that I'm going to try to put a clip in here.
So just some B roll of you running and jumping and just, I don't even know how to describe
some of these obstacles that you have to do.
(04:53):
How do you even train for some of this stuff?
Or how did you originally first say that, hey, I want to do that?
Yeah.
Oh, man.
I mean, honestly, you know, Bible talks about we're knit together in our mother's room.
Like God formed us, fashioned us.
He knows us better than we know ourselves.
And for me, I grew up and I was the monkey boy in my family of five.
I was the athlete.
(05:14):
I climbed on everything.
I played about every sport possible.
And as, you know, athletic and amazing and talented as I've gotten nowadays, I was never
that good at sports growing up.
I was never the strongest, never the fastest, never the most naturally gifted.
But I was super competitive and gave my heart to the Lord at a young age.
As a kid, grew up in a Christian environment, had amazing pastors and leaders in my life
(05:38):
to help me avoid so many pit holes or pitfalls in life.
But in my high school years, I, in addition to being an athlete, got into like parkour,
free running, got a Bowflex home gym.
I took ownership of my health and wellness, my health.
I said, God, I've got one body.
I want to take care of it.
I want to be physically capable of doing anything that you call me to do, anything that you
(06:00):
ask me to do.
And at that time in my life, I said, God, I know I'm a Christian.
I know that my faith is in Jesus and Christ alone and what He did for me and what He continues
to do for me every day, taking me from glory to glory, faith to faith.
I said, God, I know that I've given you my heart, but from this day forward, as like
a 14 year old, I said, God, I'm going to give you my life.
(06:21):
I'm from this day forward.
I'm not going to live off of just the faith of my pastors or my parents.
This is my walk with you.
I'm choosing to make you the Lord of my life.
And I'm not just going to go to church because that's expected of me.
I want to learn who you are, what you're about, your character and your nature.
I'm going to get in the word of God because I want to know your prescribed method of living
(06:43):
this life.
And so everything radically changed for me in high school.
I said, God, everything that I am is yours, my good, but also my bad and ugly, my hopes
and my dreams, but also my fears and my doubts and my insecurities.
I'm going to pick myself back up because I know the righteous fall seven times, but they
get back up and I'm going to trust you with every gift, every talent, every measure.
(07:06):
Now, I grew up watching Ninja Warrior back when it was in Japan, Sasuke, and they had
American Ninja Warrior when I was in high school.
I said, God, that would be so cool.
But I live in a big family.
We're all homeschooled.
They don't film TV shows in Houston, Texas.
That would never happen.
So just whatever.
I'm just going to pursue you.
(07:26):
Graduated, went to a two-year school of ministry, got to travel the world, see signs, wonders,
miracles, places like Bulgaria, Japan, Malaysia, Honduras, Rome, Italy.
Just it ruined me for normal life, John.
And I said, God, life with you is the most fulfilling, most gratifying, most satisfying
and most impactful life I could have ever dreamed of.
(07:47):
God, if I've ever said it, if I've never said it before, I'll say it again right now.
My life is yours.
Take with it.
Do what you want.
And then my job ended, which was like answering phones at a company.
And I went to my friends in prayer at my Bible school.
I said, guys, can we pray about this?
I need help.
I need direction.
I need guidance.
They prayed with me.
And literally the next day, a friend of mine in my tiny Bible school, like 20 students,
(08:11):
he said, hey, I work at a gym you might be interested in.
And I said, no, I don't lift weights.
I do calisthenics, body weight exercises, push-ups, pull-ups, running, climbing, jumping,
all that.
Thanks, but no thanks.
And he said, well, no, it's not a regular gym.
Have you ever seen that show Ninja Warrior?
I work at the only gym in Houston that trains people for the TV show.
(08:32):
And I was blown away.
And I said, oh, my gosh, yes, let's go.
It was almost like this light bulb moment where God said, okay, follow me and delight
yourself in me first and foremost and watch how these other desires that are in your heart,
watch how I bring them to fruition.
Oh, good.
I'm 37, four, you know?
And so I got there, miraculously got a job at a local gym here in Houston, began training,
(08:57):
tried two years of trying, auditioning, and getting rejected on the show before I finally
got my shot.
But when I did get my chance and my opportunity in 2015, I had the fastest time, went on to
become a rookie of the year.
And now, nine years later, have achieved total victory and completed every course on there.
(09:17):
Wow.
So these courses, let's describe a little bit about the courses and the training that
goes into that because it's hard to, you know, Ninja Warrior, you just think about movies.
Unless you've seen the TV show, American Ninja Warrior, you're just kind of like, okay, I
know kind of what a ninja is.
But like, what is it that you're actually doing and how do you train for it?
(09:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
So it's obstacle course racing.
So technically, I'm an OCR athlete, like an obstacle course racing athlete.
And so what Ninja Warrior is, it started out as a Japanese game show, if you can believe
that, where, you know, the athletes and competitors have to get from the starting platform and
go across a series anywhere from, you know, six to 10 different obstacles in succession
(10:03):
to try to get to the finish buzzer at the very end.
And so you're running up cross steps, you're jumping, you're swinging off of ropes, you're
you're jumping up bars, jumping over hoops and hurdles and running up curved walls, sometimes
up to 18 and a half feet before you get to the finish buzzer at the end.
And so of all the sports I've ever done, this is the most difficult because what you see
(10:28):
on the show when you watch us compete is the very first time that we touch any of those
courses.
Well, you have to be so physically capable, but then so good at doing something the very
something perfectly the very first time.
And so it is it's a whole, you know, obstacle in and of itself to be able to show up and
(10:51):
do what you plan in your head the very first time.
And so these gyms that are popping up all across the nation, we will replicate obstacles
that we've seen on the show, but of course, every year they have brand new obstacles that
have never been seen before.
And you'll see some of the fastest and some of the best ninjas go down early each year
(11:12):
because just the thing didn't move the way they thought didn't feel the way they thought
it would.
And, you know, I'll be the first to say that these courses are so physically demanding
with your grip strength or with how far you have to jump or the dismounts getting off
to the platforms.
It is it's truly a spectacle when you watch it and some of the most incredible feats of
(11:32):
athleticism that you you will see anywhere.
And I'm blessed to be a part of it.
And literally, I look back and I say, God, thank you for my background, because everything
that I've done in my life leading up to this, God was preparation, everything from athleticism
to be having a background in theater, because it is a production on the show.
I mean, interviews, there's B-rolls, there's hero shots, and you have the lights and the
(11:56):
cameras and the audience and you have to be able to stay focused and not not get distracted
and let your heart rate spike out of control.
It's a whole thing.
But I'm so blessed to be doing it.
I'll continue doing it as long as I can.
Amen.
You know, Daniel, as you're talking about this, I just the concept of deja vu is something
that's popping into my into my head.
(12:17):
And so I just want to ask, like, have you ever felt like God's given you a vision of
a course to come or how to do something in the moment, like right before that's the big
thing?
Like, how does God speak to you, I guess, in those moments where you're literally on
this obstacle course?
How are you connecting with God in those moments?
Yeah, oh, man, even I mean, and you'll see it too, when you watch me compete on the show,
(12:43):
like when I when I step up to the starting line, I always lift my hands up and I always
say a prayer and I say, God, thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you that I get to do something that brings not only fulfillment and joy to me
as an athlete, but also God giving me an opportunity to shine for you, just like Jesus said, let
(13:03):
your light shine before others so that they see you.
But then they give glory where it's due.
They give glory to God in heaven.
So when I'm standing there, I pray and I say, Lord, I've got a plan.
I believe that I've trained hard enough.
I train as a professional athlete.
I know that I've got what it takes physically.
But, Lord, there's new obstacles here.
I have a plan, but it might not always go according to plan.
(13:25):
Lord, give me the ability to be adaptable in this moment on this course.
God, if I hit a buzzer, Lord, I'm going to give you all the glory and show people what
it looks like to win.
But if I fall or fail, God, give me the grace to show others what it looks like to do that,
to fall, but then to get back up and show others to get back.
Show them what it looks like to get back up and move forward and allow God to use those
(13:50):
moments as well.
And so as I'm running through the course, if things go smoothly, I'm just like, oh,
thank you, Lord.
Thank you, God.
This is going great.
This is awesome.
Or sometimes if things are getting out of hand or I'm getting confused or caught up,
then I'm like, okay, Lord, help.
I need help.
I need help right now.
And God has always been so faithful to, one, lead me with peace.
(14:13):
I'm never freaking out when I run these courses.
I've got friends that just literally will run off, throw up, and then compete because
that's how the anxiety and the nerves are.
For me, anytime those nerves begin to come up, I literally just cast them on God and
I say, Lord, I don't want to deal with this.
I know who you are.
I know who I am, whose I am, and why it is that I'm here in the first place.
(14:37):
My identity is not in a result.
My identity is not in performance.
My identity is in you and having the opportunity to do something I love and appoint others
to you do this.
So then it's like this carefree, this joy filled, and it always shows because I have
a big smile beaming from ear to ear every time I compete.
And that's kind of what it's like for me whenever I do compete.
(15:00):
It's just, I bring God into it.
It just like Psalm or Proverbs three, verse five and six.
In all of my ways, I'm acknowledging God.
I'm thanking His presence with me and knowing that He's going to direct my paths.
Amen.
Amen.
You talk about that in your book, the whole anxiety and you wrestling with that.
And so you talk about that in your book.
(15:22):
So let's talk about your book.
You've got a lot of stuff in this book, which is called Kingdom Ninja, a warrior's guide
to physical and mental or physical, mental and spiritual health.
What inspired you to write this book?
I mean, you're on TV, you're training all the time.
I'm sure you're helping other people and you're active in your church.
(15:44):
I know because I've seen videos of you playing bass for your worship team with the caption,
I learned bass because we needed a bass player.
And that's how I started playing the guitar myself with my worship team.
So I really think that's pretty cool.
But why did you write this book and what's the inspiration for that?
Yeah, oh man, John, it was it came out of a place of need from those around me.
(16:11):
You know, I've been an elite level ninja warrior, like OCR athlete for years and years with
great success and even better consistency.
And so I've been given opportunities.
I mean, my full time, you know, career other than an athlete is, you know, going to getting
into public speaking, whether I'm speaking at churches or schools about overcoming obstacles,
you know, even anti-bullying, whatever the needs of that school are.
(16:33):
I'm doing like keynote messages and I'm doing a lot of speaking.
And while I'm at these places, people will pull me aside afterwards and say, hey, can
you talk more about this?
Can you talk more about just being healthy?
Can you talk more about getting off the couch and starting some sort of physical routine
or hey, I heard you preaching about, you know, how the peace of God or the fruits of the
spirit or the way that God can work all things together for good.
(16:56):
You have all these verses that you share and you know the word of God really well.
Can we talk more about it?
So I began to see a need of just those around me that watch the show, those that follow
me in my life.
And I said, God, I can only talk to so many people at a time.
Well, what can I do?
How can I create something that blesses more than just the person that I'm right in front
(17:20):
of at this moment?
And so then I was given an opportunity, literally another miracle I consider, a publishing company
hit me up and said, hey, we love what you do.
We love who you are.
We love your platform and see God moving.
Would you like to do a book with us?
A couple of books, in fact.
And as soon as they said it, something in me sparked and said, yes, that's what I need
(17:41):
to do right now with this season of my life.
So I sat down, I literally just prayerfully put all of my knowledge, all of my experience,
all of my history and my testimonies, everything from taking ownership of my physical health
and then taking ownership of my mental health and wellness and then taking ownership of
my spiritual health and wellness and spiritual maturity that I've just walked through all
(18:04):
these years of walking with the Lord.
And I said, God, help me put this into a book.
And it was like, Holy Spirit was just speaking to me day in and day out.
And I could not be more proud of how this book turned out.
And whether you're an elite level athlete or just someone who is a fan of the show and
wants to take better care of their own bodies, this book is for everybody.
(18:26):
And whether you're an athlete or you more so just care about your mental health and
awareness or your spiritual health, there's so many different parts, so many different
components.
I give a lot of my own personal biography and background and history of what God has
done working with me through my life.
And I think regardless of who you are or your own athletic or personal goals, everybody
(18:48):
can get so much out of this book.
So it was, yeah, we just launched about a month ago and I could not be more happy with
how it turned out.
Very cool.
Very cool.
You know, you're an inspiration to so many people.
And I know that a mutual friend of ours, Doug Stringer, told me about an experience that
he was able to connect you with a young boy named Liam, who is kind of like a make-a-wish
(19:15):
kid and by the grace of God, he is cancer free today.
But just tell me about this experience where you got to be somebody's make-a-wish wish.
Yeah.
Oh, man.
Just with the notoriety of being on TV, there are so many people that look at my life, so
many young people that look to me as an example, as a role model, as a leader.
(19:40):
And from day one, when I first started competing on Ninja Warrior, I said, God, I recognize
this platform.
God, this isn't just about me and my own goals as an athlete.
This platform is about every single person whose life is going to be affected by me,
by my success, by my loss, by who I am and the integrity that I carry on this TV show.
(20:05):
And so, you know, to have an experience or an opportunity with someone like Liam to say,
hey, you know, I'm going through such a difficult season, such a difficult health crisis, and
all I want to do, my biggest thing is if I could go train with my Ninja Warrior heroes
at a gym and overcome some other obstacles physically, then I think that'll help me overcome
(20:27):
these obstacles in my health.
And so, when they reached out to me and said, hey, we've got to make a wish experience.
We want to run like a Ninja course with you at a local gym.
Would you be willing to do that?
And to me, it was like, God, there's no greater life than to take a moment from the busyness
or from chasing after you and your goals that you've given me, God, but to take a moment
(20:51):
for the one, the person right in front of me that has come here and said, hey, can we
talk?
Can we overcome these challenges?
And to be there for Liam in such a crucial, pivotal moment in his life is something that
I will never forget and a moment that by the grace of God, he will never forget either.
He'll look back and say, I got through that and I overcame those courses with Daniel
(21:15):
Gill, but also in my health and I'll never forget that.
And I hope he never forgets that either, that God is always with us through every single
obstacle that we face, be it physical, be it emotional, be it mental, be it spiritual.
He is with us in those moments.
He's a God who cares and he's a God who knows our pain and walks with us through those situations.
(21:35):
So to get to do that with Liam was amazing and he's one of many testimonies of a similar
nature where I got to share my life with others and help them overcome their challenges.
Yeah, Daniel, as we're coming to a close with our time here today, I'm just encouraged by
listening to you talk and I can just see the Holy Spirit just all over you as you're talking
(21:59):
and the joy of the Lord on your face is yet God is using you in an amazing way and you
have this platform.
It would be really easy to get caught up in your own strength.
My wife and I have been reading through the Bible in a year.
We just got married in December and so our first year we are going through the Bible
(22:21):
together.
It's a great foundation, but it's something that I've one thing I've noticed, especially
in the Old Testament, guys that relied on their own physical strength or their outward
appearance like King Saul and all these other guys, they got caught up and they were prideful
and they stopped relying on the Lord.
(22:44):
You seem like you've got a great head on your shoulders and you're staying humble.
What advice can you give to people that might be at the top of their game or working towards
the top of their game, but pride seems to puff up their life?
Yeah, I mean man, lay it down daily is what I would say in the same way that I wake up
(23:04):
every single day and I try to train myself in godliness.
I try to have the first thing that comes out of my mouth say, thank you God for this day.
Thank you Lord for another miraculous breath of air coming into my lungs.
I start my day off with the Lord and thankfully with the sport that I'm involved in, it is
the most humbling sport you could ever, ever attempt because you never know what you're
(23:28):
going to get and even the slightest break in focus will send you down into the water
and end your season.
Humility is something that by the grace of God and because of the sport that I'm in has
been heavily just drilled into me from day one.
Not only that, but because I was such a competitive person growing up, my family, my friends and
(23:52):
my wife, anytime my head starts to get even the slightest break, they pop that bubble
so, so fast because they know me.
They know yes, the good parts about my life.
They know my strengths, but they also know my weaknesses and so in any area of my life
where they begin to see a weakness of mine start to manifest, they say, hey, no, no,
(24:14):
no, no, we love you too much to let you stay down this offshoot that you're trying to take.
No, we love you.
We're not going to be yes men, Daniel.
We're going to be no, man, we're going to keep you in check and they do that to me because
I've given them access to my life.
I have people that I trust, people that I know that know the good, but know the bad
(24:35):
and keep me accountable and again, I try very hard.
Every day I re-commit, re-dedicate my life to the Lord and say, God, I can't live off
of yesterday's faith because today's problems are too big for that.
God give me exactly like Jesus said to pray, give me today my daily bread, give me exactly
(24:56):
what I need for today's obstacles in whatever form that they take and with that type of
mindset, that type of mentality and training yourself in godliness to say every day I'm
going to choose to make this decision and it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature
and it becomes so much easier to fall, fail, make mistakes, but say that's not who I am,
(25:17):
that's not what defines me.
I'm defined by my walk with the Lord and I'm going to be the first to get back up, the
first person to repent and start walking back the direction that God is leading me to and
called me to.
So that's what I would say for any of those that are chasing after dreams, stay humble,
keep that humility as one of the number one things in your life because we live in a broken
(25:38):
world where we have free will, we can choose to make mistakes, we will stumble and fall.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfect, the finisher of our faith and watch, watch
how quickly he'll mature us and grow us to where yesterday's problems don't have to
affect us today.
Amen, amen.
As we're wrapping up here, I just want to encourage people to check out Kingdom Ninja,
(26:00):
a warrior's guide to physical, mental and spiritual health.
You can go to kingdom-ninja.com to find out more about Daniel Gill and all the things
that he's doing because he is a Kingdom Ninja.
He is on American Ninja Warrior, but he is really focused on advancing the kingdom of
(26:24):
God with the gifts and talents that God has given him.
Daniel, as we're wrapping up here, would you just pray for people that are inspired by
what you're talking about here and how they want to take their next step with the Lord?
Yeah, absolutely, John, I'd be happy to.
Well, Lord, we just come before you and we're full of gratitude first and foremost.
(26:44):
Thank you for the lives that we live.
Thank you for the breath in our lungs, God.
Thank you for each and every new day that we are given where we have the opportunity
and the choice to pursue you, to pursue the kingdom of God above all else, God.
And I pray that for those listening right now, God, that whatever you've called each
of us to in any sphere of life, be it health, wellness, the arts, entertainment industry,
(27:09):
God, being leaders in various industries, God, even in our families, even amongst our
friends, amongst our peers, at our jobs.
God, I pray that we would recognize that you are with us, that you are for us, that you
have good plans for us, and you can redirect us whenever we fall, fail, or act in the flesh,
God.
All it takes is running back to you and you can redirect things for us.
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God, I pray that the goals that we have will just be given to you, God, that the steps
that we're taking each day to reach those goals, God, would first be gone to you, that
we take and we live our lives based on how we feel you call us to, that you lead us to
these.
God, I pray for grace and I pray for favor over every single person listening to the
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sound of my voice right now.
Grace and favor to do what you've called us to do, to be who you've called us to be.
Each one of our lives is going to look as unique as you've made us, God, because each
of us were formed and fashioned uniquely.
None of us are the same, and none of our callings are the same either.
So God, I pray that we would celebrate each other with where you've called us, how you've
(28:14):
positioned us.
We're not called to look exactly like each other, but we are called to walk faithfully
with Jesus, hand in hand with our Father God each and every day.
So I bless them in the mighty name of Jesus.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
Daniel Gil, it's been great to be able to talk with you.
I look forward to connecting again and definitely after you win next season.
(28:37):
Yeah.
Thank you, John.
I appreciate the opportunity to get to encourage, inspire and point people to Jesus today.
Amen.
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