Washington Woman Makes History as First Mother to Complete ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Obstacle Course

A competitor climbs the last wall of the challenge at the "American Ninja Warrior" screening and course demonstration In celebration of the show's first Emmy Award nomination, at Universal Studio, in Universal City, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2016. (Valerie Macon/AFP/File photo via Getty Images)

A 42-year-old Washington woman earned the title of the first mother and the oldest woman to hit a buzzer in the history of NBC’s hit sports TV show “American Ninja Warrior.”

Now in its 11th season, the American TV entertainment competition follows hundreds of competitors across the country as they battle to complete a series of tough obstacle courses.

Their ultimate goal is reaching the Las Vegas Strip national finals which promises a grand prize of $1 million, according to the show’s official website.

Spokane-based mother-of-three, Sandy Zimmerman, whizzed through the challenging obstacle course in the Seattle/Tacoma City qualifiers episode which aired June 24, breaking a record and marking her third season on the show.

“The first mom!” Zimmerman shouted, just moments after she scaled a steep wall to complete the course and smash the buzzer.

Zimmerman’s recent success came after she previously attempted the feat on the show during seasons eight and nine—when she failed to get past the second obstacle.

The physical education teacher wrote on Instagram following her accomplishment: “BIG DREAMS take a team, no one gets there alone! I’m overwhelmed with emotion right, love you all so much!!!”

Being a mother made the journey extra special, Zimmerman said before her run, explaining that mothers often don’t get a chance to prioritize themselves.

“I wanna hit that buzzer for all of the moms out there, not just for me, but I feel like it’s a ‘we.’ We so often put everything for us on the back burner,” she said, reported Yahoo News.

Although the course has been completed by nine other female athletes in the past, Zimmerman is considerably older, and is the first mother to successfully complete the obstacle course and hit the buzzer.

She was cheered on by her three children and husband as she raced from obstacle to obstacle, completing challenges such as the ‘Barrel Roll,’ the ‘Broken Bridge,' the ‘Lightning Bolts,’ the ‘Shrinking Steps,’ and the ‘Lunatic Ledges.’

Zimmerman appeared to struggle with final obstacle the Warped Wall, which she failed to climb on her first attempt. Competitors are granted three tries.

Her second attempt appeared to be done with ease, however, as she hung from the top of the obstacle with one arm, waving her other to the cheering crowd.

In the run-up to the show, Zimmerman was keen to show her supporters she was working hard to achieve her goals with her training regimen.

She shared a video on Instagram last week captioned: “No gym, no problem. I don’t have access to any fancy ninja gym here in Spokane but I can improvise and make the most of our backyard course.

“Can’t say if I’m competing or not in Vegas at the ANW finals but here’s my make shift stage 1 course.”

The gym teacher has previously won a judo championship and was a basketball player for Washington’s Gonzaga University, according to Shape.

Her accomplishment has inspired scores of social media users, with some calling her their hero.

One Twitter user said, “Sandy Zimmerman is my HERO, right now!!!!”

While another said: “Way to go #SandyZimmerman on #AmericanNinjaWarrior!!! You did it for all the moms!!!”

“I had no idea the growth that I would have and just how much fun my whole family would have on this crazy journey,” the mother-of-three told The Spokesman-Review.

Zimmerman is set to compete in the Seattle/Tacoma finals which will air on Aug. 12. “American Ninja Warrior” airs on NBC at 8 p.m. every Monday..