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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Kreglow part of Curt Simmons Day

It’s probably a safe bet that Logan Kreglow didn’t encounter any obstacles along the parade route while participating in Egypt’s Curt Simmon’s Day Parade.

Kreglow, who will be making his second appearance this summer on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, was invited to march in this year’s parade that was held on June. 1. He walked along with his family who were all wearing American Ninja Warrior T-shirts. The parade honors Simmons, an Egypt native, who spent 18 years as a pitcher in the major leagues, 11 of those years with the Phillies.

Kreglow competed on American Ninja Warrior last summer, making it all the way to the National Finals in Las Vegas. This year’s first stop is Baltimore where the 2012 Whitehall graduate recently finished competing in that city’s qualifier. He was one of the last contestants selected at the Philadelphia qualifiers last year, finally getting the nod on the strength of his personal story and the obstacles he had to overcome in order to return to athletic competition.

That was something he wanted to share with the kids who were at the parade. He got to spend a few minutes with some of the kids, and let them know that anything is possible.

After a brutal knee injury during his senior season playing football, Kreglow, who was a three-sport athlete at Whitehall, was faced with the possibility of losing his leg. That realization came with the fact that competing athletically may also be in his past. But after a long recovery, Kreglow returned to the track while attending Cornell.

Last year’s trip to the American Ninja Warrior finals was an affirmation of all the hard work and dedication he put into getting back into the athletic arena.

American Ninja Warrior turned out to be an incredible experience, and once the finals were over, Kreglow decided to give it another shot.

“I took a week off, and then pretty soon thereafter I got right back to it,” said Kreglow.

He said he trained just as vigorously this year, concentrating on rock climbing that helps strengthen the grip.

Kreglow said that the Baltimore qualifiers will air June 19 on NBC. Since there were around 25 competitors at Rash Field which runs along the south shore of the Inner Harbor, Kreglow isn’t sure if his run will make the broadcast. However, he did say that he had a good slot in which to tackle the obstacle course, something much more manageable than the last slot he drew in the National Finals in Las Vegas which he ran at daybreak.

He also benefitted from knowing what to expect. The taping begins at 8 p.m. and lasts until 4 or 5 a.m. In Vegas, he wasn’t sure if he should try to sleep before his turn, and admitted that staying up 19 hours wasn’t an ideal situation.

“This year going into it, I kind of knew what to expect,” said Kreglow. “I felt totally fine the night of the competition.”

While he couldn’t divulge too much, he did say that the first obstacle is something new. Every city where they tape will feature a new initial obstacle among the six they encounter.

As for how he did? Well, that’s something that will be revealed when American Ninja Warrior airs on June 19. But he did offer a personal assessment about his performance.

“Overall, I’m definitely happy with how I did,” said Kreglow.

Contributed photosLogan Kreglow (on top of the jeep) and his family prepare to march in the Curt Simmons Day Parade.