Taylor Rae Burling (maiden name Taylor Amann) is a student at the University of Wisconsin who first competed on American Ninja Warrior 11 in Oklahoma City.
Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness[]
Before competing on American Ninja Warrior, Taylor competed as a member of the University of Wisconsin team in Team Ninja Warrior: College Madness. She was very dominant, not touching the water even once, and even going as far as making it up the Warped Wall. The University of Wisconsin ended up winning the entire tournament.
This was also her first time meeting Clay Raterman, a competitor on the Ohio State Buckeyes team who she was dating. It was revealed that when Wisconsin won the trophy at the end of the competition, Clay was the one holding her up.
Taylor (right) with fellow teammates Zack Kemmerer and Andrew Philibeck
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
For American Ninja Warrior 11, Taylor competed in Oklahoma City. In qualifying, she made it all the way to the Coconut Climb before her grip gave out. This placed her 30th at the end of the night and 4th among the women to move on to the city finals.
During the city finals, she completed the Coconut Climb and even scaled the Warped Wall and the Salmon Ladder, historically being part of one of four females to do so that same night. While she later tuckered out at the Crazy Clocks, she got to the obstacle at a fast point to guarantee her a spot in Vegas. At the end of the round, she placed 1st in the womens' top 2; faster than Barclay Stockett's pace to the Crazy Clocks.
In Vegas, she cleared the first three obstacles with ease, but then she later failed the Jumping Spider after getting a bad bounce off the trampoline.
American Ninja Warrior 12[]
Amann led a team of fellow pole vaulters (Zane Paski and Nicole Breske) to compete with her on this season.
Although their runs were digested, Amann's wasn't, but it was shown that she had failed Rib Run at the end of the obstacle. Ironically, she fell in almost the exact same fashion as Paski did. She did not qualify for the Semifinals within the Women's Top 3, ending her season early.
American Ninja Warrior 13[]
She competed in the fifth episode of qualifying. Her run was digested and it was shown that she failed Sideways, once again failing the fifth obstacle in qualifying. She placed 3rd overall in the Women's Top 5.
In the fourth episode of semifinals, her run was digested again. Unlike American Ninja Warrior 11, however, she was unable to reach the back half of the course as she failed Drop Zone. Her time to the obstacle was not fast enough for her to qualify for the national finals in the Women's Top 3.
American Ninja Warrior 15[]
She competed in the eighth qualifying round. Her run was cut, but she uploaded her run online.[1] On her run, it was shown she nearly touched the water on Pole Vault. She then failed on the next obstacle Greased Lightning, falling on the second drop. She did not make the Women's Top 5 at the end of the qualifying round. Thus like American Ninja Warrior 12 she was eliminated in the qualifiers.
American Ninja Warrior 17[]
She competed in the third episode of qualifying. Taylor was runner #378, being the third-to-last competitor to run the course during taping.[2] Her run was digested, where she was shown to have failed on Crank It Up, the fourth obstacle. She placed 18th overall, so it was enough to advance her to the semifinals.
She later competed in the final episode of the semifinals. Her run was cut, but she failed on Log Runner and was once again eliminated during the semifinals.
Personal Life[]
Taylor has married in July 2025, and now goes by the name Taylor Burling.[3]