A Ninja Warrior champion reached new heights as he secured himself an incredible world record title.
Joel Mattli (Switzerland) made the journey to Italy to appear on the latest series of our TV show Lo Show dei Record, and the trip was certainly worthwhile.
The 29-year-old walked away with the record for most consecutive flying bar jumps (male) with a whopping 27, completely smashing the previous record of 12.
Joel, who came out triumphant on the Austrian version of Ninja Warrior, looked cool and calm as he took on the challenge on our show.
Standing on top of an elevated platform, he grabbed onto a bar above his head and used his strength to simultaneously push it up and jump to the next groove along the course.
Joel started off fast and strong, jumping with the bar with super-human speed and precision, and reaching the end of the course, turned around to go back the way he came and continue his jumps.
The crowd cheered every time he landed a jump and roared with applause when his new record was confirmed.
Telling us all about it, he said he was thrilled to be invited to appear on the show.
“I was excited and very honoured. I felt that this could become a great chance to show my skills and strength and loved it even more once I've heard about the great reputation of the show in Italy from Italian friends.”
Joel had to work hard to prepare for the show, especially since he didn’t have the exact equipment he needed at his disposal.
“Unfortunately, I did not have any specific flying bar setting near me until two weeks before the show,” he explained.
“Luckily, I was already very confident about my technique so I worked on grip strength and power the month before. With a bad viral infection and sleeping problems before the show, I had some times where I felt too weak, but knowing that a lot can be decided with a strong mind, I tried to push through and luckily it worked out just fine! I also used yoga and visualization that helped my success!”
Joel, who works as an athlete, model and speaker, dreamed of becoming a professional athlete from a young age, initially having his sights set on being a famous soccer player.
It was after spending a summer in Venice Beach, California, USA, that his journey to becoming a Ninja Warrior began.
There, he met a group of like-minded people who were into calisthenics just as much as he was.
Joel signed up for training and bootcamps on the beach, and at the same time, Ninja Warrior was becoming a huge success Stateside.
When the show launched in Germany, he took his shot, and first appeared in 2018, going on to also appear on the Austrian version, which he won in 2022.
“I completely fell in love with the diversity of this sport, the athleticism it demands as well as the entertainment and mental factor that belong to it.” - Joel
After watching his incredible feat on Lo Show dei Record, we were dying to know what goes through Joel’s mind while he’s flying through the air.
He told us: “When I am flying I try to stay just in the moment and keep it flowing. I try to strongly focus but at the same time give a lot of trust in my natural movements.”
Joel, who dreams of getting into acting, celebrated his achievement by tucking into some delicious gelato and thinking about the next Guinness World Records title he could achieve.
He said: “Honestly speaking, this amazing experience in Italy and the feeling of becoming a Guinness World Records holder motivated me more!
“Maybe the longest rope climb or other records could definitely be an idea - my motto is ‘Know no limits’.
“Right now, my focus belongs to my next Ninja Warrior season in Germany which will start the recording by the end of June.”
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