MASN cameraman becomes first "American Ninja Warrior"

Before sitting down to write this article, I worked out a little bit, laboring through a run before realizing that it takes every ounce of my strength to do a single push-up.

But anyway, moving on to talk about "American Ninja Warrior," if you're unfamiliar with the show's premise, people compete in an extremely vigorous obstacle course that requires tons of strength, endurance and agility. Currently in its seventh season, the American version of the show (which originated in Japan) had never seen a contestant make it to the last obstacle of the final stage, the daunting Mt. Midoriyama, until Monday night.

And that's when MASN camera operator Geoff Britten - who Orioles fans have likely seen around Oriole Park - stepped in.

Whittled down from 600 competitors on the show - including just 100 who advanced to the finale in Las Vegas - Britten, 36, and one other contestant became the first participants to ever make it to the final round.

The task? Climb a 75-foot rope in 30 seconds.

Considering that I probably couldn't even hold onto a rope for 30 seconds, just thinking about this feat seems straining. Britten stepped to the rope, and the rest was history.

With less than a second to spare, Britten completed the climb, slapping the red button, which officially made him the first to ever complete "American Ninja Warrior".

Unfortunately for Britten, his competitor - Isaac Caldiero - followed suit by also completing the rope climb, three seconds faster. While Britten didn't walk away with the $1 million grand prize, he did walk away as the first-ever "American Ninja Warrior".

Here's what he had to say before competing in the finals.

Update: Britten was honored by Louisville Slugger with a customized bat. MASN's production crew surprised Britten with the bat, which Mike Bordick presented.

Check it out below.