{"id":709,"date":"2019-07-17T18:18:43","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/ninjawarriorbpp\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:18:43","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:18:43","slug":"ninjawarriorbpp","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/ninjawarriorbpp\/","title":{"rendered":"In his quest to become the first ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ recent WCSU grad Joe Morvasky climbs toward the finals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 A half million dollars and the chance to win a title that no American has ever won. It\u2019s just another day in the life of \u201cAmerican Ninja Warrior<\/a>\u201d hopeful and Western Connecticut State University<\/a> graduate Joseph Moravsky.<\/p>\n

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On Monday, Sept. 9<\/strong>, Moravsky will compete with the 21 \u201cbest of the best\u201d in Las Vegas that will air at 9 p.m. (EST) NBC (not the usual 8 p.m. slot). The show is the American version of the Japanese \u201cSasuke,\u201d and has aired since December 2009 with no declared winner. On Sept. 16, the rest of the 21 will compete and then move into the finals, aired on the same date and time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is like being on the basketball court in the NBA finals,\u201d said the 24-year-old Sherman man who has been a Season 5 star and was chosen from thousands of applicants. \u201cI love the thrill of being in front of the camera and being on the world\u2019s hardest obstacle course. It\u2019s the chance of a lifetime that you have to take.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Moravsky said his physical strengths are balance and speed. His best event has been the salmon ladder where he jumps up the rungs using only his upper body \u2014 and risks elimination from the show if he ends up falling into the water below.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs a rookie I was nervous, but I also felt there were no expectations. I was nervous for myself because I knew how well I could do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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But Moravsky isn\u2019t just a ninja wannabe \u2014 he\u2019s also a meteorologist, having earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in meteorology<\/a> from Western this past December. <\/p>\n

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\u201cMy meteorology degree helped me set up a competitive profile. This makes me interesting. I\u2019m a meteorologist. That\u2019s my story,\u201d said Moravsky, who is also interviewing for jobs in the field.<\/p>\n

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A lifelong athlete, Moravsky currently is a gymnastics coach and trainer who spent his life playing soccer and basketball and running cross-country.<\/p>\n

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Moravsky said even though \u201cninja\u201d isn\u2019t exactly synonymous with \u201cmeteorologist\u201d by any stretch of the imagination, Western prepared him for the real world in many ways. Whether it\u2019s during fierce physical competition or a fierce storm, how to communicate in front of a camera is something that he learned at WCSU.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI wanted to be a meteorologist ever since I was a kid. I would be outside during a thunderstorm and looking at the clouds. I wasn\u2019t afraid to get out and put myself in harm\u2019s way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.<\/em><\/p>\n

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