St. George brothers set to compete for 'American Ninja Warrior' title

ST. GEORGE — When the Season 18 finale of American Ninja Warrior airs Monday, two brothers from southern Utah will be among those competing for the championship.

Kai Beckstrand, the reigning champion, is returning with hopes of defending his title. But standing in his way is a familiar competitor: his 18-year-old brother, Luke Beckstrand.

The brothers, who regularly train together in St. George, have turned their shared passion for obstacle racing into a friendly but competitive rivalry.

"Ninja Warrior-specific training, I usually am doing about two to three hour-and-a-half to two-hour sessions per week," Kai Beckstrand said.

As the defending champion, Kai said he knows the pressure that comes with being the athlete everyone is trying to beat.

"I got a target on my back as the reigning champion, and I want to defend that title," he said.

For Luke, simply reaching the national stage has been a milestone.

"Finally being able to get on the show was an awesome opportunity," Luke said.

The opportunity also comes with a unique advantage: training alongside the reigning champion.

"He's definitely the best training partner, and we're definitely competitive," Luke said. "When we go to competitions. We both want to win."

The Beckstrands spend much of the year training together, helping each other develop strategies for tackling obstacles.

"We do obstacles slightly differently," Kai said. "And so we are able to kind of spitball ideas of how to do and accomplish the obstacles on the course."

Both brothers said success on the course comes from spending time on the obstacles themselves, not just traditional workouts.

"General fitness is really great, cardio is really great, but actual time on the obstacles is what matters the most," Kai said.

As the season finale approaches, the possibility of competing directly against his younger brother adds another layer to the challenge. Still, Kai said he plans to stick with the approach that helped him win his first title.

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"I knew that I just had to kind of follow that same routine that I did the previous season, run my own races, not worry about my competitors, get through the obstacles and then see where that takes me," he said.

Whether the championship stays with Kai or goes to Luke, the Beckstrand brothers have already made their mark by advancing to the finals together and representing Utah at one of the country's most demanding athletic competitions.

The Season 18 finale of "American Ninja Warrior" airs Monday on NBC.

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