Find out how you can watch Bernalillo's Katie Bone compete on 'American Ninja Warrior'

The road has never been easy for Katie Bone, yet she makes the best of it.

The New Mexico-based athlete’s motto has always been, “I don’t need easy, I just need possible.”

In Feb. 2023, Bone was competing at the USA National Women’s Team Climbing trials in Austin, Texas. During her fourth climb, she fell and heard her knee pop — tearing her ACL and both sides of her meniscus.

On Monday night, Bone was back in familiar territory. She will appear on the 17th season of “American Ninja Warrior” at 7 p.m. Monday, June 9, on NBC during the qualifying rounds.

“It was scary for sure,” Bone says of returning to the competition. “I didn’t trust my knee. I had to relearn how to walk and train. Season 14 was a highlight for me because I did really well. There was a lot of pressure. The entire process is moving beyond the heartbreak.”

Bone, who is 19, began her journey in the TV competition, where she whet her appetite as a contender on “American Ninja Warrior Junior” in 2020. She made her rookie debut for “American Ninja Warrior” in season 14 in 2022.

In May 2023, Bone beat out 12 women to win the “American Ninja Warrior Women’s Championship 3” — not only claiming the title but a cash prize of $50,000.

She donated $5,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and PumpedNM.

During her “American Ninja Warrior Junior” appearance, Bone, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 11 years old, competed with both her insulin pump and glucose monitor on her arms. Being on the show also presents Bone with the opportunity to be an ambassador for Type 1 diabetes awareness and representation.

“Being a competitive athlete with Type 1 is not easy,” Bone says. “I’m fighting my body every single day.”

To train for “Ninja Warrior” during the pandemic, her father built a ninja course in their backyard in Bernalillo.

Bone has not only appeared on three iterations of the competition series, but is also a nationally-ranked rock climber.

When she trains in Albuquerque, she can be found at Stone Age Climbing.

Returning to competition after her injury in 2023, Bone was filled with self-doubt.

“I felt like there were a lot of expectations because the last time I was on the show, everyone saw me complete the course and hit the buzzer,” she says. “When I found out about the new season, I didn’t have much time to train because my mind was on competing at the (IFSC Youth World Championships) in China.”

Bone has learned plenty of lessons since her injury.

“I know how it feels to completely lose your sport and wonder if you will ever do it again,” she says. “I know how it feels to lose everything and find out what is my why and who am I without my sport. For a long time, I had to figure out who I am without climbing. I feel stronger.”

Find out how you can watch New Mexico's Katie Bone compete on 'American Ninja Warrior'

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