Lance Pekus Has Been Open About His Wife and Private Life Outside of 'American Ninja Warrior'

If you've watched American Ninja Warrior between Seasons 4 and 17, chances are, you've seen Lance Pekus compete at some point. He has been in several seasons of the competition series, and in Season 9, he opened up about his wife, Heather Pekus, and her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. Now, viewers want to know more about her and about Lance's life outside of the show.

When it comes to American Ninja Warrior, competitors don't have much time to get into their personal lives. But when you've competed as much as Lance and shown how dedicated you are to the physical competition, some things come out from time to time. Because he has been forthcoming about his wife, it's hard for some fans not to want to know more.

Lance explains during Season 9 of American Ninja Warrior that Heather was diagnosed with MS. On his official website, he opened up about her even further and wrote that she is his "biggest inspiration" in competing on the show and, presumably, in life.

"She is the best mother and wife and the hardest working counselor at the Salmon High School despite her medical struggles," Lance wrote.

According to LinkedIn, Heather is a counselor at the high school where they live in Idaho, but there are no other details about her professional background. Although Heather does not have a public Instagram account, possibly because of her role at the high school, she is often featured on Lance's Instagram.

He often shares posts about Heather and their kids, and in October 2023, Lance posted about him and Heather traveling to Dallas, Texas, to speak at an event about Heather's MS diagnosis and their journey.

When Lance spoke with the nonprofit organization National Marrow Donor Program, he shared that Heather's diagnosis taught him and his family resilience. He also told the organization that his wife is now in a wheelchair. Although he didn't offer more details, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, wheelchairs and scooters aren't always a necessity with MS patients, but they do help in allowing those with the diagnosis to conserve energy for other things.

Although Lance appears to have made a job of sorts out of appearing on American Ninja Warrior, he does have a career outside of the competition reality show. Lance shared on his website that for part of the year, he works for the Forest Service. Other times, he works on his father-in-law's ranch. It's entirely possible that working outdoors all day is what helps him prepare to continuously compete on TV.

"I love living and working on a ranch," Lance wrote on his website. "It always seems like there is something fun or exciting to do or learn. It's hard work, but it's rewarding. And it doesn't take that much of an imagination to find places or objects to train on."