Barry Boyd grew up in a cramped three-bedroom home with 13 other family members. When Child Protective Services deemed the living situation unsuitable, 6-year-old Barry and his two younger brothers were sent to live with their grandfather. But after that arrangement broke down, the siblings entered foster care, where they remained for five years. That challenging start helped shape the resilience and drive that now fuels his life as a competitor and father.

Today, 28-year-old Barry Boyd is a stay-at-home father and a three-time competitor on NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” the sports entertainment reality show where athletes race through challenging obstacle courses. After falling short last season on “The Gambler” — a casino-themed obstacle featuring a spinning roulette wheel platform — Boyd is back and aiming to reach the top. He and his wife, Mercedes, recently moved with their two young sons from Pittsburgh to Powhatan, where he continues his training.

Free Press: How did foster care shape you into the person that you are today?

Barry Boyd: It was a lot of moving from place to place. I was there with my two younger brothers, I had to step up and be a good role model for them pretty early, earlier than a kid should have to be. And so I was always looking out for them and like making sure they were safe and they were taken care of.

It made me more of a people pleaser, but in a good way. And it just makes me look at my work and I’m like ‘Look, if I see people in need, if I can help, then I’m going to help that person.’

FP: You moved to Powhatan from Pittsburgh. Why?

BB: We moved out here because my wife actually had a job opportunity out here. So that’s when we moved down here and it was also close to her sister. That’s why we chose Virginia. It’s really hard because living out in Virginia, I believe the closest ninja gym is about two, three hours away, so it makes training that much harder.

FP: Last year, you came up short in the National Finals when you took on “The Gambler.” Now, you find yourself back in the National semis. What have you done differently to prepare for this course?

BB: I’ve actually been going to the gym a little bit more so I can put more time in, because it’s so hard whenever you’re training for Ninja; it takes such a toll in your body. I have a membership to a relaxing recovery place that we have out here in Richmond.  So now, I can actually focus on relaxing and making sure my body has the recovery time that I need to make myself stronger each day.

FP: What was the moment that made you want to compete on American Ninja Warrior?

BB: I was watching it with my dad, and this is when I was still just a little kid, and we would always joke about doing the show. I was like ‘Man, I want to try that’. And then as I got older, I was unaware that there were actual ninja gyms opening around the country. And then, when I moved to Pittsburgh, I went rock climbing with a guy that did the walk-on lines a lot, and then, he ended up opening a Ninja Gym in Pittsburgh. Once he opened the Ninja Gym, I got to work with him, and we became really good friends. I was like “This is awesome, I’m training for the show.”

FP: If you were to win American Ninja Warrior, what would you do with the prize money?

BB: I’ve always wanted to have my own ninja gym, but I’m also a big fan of normal fitness centers. The gyms that I’ve been to that I’m a part of, that’s just a great way to start to reach out to kids that don’t really have gyms, because I grew up kind of in the foster care system. And so for me, having a ninja gym or something like that, and then being able to partner with orphanages or other foster care places and get more kids involved,  I feel like that’s just my calling.