Peyton Coffin places her hands on the foam plyometric block, lifting her body to a plank position. She raises her head and focuses on the photographer in front of her.
“Smile a little bit,” he said.
A grin lights up her face.
“Perfect.”
Perfection is never the 26-year-old’s goal. She stresses consistency over perfection. Still, if there’s ever a time to be perfect, it’s now.
A student in Kirkwood Community College’s Exercise Science and Wellness program, Peyton flies to Las Vegas later this month to be a contestant on Season 17 of “American Ninja Warrior.” She will compete in the qualifying round of the popular sports entertainment reality show on Sunday, Sept. 29. How she performs determines if she advances in the competition. The athlete who completes the fastest successful run of the finals course, known as Mount Midoriyama, will win $250,000.
Peyton’s performance won’t be made public until the show airs in 2025; NBC has yet to announce the premiere date and timeslot for the new season. While keeping such a secret would be difficult for most people, Peyton is used to doing difficult things. Take her training schedule, for example. She works out three to four times a day, six days a week.
“I like to challenge myself,” she said. “If you really want something, you have to be willing to give it everything you have. Don’t wish for it; work for it. Your grind has to match your dreams.”
Peyton’s training includes strength training, running, high-intensity interval training, and Ninja training at Ninja U in Cedar Falls. The obstacle training gym has produced 14 “American Ninja Warrior” competitors so far, including co-owner and coach Scott Behrends and Peyton’s personal coach, Levi Enright.
“Ninja is different in that it takes every part of your body to do it,” Peyton said. “You’re swinging through obstacles, jumping on different balance courses and using a lot of upper body strength. It takes a lot of coordination and athletic ability to make it through an obstacle course successfully.”
It also requires patience and problem-solving skills. Peyton puts as much work into building a strong mind as she does building a strong body. Luckily, sports has always been the place where she feels at peace.
Peyton was diagnosed with a severe stutter as a child, as well as with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease the affects the lining of the digestive tract. This combination led to bullying from her classmates. However, when she started playing sports, the bullying took a back seat to being part of a team and to the pride she felt in her abilities and achievements. She was a multi-sport athlete in high school and ran track at Briar Cliff University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2020.
Initially, Peyton wanted to continue her education and become a counselor, but Covid-19 delayed her entrance to graduate school. While the world was on lockdown, she renewed her focus on working out to cope with what was happening globally as well as personally.
Peyton’s mother, Evelyn Coffin, died in 2017. She was Peyton’s biggest supporter and best friend.
“She was someone I could go to and talk to about anything, whether it was serious or funny, or about something stupid I did,” said Peyton, who was adopted by Evelyn when she was an infant.
Evelyn had her own health issues and was confined to a wheelchair before Peyton was a teenager. However, that never slowed down the mother of two. She continued to run the house, care for her daughters, and attend all of their events and activities.
“She’s the one who taught me that no matter what life throws at you, it’s how you react that determines the outcome,” Peyton said.
That mindset helped Peyton shift her educational interest from counseling to personal training. She still wanted to help people, but this time she wanted to focus on mind as well as body.
In addition to pursuing her associate of applied science degree from Kirkwood, Peyton’s a certified personal trainer with her own business, PCFitnessMentality. She also teaches five classes a week at the Michael J Gould Recreation Center and a women-only weight training session Tuesday evenings.
“Peyton is highly motivated to be the best she can be in all aspects of her life,” said Denise Glew, director of exercise science at Kirkwood. “She’s an excellent role model with a heart of gold. I am honored to have her in our program. Her achievement is a culmination of her dedication, hard work, and a great mindset! I am so proud of her.”
“Peyton’s passion drives her to be the best she can be in everything she does,” said Josh Troutman, professor of physical education at Kirkwood. “She is a role model and inspiration to her fellow classmates and to her instructors.”
Peyton started Ninja training in the summer of 2023. With less than 18 months of experience in the sport, Peyton knows a lot of her competition has a stronger background than she does. But Peyton believes the ultimate competition is herself. Every day she wakes up determined to be try harder and be better than the day before.