Friday, Sep 30, 2016
Anthony DeFranco ’15 starts as an audit associate after competing on NBC show
by Robert Leitner ’17
Anthony DeFranco ’15 fulfilled a childhood dream this summer by competing in the finals of the TV show American Ninja Warrior this summer. DeFranco, who has fond memories of watching the original Japanese version of the show as a kid growing up in Berkeley Heights, N.J., made it to the finals of the competition in September.
American Ninja Warrior, which recently wrapped its 8th season on NBC, challenges competitors to race through an obstacle course in the fastest possible time. DeFranco, who graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, scored “run of the night” during qualifying rounds that took place in Philadelphia and placed 11th in the city final round, sending him to the finals in Las Vegas this September with the chance to win the $1 million grand prize.
Although DeFranco ended up falling on the “jumping spider” obstacle during the first stage of the finals, he's proud of his performance.
“I felt pretty accomplished making it to Vegas as a rookie,” he says. “I was really happy with the whole experience and how everything played out. I made a bunch of new friends and it was just a great community.”
He also raised more than $600, with all proceeds benefiting the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, by selling “Team DeFranco” T-shirts. And he has lined up a new job with KPMG — one of the “Big Four” accounting firms — as an audit associate.
A track and field athlete at Rider, DeFranco was a four-time MAAC champion, in the pole vault indoor and outdoor and twice as a member of the 4 x 100 relay. He acknowledges that Rider's athletic program and coaches for shaping him as a person and an athlete.
To prepare for the show, he trained with former roommate and fellow alumnus Greg Smith, who overcame cancer while at Rider and came back to excel in the long jump after his ordeal.
“It was nine months of pretty strict physical training trying to get my strength up,” DeFranco says. “Greg and I were driving every Friday over an hour to a gym to train obstacles.”
Smith, who graduated from Rider with a bachelor's in secondary education and mathematics, did not make the local finals, having trouble with the third obstacle, but was shown on television saying, “I want people to know that you can be on your deathbed and you can come back better than you were before.” He flew to Las Vegas to root for his friend.
Although DeFranco was able to practice on other obstacle courses prior to American Ninja Warrior, he admits that some of the obstacles were a little scary. “The mental part is at least half of the success on the show," he says. "You could easily psych yourself out because you only have one shot, and if you get in your own head it could go south really quick.”
DeFranco's favorite part of competing on the show was becoming part of the community. Participants, he says, viewed the course as their main competition and not each other. "Everybody cheered each other on," he says.
Likewise, one of the things he misses most of Rider is the camaraderie. “I miss being on campus,” DeFranco says. “It was comforting because you had all your friends around. I miss being around everyone.”