'American Ninja Warrior' Competitor, NJ Native, Speaks To Mendham Students

MENDHAM, NJ — Students from Mount View Middle School had a special start to their Week of Respect, when a TV athlete and NJ native spoke to them about “self-respect, consistency, and collaboration.”

Rachel Degutz, 27, from East Brunswick, has competed on NBC’s intense reality TV show “American Ninja Warrior” several times and spoke to Mountain View students about her experience.

The game show consists of athletes from all walks of life competing on an intense obstacle course, with the goal of reaching the coveted buzzer at the end.

Degutz, a science teacher at Rutgers University, encouraged the students to “reach their own buzzer” through hard work, perseverance, and teamwork.

The assembly kicked off the Mendham Borough School District’s Week of Respect. The annual recognition was established in 2010 as part of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act. The week is observed through “instruction in anti-bullying, upstander behavior, and respect for self and others.”