Local fitness guru proves age is just a number while on American Ninja Warrior

By Josie Jones

A senior citizen is not who one might picture to be the next American Ninja Warrior. But Greg Justice is bringing a new and refreshing perspective to fitness as the oldest contestant on the 17th season of NBC’s hit show. Justice appeared in the June 16th episode. 

Justice, who owns a fitness studio at 78th and State Line Road, is known around the area for his dedication to health and physical well-being. Justice has a rich and extensive background in fitness training and health. He was just eight years old when he began striding after and alongside his lifelong mentor–the TV star and well-known fitness trainer Jack LaLanne. 

“I owe so much of my understanding and learning of fitness to Jack LaLanne and the legacy thereof,” Justice said. 

Justice highlighted the deep impact that the LaLanne family has made on his life. He has a strong closeness to the family still, and they played a major factor in him competing on the biggest stage in the fitness world. LaLanne’s adventurous side was also inspirational to Justice as he approaches his 65th birthday this year. He plans on doing 65 American Ninja Warrior courses successfully to follow in LaLanne’s legacy. Justice also got a message from LaLanne’s 98-year- old wife Elaine LaLanne on the show right before his run. 

“I’m still impacted greatly by the legacy, in fact, my feature story on American Ninja Warrior pays tribute to Jack LaLanne and talks about his feats of strength and endurance,” he said.

After completing his master’s degree in exercise science, Justice found his personal calling and opened AYC Health and Fitness at 7830 State Line Rd,  now in its 40th year of business. He has since opened two other Ninja-specific training centers in  Lee’s Summit and Overland Park. While helping over 48,000 people achieve their health goals through speaking engagements and books, he has also continued to push himself to reach his physical limits by letting his age just be a number. 

“If you get up off the chair or off the couch and move, you’re doing your body good,” Justice stated. “Don’t let your age hold you back. The windshield in front of you is so much bigger than that rear-view mirror. Focus on what’s in front of you, not what’s behind you.” 

 “Old Dog New Tricks Ninja” appears on his shirt on the show. He said that this nickname first came from his workout buddies when they would see him in the gym. 

“[His friends would say] ‘“h, there’s the old dog again.’ And I would always think in my mind, ‘But this old dog got a few new tricks left in him,’” Justice said. “So its not just a name, it’s a mindset.” 

Prior to his American Ninja Warrior run, Justice shared that he had been up for 26 consecutive hours. Utilizing the same tactics that he teaches his athletes while training, Justice was able to stay tough mentally and refocus his energy when he was tired from being out on set in the Las Vegas desert. 

“I was able to stop it and say, here’s what you teach your athletes. Now you’ve got to walk the walk and not just talk it,” Justice said. “So when I got on that stage, I was 100% in the moment, 100% focused and zero nerves.” 

Even though Justice fell short of making it to the end of the American Ninja Warrior course and hitting that final buzzer, he is still one of the oldest contestants to make it through the beginning two obstacles. He completed the “Quad Steps,” and “Lunatic Ledges,” but unfortunately descended into the water in the middle of “Log Runner.” Though his time on the show was short he still has many significant lessons that he hopes to spotlight from his time on the show.   

Justice stated that there is truly a simplicity to fitness: “Fitness is the ability to do what you need to do on a daily basis, relatively pain-free, and that’s done through movement and nutrition.” 

Justice also illustrated his goal that fitness is not just for young individuals. Everyone has a different degree of fitness. Age shouldn’t be a defining factor.

“You can continue to build muscle at any age, and you can keep your cardiovascular system in tact and work on your balance,” Justice said. “So that’s the message as much as anything–don’t let your age limit you.”