February 23rd was like most other days for Nonahood resident, Josh Phillips. He was about to put his three young children to bed when his wife, Rachel, suddenly decided it was necessary for him to read them a story. He certainly didn’t mind reading the kids a bedtime story, but why now? It was already past their bedtime, and he was tired after a long day fixing IT issues. Plus, it was the day some competitors had “gotten the call” from American Ninja Warrior about Season 8 casting. Josh had accepted the fact this wasn’t his year…again. He hadn’t been called last year, either. He was disappointed but not really surprised. Did he actually expect his video to stand out among the other 50,000 submissions?

A cell phone ring interrupted the story. He glanced over to see who it was and recognized the New York area code every hopeful competitor had memorized. His heart leaped, and he glanced up at Rachel, who was videoing on her phone. His wife had known since mid-afternoon that Josh was getting the call tonight. Two years of training was about to pay off.

Two months later, I headed to Atlanta for the Southeast recording where locals Josh, Shaun Murray and Emily Durham were competing against 115 other athletes for 30 spots at the final in Las Vegas later this month. My press pass allowed me access to the American Ninja Warrior set, where I joined our local competitors. They were ushered through the set to view the obstacles and hear the rules for each. Several obstacles were familiar from previous seasons, but others were new. I could see the mental wheels turning as the competitors completed the obstacles in their minds.

You don’t just walk on to compete on American Ninja Warrior. It requires an exceptionally high level of fitness, agility and strength – plus a story that captivates viewers. As with Murray and Durham, most participants are former or current professional athletes, climbers or trainers. The majority are selected from a 3- to 5-minute video they submitted earlier this year that highlighted both their strength and their story. Since American Ninja Warrior isn’t simply an athletic competition, producers are looking for people with an engaging personality and captivating life experiences. With an approximate 1 percent chance of being selected to compete on the show by video submission, many end up waiting in line for days or over a week in the selected cities to try to impress producers for the few walk-on spots.

Emily and Shaun aren’t new to competition. As a legendary four-time world champion wakeboarder, Shaun is the star of his own video game, Wakeboarding Unleashed. Emily, also a retired professional wakeboarder and four-time U.S. Pro Tour winner, became a stay-at-home mom before starting the training for American Ninja Warrior with her brother, Bart. Josh, however, left his high school athletics behind 15 years ago when he started an IT career. Two years ago, overweight, unfit and battling chronic back pain, he asked a professional trainer friend for help. The road landed him with an invitation to compete in Atlanta this year.

Spending time with these athletes was a lesson in concentration, devotion to others and humility. Their work ethic is surpassed only by their love for their families. All three are married and have young children; their families have sacrificed a lot to support them on the journey to ANW2016. Their time together on the set in Atlanta was peppered with smiles, prayers, hugs, encouragement and concentration. I couldn’t help but think about their relationships being a reflection of the community they represent. Lake Nona’s small-town atmosphere, where neighbors wave as we pass on our streets and we greet restaurant wait staff by name, is certainly in danger as we grow. But three focused yet connected athletes reminded me that we can preserve the warmth of our community by continuing to care about each other in tangible ways.

One of the most obvious characteristics I’ve noticed in the Ninja community over the past two years is their humble support of one another. Even as they nervously anticipated their run on the course, athletes stopped to check on fellow competitors. Shouts of “Get it!” and “You got this!” rang throughout the set. Claps and cheers were sincere rather than politely forced. I saw competition at its best on display. ANW is an individual rather than team sport. Yet, I have consistently observed these athletes supporting one another, as was most evident in 2014 when Shaun Murray invited Josh Phillips to train on his backyard Ninja course here in Lake Nona.

If you’re not familiar with American Ninja Warrior, it’s a spin-off of a television series that started in Japan. Sasuke introduced the world to male and female competitors who run, climb, twist and leap their way through a series of increasingly challenging obstacles that put strength, agility, balance, endurance and concentration to the ultimate test. American Ninja Warrior debuted in December 2009, and the 10 who made it through to the end traveled to Japan to run a course on Mount Midoriyama. The American show was wildly successful, and by season four, the ANW journey ended in a Las Vegas “Mount Midoriyama.” It wasn’t until last year, though, that anyone made it to the top. Both Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero reached the buzzer, but because Isaac had the shorter time, he became the first official American Ninja Warrior and pocketed the $1 million prize.

This year’s series premieres on NBC on Wednesday, June 1, at 8 p.m. The Atlanta competition airs the next week on June 8. Will you see Shaun, Emily and Josh? No one knows, not even them. All 120 participants ran the first night, with the best 30 moving on to the second night. From there, just a few qualified to attempt Mount Midoriyama later this month. NBC doesn’t guarantee that any of their runs will be shown. About 20 percent of the participants are selected by NBC to be interviewed about their personal journey. One of our athletes was selected for an Atlanta interview, but which one? I can’t divulge that information due to a confidentiality agreement every spectator must sign, but I know the story, and if you see it, I trust it will inspire you as it has me.

Our athletes impressed me both in Atlanta and a few weeks ago right here in Lake Nona as I hung out with them and some visiting Ninja Warriors from out of town. They want and love to win. Yet the character I’ve observed in all three of them is what I hope my grandchildren growing up here in Lake Nona can emulate. It is best expressed by author Tim Keller,           “Wouldn’t you like to be the skater who wins the silver, and yet is thrilled about those three triple jumps that the gold medal winners did? To love it the way you love a sunrise? Just to love the fact that it was done? For it not to matter whether it was their success or yours? Not to care if they did it or you did it? You are as happy that they did it as if you had done it yourself – because you are just so happy to see it.”

I don’t know if Shaun, Emily or Josh will be on NBC on June 8. We will all have to tune in to find out. What I know is that my life has been affected by theirs. I wasn’t just happy to see their impressive skills in Atlanta, I was even more proud to see our Lake Nona athletes displaying true character. They represented our town well.