Season 11 of American Ninja Warrior premiered on NBC last night – and in memoriam, the series paid tribute to Travis McDaniel, who died earlier this month.
McDaniel was the co-owner and President of Production of TV and entertainment development company The ATS Team. An obituary written on Facebook revealed that his cause of death was related to leukemia after he waged a long battle with the disease.
The ATS Team official Facebook page says that Travis was surrounded by his family and friends when he passed away. The obituary read:
As many know, Travis battled an aggressive fight against Leukemia for the past year and a half. He lived courageously with this disease until the very end. In many, many ways, by inspiring and teaching us, he won his battle. He was a wonderful role model right to the end.
The ATS Team also remembered what made Travis McDaniel unique.
We remember Travis as the man he was. A man of humility, strength, and always serving those he came in contact with. Travis had a unique ability to make the magic happen, to change a person, environment, or any challenge he faced for the better. He lived life to the fullest, embracing every hike, climb, and journey this world has to offer.
Travis reportedly started working in the film industry at just 16 years old. One of his first jobs was working on NCIS Season 2 but he reportedly decided to quit and worked with The ATS Team. He grew up in the outdoors and worked as a raft and rock climbing guide.
McDaniel was an important part of American Ninja Warrior, helping to create and design the format for the show. The series sees competitors attempting to complete a series of challenging obstacle courses.
He also worked on Million Dollar Mile, The Titan Games, Ultimate Beastmaster, The Amazing Race, Team Ninja Warrior, The Biggest Loser and Big Brother.