A warrior to the end: Shelter Island’s Luke goes down swinging as a Ninja

Shelter Island’s own American Ninja Warrior, Luke Lowell-Liszanckie, has fallen, literally, from the ranks of finalists in the popular competition, but he hopes to be back.

“I feel very happy and blessed to make the finals in my rookie year,” said Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie, 23. “I want to go back and win the whole thing.”

Sixty contestants went into the final round broadcast Monday night, and by the end of the grueling course of obstacles, 32 remained. Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie splashed into the underlying safety pool three times – losing his grip twice on the Floating Monkey Bars and finally on the Piston Plunge.

It took a lot for Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie to reach the finals the first time he tried. He got interested in the sport as a kid when he saw the show, now in its 17th season, on television. He started training as a teenager at gyms on Long Island and in Brooklyn, and kept at while at college in Plattsburgh. Susan Carey Dempsey spoke to Luke recently about his journey, and you can listen, here.

This year’s competition began with 77,000 hopefuls applying. That got cut to about 100, and competitions last fall in Las Vegas further reduced the field to 60. The selection process for Season 18 already is under way, and Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie plans to be in the running.

“I’ve amped up my training,” he said. “I’m working to be a whole different version of myself, way better than the last one.”

Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie’s parents, David Liszanckie and Nell Lowell, were in Las Vegas last fall, rooting him on as the final races were recorded. But there was still some suspense when they all watched the broadcast Monday night at the family home on Shelter Island.

“They knew the outcome,” he said the morning after, “But they had forgotten some of the details. It was still an exciting watch.”

The final round of the finals will be broadcast on NBC next Monday at 8 p.m. The ultimate winner will take home a $250,000 prize. The other warriors don’t get prize money but often are able to turn their successes into marketing opportunities.

Mr. Lowell-Liszanckie, nicknamed “Triple L” on the show, will head back upstate in a couple weeks to coach and train other would-be warriors. In the meantime, he’s working on the docks near Claudio’s in Greenport to make some cash for expenses.