Two Holly Springs residents compete in 'American Ninja Warrior' semifinals

Two Holly Springs athletes are still in the competition for Season 15 of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior.”

Isaiah Lee and Matt Kalanz are both from the town of Holly Springs, but they have taken different paths to the show’s semifinals. They continue to vie for potential big cash prizes while at the same time, they help each other to succeed.

Lee, 16, has overcome serious obstacles beyond those he tackles at Morrisville’s “Warrior Tech Obstacle Racing Course."

Four years ago, Lee was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. It caused some vision loss in his right eye and caused tumors all over his body. After surgery and healing, he was ready to compete again.

"Then, I went to ‘Ninja,’ like, just for fun and that like kind of changed my life," Lee said.

Lee dreamed about competing on NBC’s "American Ninja Warrior."

"That’s when I applied for the show and then I got the call in January," Lee said.

Kalanz, 31, is a personal trainer who practices in the same gym as Lee and has same dream.

"I’ve been in little competitions for about seven or eight years now, but this is my first time on the show,” Kalanz said. “There are some brand new obstacles too, you’ve never seen before, so getting your hands on those is really fun."

It includes obstacles like the 18.5-foot "Mega Wall.” It’s a high-flying course. Contestants must complete all six obstacles to advance.

"It’s definitely a bit nerve wracking being on the big stage," Kalanz said.

Kalanz and Lee are not allowed to reveal the outcome of the pretaped episodes. However, Lee offered, "I’ll just say, it is really surprising but really fun."

Both Lee and Kalanz help each other in their quest.

Lee said, "That’s really helpful, especially to have someone in North Carolina and literally less than 30 minutes away, like to train with and like just motivation in general,” Lee said.

"Isaiah, himself, is a very talented young man too,” Kalanz said. “Having people like him to kind of motivate me and kind of watch and try and get better is awesome."

Their friendship is their secret weapon as they motivate one another to advance in their quest.

NBC’s "American Ninja Warrior" semifinals involve a $10,000 prize ahead and a top prize of $1 million dollars in the national finals.

“America Ninja Warrior” airs on WRAL at 8 p.m. ET Mondays.