ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you’re an avid American Ninja Warrior watcher, perhaps you’ve watched Ixchel Valentino.

The UNM student competed on the show this season but didn’t make it past the first round of the finals. But that doesn’t mean we’re done seeing her on the famous obstacle course. 

“It still feels like a whole dream to me, because I grew up here, and there’s only a few people from New Mexico that have made it that far on the show. And so now I get to be one of those people,” said Valentino.

Valentino is back on UNM’s campus after taking the national stage on American Ninja Warrior.

“You have to qualify through a few things. You have to do the qualifiers, move on to the semi-finals, win in the semi-finals to move on to the actual finals. So I made it all the way to stage one, and then, unfortunately, did not do my best out there, but I was super happy to make it that far,” said Valentino. 

Even though she didn’t win it all, the 19 year old says she’s cheering on her fellow ninjas, who are now her friends.

“I got the experience to go film with them, compete with them, I’m like, actually friends with some of those people, and we go train together, and we meet up at competitions,” Valentino said. 

The UNM sophomore calls herself the “Nerdy Ninja,” and is studying nuclear engineering.

“Starting the school year, it’s a little stressful. The work loads a lot, but I’m excited for it. If I could handle something like the big stage on American Ninja Warrior, I think I could handle a few exams,” said Valentino. 

On top of all her schoolwork, she’s going back to the competition floor later this month.

“About three weeks ago, I got called back for season 17 of American Ninja Warrior. They’re going to be filming in Las Vegas, so I get to go back to the big stage,” Valentino said. 

While she was a rookie this season, she’s no stranger to competitions.

“I did robotics competitively at the age of five. I did it all the way through high school,” said Valentino. 

She says that experience, plus her time on Ninja Warrior, is preparing her to come back better than ever.

“I was really used to getting my mind in that state for a competition, getting myself prepared to, like, take on a course. I would just kind of block everything out. I was very sound mentally. But with Ninja, you have to also be ready physically,” said Valentino. “Since I filmed before, I’ve gotten a lot stronger, both physically and mentally, with how I approach competitions and how I train myself.”

You can watch Valentino next season on American Ninja Warrior, but she isn’t the only New Mexican tackling the course.

Albuquerque native, Katie Bone, announced on social media she got the call for season 17 of American Ninja Warrior as well.