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Naperville’s ‘Cam The Bomb’ Navigates American Ninja Success, Life

NAPERVILLE, IL — There are days in Cam Baumgartner’s current line of work when he has to be as much of his own cheerleader as his own worst enemy.

His job these days is filled quite literally with ups and downs, a series of unexpected twists of turns that even with the best of planning can leave the 24-year-old Naperville resident uncertain of what’s around the next bend.

But after four seasons as a contestant on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, the former Naperville Central three-sport athlete can’t imagine life any other way. At least not yet. As he works to finish up a degree in pre-med at North Central College, Baumgartner realizes that change in lifestyle and in vocation will be coming soon enough.

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For the time being, though, one of the sport’s up-and-coming performers whose Season 4 finale airs Monday night (7 pm, NBC5) months after it was filmed, making the most out of his current lot in life remains Baumgartner’s top priority .

“It’s been truly amazing,” Baumgartner told Patch of his rise through the ranks of ninjas over the past four seasons. “I’ve been blessed to have gotten his amazing opportunity from Ninja Warrior and from NBC to come out and just have fun with it.”

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He added: “I can’t wait to see how much longer I can do this for, and I’m stoked to see where my future in Ninja goes.”

Baumgartner’s climb from Ninja wannabe to one of the show’s top performers hasn’t come without extraordinary effort. From the time he first set foot into a Naperville Ninja gym to the countless hours of training and auditions that have come since Baumgartner’s workload has only intensified since the start.

American Ninja Warrior is built around an obstacle course that is brutally demanding on one’s physical and mental being. The timed course presents competitors with a series of challenges that tests both stamina and upper-body strength and that certainly is not for the faint of heart.

He has been forced to prove among a community of seasoned professional Ninjas who have been part of the NBC show for years. But over time, the former Naperville Central wrestler, soccer player, and gymnast has used his unique set of athletic skills to make a name for himself and to quietly make a name for himself as “Cam The Bomb” and into a skilled competitor that has worked tirelessly to become of the sport’s best.

After each season, American Ninja Warrior competitors are required to submit a new audition tape and proposed storyline to NBC. Based on past performance and his steady climb up the Ninja leaderboard, Baumgartner has returned to the show for three additional seasons and has already been chosen to be part of Season 5 when it begins filming in 2023.

While perhaps the learning curve has lessened from season to season, Baumgartner admits that the unknown aspect of what’s coming up forces him to constantly remain at his best. Throughout the journey, Baumgartner said he has learned a great deal about himself as he continues to push himself to new physical and mental limits.

“If you’re not right mentally, something can go wrong in an instant,” he said. “So, I’ve learned about the kind of person I am, what I need to do to be mentally ready and mentally stable both on and off the course and that’s just all-around made me a better person for it.”

That’s where the need to build himself up and, at times, take himself down a notch comes into play. There have been times over the past four seasons when Baumgartner knew he was physically prepared to conquer the physical challenges needed to succeed. But in times when an unexpected obstacle proved to be too much, Baumgartner has found himself needing to work within himself to find the right solution.

Based on his climb through the ranks, his approach has been working.

“There are times when I ask myself, ‘Should I still be here? Am I good enough?’” he said. “I question myself a lot through this Ninja process, but this past season has been a game-changer for me, and this summer has been a game-changer for me in terms of how I see all these outcomes and just staying positive through it Alles.”

He added: “It’s about how much can I take and am I going to let myself beat myself up or am I going to let myself pick myself back up and push for the next thing, push for the next better outcome and for what I want to achieve and keep my eye on the main prize.”

Baumgartner’s climb toward being one of the sport’s best has afforded him a series of new opportunities. After Season 4 wrapped in Las Vegas, Baumgartner has traveled to a series of other Ninja events and camps where he works with fellow competitors to work and train another generation of hopefuls and fans of the American Ninja Warrior competition.

He has used the platform not only to continue to build his own brand but to also work as an ambassador for the sport. But the time between when the Season 4 finale was taped in May and when it will air on Monday night presents another challenge: That, of course, is knowing the outcome without being able to tell anyone how he fared.

Outside of his family, who was there for the taping and knows what fate awaits him, Baumgartner is sworn to secrecy. But that hasn’t stopped fans and friends alike from trying to get their hometown Ninja from spilling the beans.

Naperville’s Cam Baumgartner calls American Ninja Warrior a demanding combination of mental and physical tests that use an array of athletic skills. (NBC/YouTube)

“Ever since my first year (keeping results secret) has been a struggle,” Baumgartner told Patch on Saturday. “I have people constantly asking me ‘How did you do?’ and are trying to nudge you to give little hints here or there. It’s so hard to keep it a secret from them, but we have to and so I do my best and I just tell (people), ‘You have to watch and see what happens.’”

The same goes for Baumgartner’s life off the Ninja course as well. Baumgartner, who has worked at Northwestern Medical Hospital among other jobs, characterizes this summer as one of discovery as he looks ahead to what awaits him on both the Ninja front, but also as he moves into a full-time professional life.

He will turn 25 in September and has already started to envision what life can look like. But like with the show he loves, Baumgartner is slow to let too much out of the bag, wanting those around him to watch his life unfold in front of them in real-time rather than on a schedule based on the network season.

“This summer has taken me on a ride to try and figure out where I want to be and what I want to do with my life moving forward,” Baumgartner said. “It’s been a hard decision, but I think I have figured out what I want to do.”

He added: “I’m ready for this next step in my life being in my mid-20s and going into my late 20s. But I’m excited for what my future holds. ….But this summer has definitely been an eye-opener, but it’s been eye-opening in a good way because it has helped me to realize my next step in life and it’s gotten me on the right track of where I want to be. ”

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