Jessie Graff, an American Ninja Warrior and former Nebraska pole vaulter, became the first woman to complete Stage 1 of the ANW national finals. Jessie Graff completed the Log Grip, Propeller Bar, Jumping Spider and Warped Wall at the New Orleans course and gain national notoriety for the accomplishment.
Graff (@JESSIEgraffPWR), whose best NCAA championship pole vault finish was 11th in 2004, works as a stuntwoman as a day job.
She told People:
“I hope it will show women that feminine is strong — that we can frequently do more than people think we can — sometimes even more than we believe ourselves, if we’re willing to work for it,” Graff told People.
“We may have to train smarter and harder, but if we achieve greater focus, technique and strategy, we can beat the guys,” she added. “I know I’m not the strongest or the fastest. There are plenty of women who can do what I did, but I’m honored and grateful to have been the first — to get to be a part of this huge movement in which we challenge our perceptions of what’s possible.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMrzbqlDe7A]
[Jessie Graff – IG]
