![]() ![]() He said being on the show is nerve-wracking, but his nervousness disappears as soon as he steps onto the course. “In Western cultures we don’t eat insects, but almost everybody else does.” “ always looking for stories,” Middleton said. Notable dishes include tarantula tempura, his favorite. Since joining “American Ninja Warrior,” Middleton has gained attention for his bug-loving attitude and habit of eating insect-based cuisine on air. “He probably puts the same level of dedication in his scientific pursuits that he does in his athletic pursuits.” “My hypothesis is that he doesn’t sleep,” University etymology professor Ian MacRae said. ![]() When he isn’t in the gym, he works in several labs at the University - planting habitats for insects that pollinate in order to support them in agricultural landscapes and working on ways to control pests by using insects that kill other insects with their larvae. Middleton is careful to balance his time between training and studying. “The way he trains is a lot like how he does his graduate school work,” said Ben Wales, Middleton’s colleague at the gym. He even works weekends at the Conquer Ninja Gym in Woodbury. He wanted something to focus on besides academics, and found the perfect hobby in the Twin Cities obstacle course gyms that he still frequents. Middleton became interested in “ninja” obstacle training when he moved to Minnesota for graduate school. ![]() “He was interested in natural life and bugs early on - not afraid to pick one up or let them crawl on his arm.” “ was often jumping over fences, picnic tables and garbage cans,” said his mother Marjorie Chan. Middleton has shown an affinity for both fields since childhood. in entomology at the University of Minnesota, Middleton trains for the sports competition show “American Ninja Warrior.” He has been competing on the show for the past three seasons and has earned the moniker “The Human Dung Beetle” for his obsession with insects. When he is not collecting insects and researching the habitats of bugs, University of Minnesota graduate student Eric Middleton can be found climbing walls, swinging from ropes and jumping over obstacles. ![]()
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