Lincoln teen finds strength in American Ninja Warrior

Lincoln resident Talan Yorn dominated American Ninja Warrior despite being diagnosed at age 7 with Lyme disease congenitally from his mother, Julie. Yorn, 17, discovered the show American Ninja Warrior while he was bedridden. Before his diagnosis, he was a very active kid – he played baseball for years. Yorn felt inspired watching the show. He found a nearby place to do a few obstacles to train at home. "I didn't have a lot of strength at first, but I was just happy to be able to get out of bed and do things again because I had to give up on so much," Yorn shared. He currently trains and coaches in the Bay Area at Traverse Fitness. Yorn said he loves the community aspect of the sport. "Even though it's an individual sport, everyone really helps each other and supports each other, even while we're competing with each other," he expressed. "For example, whether it's like on the show or even in competitions I've done around the country, and it just will give you tips for obstacles. Like, even though we're competing together, we're still like helping each other, which I just think is really cool." He said the community has been a huge part of his journey because he didn't feel seen as a child struggling with Lyme disease. "When I was younger, a lot of people didn't quite understand what I was going through, or I just felt so unseen and just kind of like I was dealing with it alone," Yorn shared. "Other than me and my mom and my dad, but a lot of family members just don't really understand it, because there's not a lot of awareness for it, which is why I felt like it was my mission to start doing this and start advocating." You can watch Yorn's American Ninja Warrior episode on streaming through Peacock.