ZHANIQUE LOVETT
VISALIA’S AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR T E X T
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hanique Lovett packs more into one day than most people can fit into a week. At 31, she is a wife, mother of three children, part-time personal trainer, and frequent church volunteer. And this summer, she added the title of television star to her growing list of talents. After a year’s worth of grueling athletic training, Zhanique appeared on NBC’s hit show “American Ninja Warrior” in June. Her nimble performance made Visalians proud as she became the first woman to conquer LIVELY a majority of the LIVING brightly-illuminated obstacle course and reach the warped wall—all with her trademark beautiful smile. Now, when the 5-foot, 6-inch, 135-pound athlete is shopping for groceries or running errands around town, she stops to take photos with her fans, signing autographs in the aisles of Costco. “I want to make the point to make each person feel special,” Zhanique said during an interview at the dining room table of her Visalia home. “I want to take the time to talk to them, because every person is important. I care about people and their ideas. I want to stay humble, and I don’t want the show to ever change me.” Despite falling short on the warped wall, which stood 14 feet, 6-inches tall, and missing a chance to push the final buzzer, Zhanique is taking her newfound celebrity in stride— P H O T O S
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and using her platform to encourage others toward healthy lifestyles. A LIFETIME OF ATHLETICISM As a teenager, Zhanique played basketball, ran track, and lifted weights. But her childhood was tumultuous—she had a drug-addicted mother and friends who influenced negative choices. At 17, she became pregnant with daughter Dayzhanay. After her daughter’s arrival, healthful eating and regular physical activity
remained at the forefront. A vegetarian since age nine, Zhanique signed up for physical education classes each semester she was enrolled at College of the Sequoias. (She earned her Associates of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Physical Education, in 2016). “I figured I might as well make my time worthwhile by getting a workout in while I was on campus,” she said. In one class, she ended up lifting weights with members of the football
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Zhanique practicing on a warped wall at the ninja gym in Fresno.
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team—and beat some of them. “That gave me the confidence I needed that I could compete with the guys,” she said. “I know a woman can do anything a man can do. And sometimes even better.” Watching season after season of “American Ninja Warrior,” Zhanique began to think, “I can do that!” HER BIGGEST SUPPORTERS In an English class in 2007, Zhanique locked eyes with a fellow student named Joseph Lovett. Leary of men after past hurts—and knowing she had a young daughter to consider—Zhanique and Joseph spent a year being friends, getting to know each other, and attending church. Slowly, they incorporated Dayzhanay into their time together and it soon became apparent that marriage was the next step. “He’s perfect for me, he completes me,” Zhanique said sweetly. “We had similar childhoods. God couldn’t have given me a better man.” The couple has since added two more children to their family—Joseph, six and Malakai, five. Being physically fit has been a constant in the family. As soon as Zhanique was cleared by her physicians to resume workouts after childbirth, she would play Pilates or Gillian Michaels workout DVDs at home and exercise while her babies watched from their swing or playpen. “They’ve watched me work out
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P H O T O G R A P H Y LIFEST YLE | SEPTEMBER 2017
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