Original subtitles

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

MAN: It's a global phenomenon,

the toughest obstacle course on the planet.

MAN: Yes! Sticks it!

Oooh!

And that is shocking.

In dozens of countries... Oh!

..thousands have tried to beat it.

Oh! Face plant! Oh!

But in 20 years, just ten have succeeded.

An American is summiting Mount Midoriyama.

Now Ninja Warrior comes to Australia.

WOMAN: This guy has got what it takes

to be Australian Ninja Warrior, I can feel it.

Go, you good thing! Yeah.

Tells the crowd, "I'm on fire."

It's such a life-changing moment,

if I actually did get to the top, to hit that buzzer.

MAN: Do not give up now.

Oh, flying through!

The dismount was flawless.

Finally, Australia's best...

I'm stuntman. I'm a firefighter.

Carpenter. I'm a mum of three girls.

I've been to two Olympic Games.

..and bravest...

I was born without my leg.

I broke my back and I'm never gonna walk again.

We were ambushed. Some bullet fragments went through my face.

..take their shot at glory.

My life's journey has taken me to this point.

I just want to absolutely smash it.

I'm here to prove anything is possible.

WOMAN: You're going into an arena to fight to the death.

And it all begins tonight, with the first of five qualifying heats.

Thousands auditioned but only the very best were selected to try.

Tonight, the first 50 competitors

face the brutal stage one of the course.

One mistake and they're out.

Oh, no!

And only the top 18 qualify for the semifinals.

Through the semis and grand final, the course gets longer and harder.

That showed guts, that showed glory and determination.

But ninjas must complete it all

to earn the right to attempt the Holy Grail -

climbing Mount Midoriyama.

If anyone can conquer it, they'll claim $100,000...

You are unbelievable!

..and title of Australia's first...

Ninja Warrior.

Hello. I'm Rebecca Maddern.

I'm Freddie Flintoff. And I'm Ben Fordham.

Welcome to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, the worldwide phenomenon,

where everyday athletes take on superhuman challenges.

Our first 50 are ready to step up to the plate

and show all of Australia just what it takes to be a ninja.

Yes, Ben, we've got mums and dads,

doctors, tradies, firefighters, you name it.

Each have one thing in common - the guts and determination

to take on the biggest obstacle course in the world.

You can't just step up and have a go.

All of our competitors have been through

a rigorous selection process

and that is crucial, 'cause once they get out there,

forget the crowds, forget the cameras,

these guys are 8m high and they are hanging on for their lives.

Nobody knows what to expect, not even our contestants.

They may have been training for months,

but until today, they didn't even know the obstacles they were facing.

When they step up to that gate, it is for the first time.

That's a good point, Freddie.

No dress rehearsals in Australian Ninja Warrior.

It's raw, it's real, at times it's brutal

and, Freddie, you're gonna have a front-row seat for all of this.

Oh, yes, I'll be up close with the ninjas as they try and stay dry,

'cause if they even touch the water, it ends right there.

So let's take a look at the course for tonight's first qualifying heat.

All competitors male and female will tackle the same six obstacles.

First up, the Quintuple Steps.

Competitors must make their way across five angled platforms

a metre and a half apart.

Next, it's the Silk Slider.

Competitors grip the fabric and ride down a zip line,

timing their mid-air transition

to a rope that will help them swing to the other side.

Then it's the Bridge of Blades.

Light feet and speed are everything,

as the bridge rotates under their weight.

In the Tyre Swing To Cargo Net,

competitors use a rope to reach a hanging tyre.

They need to create momentum to swing to a cargo net

and climb down without touching the water.

The Double Tilt Ladder puts upper body strength to the test,

as competitors traverse two sets of tilting monkey bars

which have rungs missing for extra challenge.

And finally, it's the legendary Warped Wall.

4.2m straight up.

Reach the top and you're done.

The top 18 competitors from each heat

make it through to the semifinals.

Let's bring out our first competitor.

He works in a circus, but he can't afford to clown around tonight.

Our first ever Australian Ninja Warrior competitor, Jack Morris.

JACK: I went to see Cirque du Soleil when I was about nine years old

and got really inspired.

Mum pushed me to do it,

so I moved away from home and went and joined the circus.

I went to school every day, just like a normal kid,

and then I'd train for two and a half hours,

just to see how far I can push myself.

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to do it, in the back of my head.

Like, everyone here is so fit.

I want to see how far I can push my body

and what I can do that I never knew was possible.

(CHEERING)

How about that roar, Ben, for our first ninja?

BEN: No doubt.

It's a jungle out there

and they're all keen to see how our very first competitor does.

Go, Jack! Whoo, ninja!

There's mum, Fiona, his brothers and sisters.

They're wearing 'Ninja Jack' T-shirts. Come on, Jack Morris.

Our first ever competitor on Australian Ninja Warrior.

This is nerve-racking, no doubt.

They need to nail this first obstacle.

Here he goes on the Quintuple Steps.

(CHEERING)

They've never seen the obstacles before.

They're a metre and a half apart. And he's through! There you go.

Relief right around the crowd.

OK, next up, the Silk Slider.

Steels himself. Here we go. MAN: Come on, Jack.

WOMAN: Come on, Jack. He grabs the rope.

Not easy. Come on, Jack.

Good job, mate. Get it. Push off.

Push off, push off.

He's gotta be careful here. Touch the water and he is out.

Oh, Jack has got a real problem here.

He's lost all momentum.

I know he's a trapeze artist

but he's got to get swinging from a dead hang.

Push off with your feet! Feet! Push off with your feet!

Have a look at him go here.

He's using a lot of energy here, Ben.

I'm worried about his energy levels. He's hanging for a long time.

Hit the pad with your feet!

Yeah, have a look at Jack's mum, Fiona.

She's screaming advice like a boxing coach at the moment.

Go, Jack!

Go, Jack! Go, Jack!

Jack's family can hardly watch. Mum's not giving up.

This is burning up Jack's arms. It's costing him time.

I don't think he can get there. I don't think he can do it.

Go, Jack! Go, Jack! Come on, Jack! Focus!

Listen to your mum, Jack. Push up. Come on, you can do it.

Here he goes. Here he comes.

Climbs his way up onto the pad.

Just when we thought he wasn't gonna make it -

well, I thought he wasn't gonna make it.

Have a look now as he steels himself for the Bridge of Blades.

Take it fast, mate. Take it fast.

This thing spins beneath your weight. You've gotta be fast.

Yeah! And he trips his way through.

It was a somersault. A circus-style somersault.

You don't need to do that, but he's added a bit of pizzazz.

You've got this. WOMAN: Go, Jack!

Now, you can see here, flexing the forearms.

As he approaches the Tyre To Cargo Net,

he's really hurting already from that long hang on the rope.

PEOPLE: Go, Jack! Go, Jack!

Oh, no! He's gone. Oh, he's in the water.

So close. One hand onto the tyre.

Jack Morris, that was a great effort.

Bad luck, mate.

MAN: Bad luck, mate.

Now, watch this.

Coming off the Silk Slider, you can see Jack's body is twisted.

He's got zero momentum moving forward onto the rope.

That meant, for an agonising 60 seconds, he's just hanging on.

So, by the time he reaches the tyre swing,

the ideal grip is over the top and he's too tired.

He can only grab it underneath with one arm.

And there was no way he was going to be able to hang on.

Jack, Jack, come here, mate. What happened?

You got stuck on the rope.

I didn't get enough swing, but I went for it, unfortunately, so, yeah,

I don't know, it was a bit of a difficult one.

But what are you gonna do?

Yeah, your nickname's 'Superman' but not tonight, Jack.

Unlucky, mate. That's alright. Thank you.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yeah, good on you, mate. Nice try.

So proud of you. You did so well. Well done.

Good try. Here's your top.

No joy for Ninja Jack.

But making his way to the course

is Australian Ninja Warrior's very first Olympian.

Competing at the elite level

has given him all the training and experience he needs

to go far on this course.

He is triathlete Ryan Fisher.

RYAN: I represented Australia at the Rio Olympics,

which was pretty unreal, to be honest.

But at the same time,

I think I'm probably almost more nervous for this.

It's something I'm not familiar with.

You have absolutely zero room for error.

So I'm not quite sure what I've got myself into here

but, you know, at the same time, once the timer goes at the start,

I think, you know, it's pretty easy to surprise yourself.

The Warped Wall is something that you obviously see

and because it's the last obstacle, I think to get all the way there

and then not make it up the wall would be pretty demoralising.

So I'm a little bit intimidated by that.

(BEEP)

BEN: There he goes. (CHEERING)

Taking his time on the Quintuple Steps.

Ryan's used to big-time pressure after his Olympic experience.

But, Bec, he's more nervous about being on the Ninja course.

They don't call it the biggest obstacle course in the world

for nothing.

He's through the Quintuple Steps. Now time for the Silk Slider.

Come on, Ryan.

Here he goes, onto the rope.

He's doing this a lot faster than Jack.

Bridge of Blades next.

The lower you step on the blades, the less they'll spin.

A bit high, but he's OK.

Yeah, being a triathlete, he's good at changing disciplines.

You need that here on Ninja Island. Now time for the Tyre To Cargo Net.

PEOPLE: (CHANTING) Ryan! Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!

Here we go. Grabs... Oh, no. Had a crack but let go of it.

Now, as long as he hangs onto the rope, he can have another crack.

How does he look, Freddie?

He has to gather up momentum, reach for the tyre

and then pull back with that left hand.

Try and get a swing onto the net.

He's gotta have those legs kicking.

He's got the right grip over the tyre, the way Jack should've done,

but he's gotta get moving.

He needs to get onto this cargo net quick sticks

'cause you don't want to hang on that tyre forever.

Oh! Hits the pool.

Yeah, he did a lot right, Ryan.

He got a good grip on the tyre, held onto the rope with his left hand

but he let it go before he built up enough momentum in his swing

and he just couldn't get that heavy tyre swinging far enough

to reach the net.

Ryan, you've competed in the Olympics.

Now you've completed in Ninja Warrior. Which was tougher?

Oh, hands down, that. I was pretty nervous.

You was nervous? I thought you was quite cool.

You must be used to the spotlight and the pressure.

No, I was just putting that all on.

I've been so nervous all day for that.

Mate, you're a winner in our eyes.

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ryan!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Our next Ninja is stepping up.

She is a mother of three from Western Australia

and she's doing this tonight to inspire her daughters.

Janet Smith!

I'm Janet Smith. I'm a 37-year-old mum of three girls.

I'm from Margaret River in Western Australia.

Yeah, my old life was finance.

I worked for a bank for nine years

and there was always this little burning flame inside of me

that wanted to move into the fitness world.

And I've never looked back.

We need to chase what makes us happy

and then the kids go along with that.

They draw inspiration from it.

My girls are little mini-mes.

They will try anything and everything.

They've just grown up seeing me give everything a good crack.

To have my girls cheering me on the sideline

at the first Australian Ninja Warrior,

that would be so inspiring for them growing up as young women.

You've gotta just keep on chasing your dreams.

Yew!

Janet! Janet!

There they are, Holly, Taylor and Lily, aged ten, eight and five.

We've had a circus performer, we've had an Olympian

and now a mum from WA.

BEC: Remember, men and women compete on exactly the same course.

It's all about your ability and agility.

It's the ultimate equaliser.

(BEEP) (CHEERING)

I just like the little hand plants there,

just making sure of each and every step.

Her husband Andrew walking alongside.

She's very calm there. Very calm.

You need to watch this Silk Slider.

Yeah, she got a bit of a jolt there as well.

The body's twisted. Not ideal, but a nice save.

Yeah, mate! Go, Mum!

She's on the platform and into safety.

How's the focus on Janet Smith? She wants to get to the end.

She wants to see the Warped Wall.

Just raced through it. Watch your step here.

Go, Mum!

Go, Mum! GIRL: Go, Mum!

Well, Janet broke some of her fingers just a few months ago,

so this is gonna be tough for her, as she negotiates...

Oh! Oh, no!

From the tyre onto the net. Go, Mum!

Go, Mum! ANDREW: Swing it.

Go!

Come on! Go!

Come on!

Oh, she's done it! She's onto the net!

This 5'8" mother of three has just gone one better than an Olympian.

Yeah, but now she's got to get down as quickly as possible

because hanging there burns up a lot of upper body strength.

Incredible effort.

She can see the Warped Wall from here.

But first she's got to get through the Double Tilt Ladder.

This is all about grip strength and endurance.

And it's a tricky one.

It looks like the monkey bars that you had at school

but there's a massive twist because they tilt.

Janet's got to work here.

That's a brutal climb upwards. Oh, my god.

Once those angles shift, her arms and her fingers will be screaming.

There's one rung missing on each ladder.

And as this one falls down,

now you've got to somehow get the momentum to lift this ladder up

so she can grab onto the next one.

It's a nasty shock when it falls down too.

Come on, Janet. Watch this.

Oh! Oh, no, she's in the water!

Ben, I was so confident for Janet Smith.

I tell you what, she could see it.

She was almost there, but just not quite.

That was a brilliant effort, though, Ben.

A truly brilliant effort.

Take a bow, Janet Smith. Take a bow.

Janet did well to get one hand on the second ladder.

But when the tilt snapped down,

she just didn't have the grip strength to hold on.

You were so close, Mum.

That was so close.

Spewin'.

FREDDIE: Janet, that was incredible.

Not incredible enough.

One of the reasons you said you was doing it was for the three kids.

Girls, you've gotta be so proud of Mummy, haven't you?

Yes.

Well done, Janet Smith.

You've made your girls very proud by going the furthest fastest

on the Ninja course.

Question is, who has what it takes

to get past these punishing tilting ladders?

Coming up, Lisa Parkes was told she'd never walk again.

LISA: You need to live each day like it's your last.

Tonight, she's taking on the Ninja course.

They call Ryan Roberts the real-life Tarzan.

But this wild man has a secret

he reckons could put him in the winners' circle.

I am scared of heights, but it's my mental game that no-one else has.

And later,

two of the most anticipated competitors of the series.

A lot of friends always ask us, "Oh, who's the better twin?

"Who can jump further?"

Parkour twins Brodie and Dylan Pawson.

We're going against each other. It's gonna be the decider.

You won't believe their skills.

They're YouTube sensations

and they're bringing it all here to Ninja Island.

Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior.

We're here on Ninja Island,

home to the biggest, most challenging obstacle course on earth.

Tonight's mission is to complete six incredibly tough obstacles,

with the final obstacle, the infamous 4.2m Warped Wall.

Climb it, hit the red button and you're done.

The 18 ninjas who go the furthest on the course in the fastest time

make it through to the semifinals.

Leading right now is 37-year-old mother of three, Janet Smith,

who went further than an Olympian,

to prove neither age nor gender is a barrier on Ninja Island.

Up next is Lisa Parkes,

a Byron Bay retreat manager with an inspiring story.

LISA: Enjoy the run!

Whoo!

I'm Lisa Parkes.

I'm 43 years old and I'm from the beautiful Byron Bay.

So, I'm a mum of three children.

I love showing them to live their life,

to make the most of every moment, you know.

You never know what's gonna happen

and you need to live each day like it's your last.

I was driving along and someone came straight through a red light

and just smashed into my car.

You wouldn't even think anyone would have even walked out alive

of that car.

I broke my back. I was paralysed.

I just lay there going, "I'm never gonna walk again.

"What can I do?"

The most powerful thing is your mind.

Six months in rehab.

I had to learn to walk properly again.

To be able to do what I do now,

people would never believe that someone that's had a broken back

and been that severely injured could actually do that.

But it is possible.

I mean, I'd love to hit that red button.

It's a personal thing for me -

it's believing I can do anything, never giving up.

It would mean everything if I could hit that button.

BEN: Ladies and gentlemen, Lisa Parkes.

REBECCA: It was, in fact, a drunk driver who smashed into Lisa.

Told she would never walk again.

And here she is,

about to take on the toughest obstacle course in the world.

Lisa has her two sons with her, Liam and Dialo.

Her husband as well, Erfan.

They're supporting her on the sidelines.

PEOPLE: Lisa! (BEEP)

(CHEERING)

Lisa is only five foot tall,

so she's making sure of every jump on the Quintuple Steps.

Taking her time, really focusing on her technique.

Last one. Nice work, Lisa. She's through and onto the Silk Slider.

She is 47kg.

She is light as a feather

and that is gonna help her in some of the obstacles tonight,

particularly if she gets through this one.

Go, Mum! You can do it!

Use that swing.

Come on, Lisa. I don't know.

There we go. Good girl. Good girl.

Well done to Lisa. Righto, Bridge of Blades time.

You've got to be quick. You've got to race your way through.

And that's exactly what she does.

Whoo! Yeah!

Now she aims up for the rope, the tyre, then the net.

Get it on the first swing.

Her grip strength is great,

so if she can get the momentum to get onto that tyre,

it shouldn't prove too much.

That's a good start from Lisa, getting her arm over the tyre.

But she's let go of the rope already.

She needs to build up some momentum here.

You can do it. Swing, swing, swing.

The family looks very tense on the sidelines, full of encouragement.

They know what Australian Ninja Warrior means to her.

Yeah, Bec, but you get the feeling she's in a lot of pain here.

She's starting to tire.

Those hands would be on fire at the moment.

And you can see her grimacing.

She's using every last ounce of energy here to swing onto that net.

Go, Mum! Go, Mum!

If only you could grab hold of the net with the legs.

But it doesn't quite work that way. Oh!

And then, all of a sudden, like that, it's over.

It is over. Such an incredible story.

We're so proud of you, Lisa Parkes.

Lisa did extremely well, getting her arm over the tyre swing,

but made the mistake of not holding on long enough.

She needed to hold on using that rope as leverage

to swing onto the cargo net.

No swing and you'll swim.

Lisa, you are a true inspiration to myself

and everyone in the crowd tonight.

That was an amazing effort. How did you find it?

Oh, it was a lot of fun. I just wish I had longer arms.

But I gave it my best shot.

Crowd loved you, we loved you.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a big round of applause for Lisa.

Well done, Lisa. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Was it fun to watch? Mmm.

You want to do it when you're older? Mmm.

I'll train you up to be a ninja.

Can our next competitor top that?

Turns out he's used to striving hard to reach higher.

My name is Kadeem Aarons. I'm 23.

I'm from Melbourne, Victoria and I'm a sports science student.

I've been told I am Ninja Warrior's shortest competitor.

I'm 5'2". Is that a problem? No.

I'm strong, I'm agile, I'm light. It's not gonna be an issue.

I am a shocking swimmer but my plan is not to fall.

So we'll see if I can pull that one off.

Ninja Warrior, I might be the shortest competitor

but I am here to leave the biggest impression.

Kadeem tells us he's always wanted to take on this course.

BEN: He's the competition's shortest male warrior

but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in determination.

Go, Kadeem! Stay focused!

You've got this!

Kadeem's got Noah, Elizabeth, Sarah and Gabrielle with him tonight

and they're all nervous.

Stay focused! You've got this!

"Stay focused," they say.

That's it, Kadeem. There he goes, Kadeem.

His height isn't helping him on the Quintuple Steps.

But this Ninja course doesn't discriminate.

Every obstacle has its own challenges

and getting through is all about technique, not about your stature.

That's it. Take it home!

And through he is.

Yes! His friends are excited.

He's past the first step. Well done.

Righto, Silk Slider time. He launches himself.

Grabs a hold of that rope, using the left arm.

Uses the legs as well and he makes it look easy.

(CHEERING)

Time for the Bridge of Blades.

He's got to make this quick.

You've got it, Kadeem! And he's straight through it!

That's where being short and light comes in handy.

The crowd here on Ninja Island

has got a very good feeling about Kadeem.

Swing! Go, Kadeem, get that swing!

You need momentum! Momentum! Swing! You can do it!

Now, the trick with the tyre swing is to get up high on the rope,

get it moving forward so you can grab your hand over the top of the tyre,

which is just what he's doing.

So he's supporting his arm, rather than hanging from it.

I think Kadeem's just realised how far that net is.

You've got it!

You got it! You got it!

He's made it! Kadeem's technique is just perfect.

Swing your feet up!

But he's slowing down on the cargo net.

He doesn't want to burn too much energy here, Ben.

Yeah, he's got to be careful about the dismount as well.

Simple mistakes can be very costly.

But there's no mistake from Kadeem Aarons.

It's Double Tilt Ladder time and he marches up very confidently.

I reckon he's got the goods.

Have a look at the pecs on this bloke. Phenomenal.

This is not going to be a problem for Kadeem.

Oh, did you see how much spring he had there?

He just boinged up there. He boinged up there, alright, Bec.

Well, look at this. He's bending the arms.

All the work's been done with the biceps, as opposed to the forearms.

It means he's got a stronger grip. But he could burn out quicker.

No, but this is tricky, 'cause this ladder moves in unexpected ways.

This is not what you find in the playground.

Swing!

Have a look at the... Look at his face.

He's starting to hurt.

He's hurting, alright. Oh! And there you go.

That grip. He just lost that grip on that bar.

5'2" Kadeem Aarons, showing us size is no barrier on Ninja Island.

Again, the tilted ladder proving the nemesis for our ninjas tonight.

You can see here Kadeem had a lot of weight swinging on that first ladder.

That's a lot of bounce you don't want.

That weakened his grip, compromised his hold,

ultimately sent him into the pool.

Coming up, one of Australia's top gymnasts,

whose Olympic dream was taken away,

but she's here to show she has what it takes.

I might be small but I'm gonna leave a massive impression on you.

Then, Jack Wilson is the deadly ninja who runs with extra motivation.

I'm here to prove to all Indigenous boys and girls

that anything is possible.

And warming up to run after the break,

a Bruce Lee fanatic with a secret weapon.

I love my nunchucks.

Can Sopiea Kong be the first female to make it to the Warped Wall?

I am gonna be the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

That's right. (LAUGHS)

Time for a break, but don't go anywhere,

because Ninja Island is just starting to heat up.

We'll see you soon on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Welcome back.

Ninja Warrior began 20 years ago in Japan.

From there, the challenge has spread around the world.

18 countries now produce their own versions.

Over the break, three more ninjas attempted the course.

Queensland gymnast Sam Thackway dreamt of being a ninja

but now the Bridge of Blades will keep him awake at night.

FREDDIE: Oh, no!

Shooting out of the starting gates,

Sydney filmmaker Omar Soliman nailed the fast part of the course.

He's in a rush, this lad.

He doesn't want to hang around. He wants to do it quick.

But it was a lack of precision that saw him slip up...

HOSTS: Oh!

..his feet touching the water after reaching the net.

And professional boxer Steve Storic

delivered a technical knockout to himself...

You've touched the water.

..when he did exactly the same thing.

Game over.

Warming up now, one of the toughest competitors in the field.

Jack Wilson, the 'Deadly Ninja', is preparing for his run.

Jack conquered the New York Marathon, changing his life forever.

Can he conquer Ninja Island tonight?

But next up is a pint-sized ninja with a secret weapon.

It's a childhood dream that I've always wanted to be a ninja.

I love martial arts, so I've done that since I was little,

growing up watching Bruce Lee.

Always want to be like him, so that's why I learn the nunchucks.

Hey, I did it. (LAUGHS)

I love my nunchucks.

Sometimes I used to carry them around in my handbag.

When I get bored, I'll just chuck them out and play around with it.

I take them everywhere. (LAUGHS)

I want to prove to everyone, even though I'm small

and I'm short and I'm tiny,

it does not underestimate my strength.

It doesn't matter, your size. Anything is possible.

BEN: This is a true story.

She taught herself how to use nunchucks

watching YouTube videos of Bruce Lee.

Go, Sopiea! Go, Sopiea!

And her family down below, her sister Mary, brother Tola.

And she stands just 5'1" in the old scale.

Let's see how she handles the Quintuple Steps.

(BEEP) (CHEERING)

Now, you'll see some of the women going quite high on these.

Just remember at home, though, those steps are 1.5m apart.

They are actually further than they look.

(CHEERING)

Freddie, how does it look down on the ground?

She needs a big push to get to the rope.

She's away... (SOPIEA SQUEALS)

Oh, what a save by Sopiea!

I thought she was gone, but no.

MAN: Easy. BEN: She's still alive, Freddie.

And she's used to competition.

She came third in the 2013 Miss Bikini Diva competition.

She's 45kg and that is to her advantage.

Light and quick through Bridge of Blades.

But this one might test her

because this is all about upper body strength

on the Tyre Swing To Cargo Net.

Oh, she's pumping herself up.

(CHEERING) Come on! You've got it! Come on!

Give me some lift! Come on, guys.

Oh, her family is so tense watching this and we are too.

They're encouraging everyone here on Ninja Island

to give it up for Sopiea.

WOMAN: You got it!

Make it fast. Come on, baby, you've got this.

Oh! Nearly. It's OK, you've got it.

That tyre is a long way away from someone who stands at 154cm.

She just put the leg out there to kick at it but...

Gotta get it with your hands.

Oh, another reach. Another reach. She's on that tyre.

She is a fighter, but this has got to be hurting.

That lactic acid is building up in her arms

and it takes a lot of energy to kick those legs.

Yeah, Kadeem, he did show us how tall you are isn't the issue here,

if she can just get that swing working.

Timing, timing, Sopiea. Come on, you got it.

Sopiea's struggling to move the tyre.

How is she looking down there, Freddie?

FREDDIE: She's gathering momentum. She's taking deep breaths.

She's back in the game now. MAN: Go on!

But I think she's gonna jump... I think she's just gonna go for it.

She's gonna have a leap of faith.

Oh, no, Sopiea's plucked!

No! No! No! It's OK. It's OK.

She came unstuck and just face-planted into the water.

It's OK.

Tiny Sopiea Kong talked big and almost walked tall

but the tyre swing had other ideas, sadly.

Look at Sopiea's legs. They're kicking back way too quickly.

That means the timing of the swing is out.

She isn't getting any forward momentum.

And soon enough, this little ninja is in the pool.

Oh, Sopiea. Firstly, are you alright?

That was a big landing. Oh, it was awful.

Was it? You just seemed to get stuck on the tyre.

Was there no way off?

The momentum wasn't that great and I was like...

It looked so far away.

It was a great effort. Congratulations.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a big round of applause for Sopiea.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Sopiea found the pool.

And our next competitor is right at home on the water too.

But he's trying to avoid that tonight.

From Western Australia, it's Cody Thomas.

Cody Thomas. 32. Family man and a keen fisherman.

Back.

I've been married to Jess for two years.

Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!

Logan's now 11 months.

Where did Dad go? He went under the water?

Cody's a monkey.

Anything he can climb, he's onto it and he's onto it quickly.

I've seen Ninja Warrior on TV

and just thought, "Yeah, that's something I'd love to do."

Whenever I get the chance, I'll be hanging off something.

What's that? Yum, seaweed.

I can guarantee, if Logan's anything like me,

he'll be hanging off of whatever he can

and I'll have to be the one climbing up there to retrieve him.

I'm doing Ninja Warrior for my son, for Logan.

I'm hoping that he takes all this in and in a few years time,

that I've got my own little shadow for when I want to do all this stuff.

Cody! Cody! Cody!

He's got his wife and his 11-month-old son

cheering him from the stands.

What a cutie. Young Logan.

Well, the crowd getting right behind Cody Thomas from Western Australia.

(BEEP) And here comes Dad.

Cool, calm and collected through the Quintuple Steps.

Cody did that very well, wasting no energy.

Let's have a look at the rope.

There you go.

Nice dismount. Good work, Cody Thomas.

Straight through the blades.

Piece of cake, Benny.

Let's not go eating it just yet, though,

because we've seen many strong competitors come unstuck here

on the Tyre To Cargo Net.

Good start. He's managed to snag an overhand grip on the tyre.

Holds onto the rope. Releases. And now onto the net.

Say, "Go, Dad!" Yes!

He's just built for this course. What agility.

He's faster than anybody else so far.

Whoo-hoo!

Next up, the tilting ladders.

Now, no-one's made it past the tilting ladders yet.

If Cody can, the Warped Wall awaits.

Will he be the first to take on the Warped Wall?

Up he goes on the tilting ladder, wasting no time at all.

Look at those biceps working hard. He's fully flexed.

CROWD: (CHANTS) Cody! Cody!

Come on, honey.

And now he's looking for this transition onto the second one.

Cody's done it. Yes!

Look at him! Look at your daddy!

We are about to see our first competitor take on the Warped Wall.

Cody Thomas, our first ninja to the Warped Wall, all 4.2m of it.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

The crowd is chanting "Beat the wall."

Now, you only get three chances at the wall.

First attempt, no good.

Go again. Come on!

Say, "Come on, Dad!"

Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

And here he goes, second attempt.

No, I don't think he's gonna get there.

No. And he doesn't.

Come on, Cody. We're all behind you.

It all comes down to this final attempt.

Come on, you can do it!

Come on, you can do it.

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall...

"Beat the wall," says the crowd. And can he?

Oooh... No.

(BUZZ)

Bad luck, Cody. Bad luck.

He did so well! He did so well.

My heart is breaking.

We all wanted him to make it up the wall.

Cody had a faultless run until he hit the Warped Wall.

The trick here is to hit maximum acceleration

when you're on the upslope and drive yourself up the wall.

Cody seems to be losing power. It left him agonisingly short.

Oh, his wife's in tears.

But she still loves him. Still proud of him.

Oh, honey, you did so... You were just so fast.

FREDDIE: Cody, Cody, Cody,

everyone was willing you just that final couple of inches.

Where do you think it went wrong?

CODY: For some reason, I just couldn't get the legs to go

to get that last couple of inches.

But you still must be very, very proud of him.

Oh, god, always. Always so proud.

And you too. You have a chat. Go on. Go on.

Yeah. That's exactly what I wanna do as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, come on,

let's give a big round of applause for Cody.

BEC: You don't need to make it up the Warped Wall to reach the semis.

It's whoever goes furthest on the course in the fastest time.

With that run, Cody's gone furthest fastest, which means Cody's on top.

But there are plenty more runners to come.

BEN: Coming up, she's a triple jump national champion.

Tonight, can Emma Knight leap into history on Ninja Island?

I want to be Australia's first Ninja Warrior.

Then, we know what the parkour twins can do on the streets of Brisbane.

But can they bring this to the Ninja course?

We just wanna have a crack at it and see how far we can get.

But about to enter the course, could Adam Brown,

one of the oldest ninjas competing tonight,

be the first to crack the course?

I'm doing this to prove that age is no obstacle.

(WOMAN SQUEALS)

When Australian Ninja Warrior returns.

The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

all want to make it through the course in record time.

But it's the ninja who goes furthest and fastest

that will be given the title of Performance of the Night.

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to Ninja Island,

home of the toughest obstacle course in the world.

So far tonight, no-one has managed to complete it.

The Bridge of Blades

is proving to be one hell of an obstacle to get right.

Former accountant Tash Jack attempted to walk across.

Oh, she just lost a little bit of speed and a little bit of momentum.

Oh! Sorry, Tash.

This bridge isn't built for walking.

Queensland fireman Adam Hollier also made the wrong call.

No, Adam. No, Adam...

Too slow on the blades and he was sent spinning.

Speed can kill on this Ninja course too.

Obstacle course veteran Jack Wheatley

paid too much attention to the clock...

Oh! ..and not enough to the course.

He ended up getting schooled by the Slider.

Meanwhile, back on the course,

former police officer Adam Brown is midway through his run.

He's one of tonight's oldest competitors.

He does not look 44 years of age, no. Now, he looks about 24.

He is whipping through this course on Ninja Island, Ben.

He also looks nothing like his nickname. They call him 'Buddha'.

At least that's what they called him in the police force.

But his body type is very different to Buddha.

He's got the tilt ladder now.

The Double Tilt Ladder.

This is tough, because your arms are burning by now.

It's all upper body strength.

Yeah, like Kadeem,

Adam's done well to keep his arms bent on these ladders,

but they've got to be hurting.

Once that ladder changes angle, the heat is on.

So, here comes the kick.

MAN: Go, Adam. I can't watch this bit.

Come on, Adam. One more swing.

Here comes the momentum. There he goes. Oh, no.

And you can see the look on his face. He knew it.

There's a lot of energy being wasted now, Ben,

when you've got your two arms outstretched.

Come on, Adam. WOMAN: Come on, Adam!

Go, go, go!

No! No!

Oh, no, Ben!

That Double Tilt Ladder gets so many of our competitors.

Adam could see the Warped Wall, Bec. He thought he was within reach.

But this course just burns your strength the further you go.

He was just unable to hold on.

Adam, mate, what went wrong?

Oh, man, I think my grip was just gone.

I had nothing left on that ladder. You had 15 years in the force.

You must have faced all sorts of different things that are tough.

How did this compare?

This was definitely the toughest thing.

Yeah, nothing compared to this...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Up next,

a man whose determination to succeed knows no bounds -

proud Indigenous Australian from Mount Isa, Jack Wilson.

I'm from Mount Isa and I'm part of the Kalkadoon tribe.

All my family is incredible.

One phone call to the auntie

and I've got about 50 cousins and nephews down to the park.

(LAUGHS)

We're really proud of you and we love you.

My family are very proud of me. They push me to be the best I can be.

But growing up in an Indigenous community,

there's a lot of bad influences, a lot of drugs, alcohol abuse.

So I told myself I needed to change.

MAN: Like a lot of young Indigenous men and women,

it's easy for them to get sucked down the plughole.

And Jack was heading that way.

The Indigenous Marathon Project is a foundation to create role models

in the Indigenous community

and they send 12 Indigenous men and women to New York

to run the marathon.

It takes courage to take the other path, because it's uphill.

It was up to Jack to decide that this was what he wanted to do

and he stood up and he stepped up.

You know, what he did in New York was incredible.

I got to the finish line and broke down in tears.

MAN: Oh, mate, you smashed it.

Well done. Well done, mate. Great effort, mate.

Bloody great run.

It was the best feeling in the world and it changed my life.

BEN: What a legend this bloke is.

And as you can see, the 24-year-old from Queensland

most proud of his Indigenous heritage.

He's even got the budgie smugglers.

I don't know if the budgie smugglers are traditional dress.

But he's making it tonight.

Let's go, Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack!

Jack! Go, Jack!

His mum Debbie says this will be the biggest moment of his life.

And have a look at the pride on her face.

Go, Jack!

You got this, Jacko.

(BEEP)

Young Jack Wilson... That's it.

..carpenter by trade, ninja by night.

His nickname is 'Willie'.

Will he or won't he?

I hope he does.

Not a problem on the Quintuple Steps.

How's he gonna handle the Silk Slider?

Swing it, baby. Swing it.

Swing it. Swing it. Yes!

He's 24 years of age and he is fit as a fiddle.

And those budgie smugglers, well,

they don't seem to be weighing him down at all tonight.

And now he just rips his way through the Bridge of Blades.

Doing very well for himself so far.

Looks up at the crowd and says, "I've got plenty more left in me."

That's it, boy.

Seasoned warriors talk about having flow on the course

and this man has got it.

He looks like he's been doing this for years.

Come on, boy.

Well, I think everyone watching is in awe at the moment.

I'm in awe. You've got it.

Stretch your legs out, young Jack. That's it.

Over halfway.

And now, next up, he's got these tilting ladders.

He doesn't look too worried. He's taking his time.

Up he goes on the tilting ladders.

Oh, he's got his arms in the perfect position.

He doesn't seem to be straining too much.

But how's he gonna go on the transition?

Oh! He's done that.

And as long as there's no mistakes on the dismount,

we are about to have another ninja take on the wall.

And he is through. Just the Warped Wall now.

Are we about to see our first competitor reach the top?

Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

Up, up, up, up and he's away!

Yeah! Yes, he's done it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

And a dance to boot.

He's done it! Whoo-hoo!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, Jack Wilson,

the first ninja to complete the course.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Yeah!

Hey, Jack, how did that feel, mate?

It felt pretty deadly, eh.

Are you happy with yourself? Yeah, I'm stoked, eh.

I'm very grateful. It was very good. Happy.

Happy, alright.

He showed off all of his fancy footwork on the Bridge of Blades.

Fast, light feet barely touching the bridge at all.

From there, his feet barely touched the course.

The boy from Mount Isa putting on a textbook display

that only reinforced what a lot of people are saying -

the 'Deadly Ninja' is one to watch.

(WOMAN LAUGHS)

Nice one. Nice one. My boy.

Too easy. Result, result, result.

Kalkadoon ninja.

Oh, Benny, how soft am I? I'm gonna cry!

I've got a tear in my eye!

I think that's the first of many tears.

Oh, dear! Go, Jack!

I've heard about budgie smugglers

but I've never seen them close at hand.

Wow.

Do you think they gave you a little bit of inspiration?

100%. Yep.

It's got my flag on it, Aboriginal flag,

so that's my culture, my heritage.

It pushes me all the way. That's why I'm here.

Well, it was an unbelievable display.

Congrats, buddy.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Taking a look at our leader board,

Jack Wilson's climbed to the very top

as the only ninja so far to complete the course.

Then we're down to who's gone furthest fastest

and we see mum Janet Smith in a qualifying position,

along with former cop Adam Brown

and our shortest male competitor, Kadeem Aarons.

But who else can join Jack at the top of the wall?

There are plenty of challengers, including gymnast Celeste Dixon...

I'm in it to win it.

..social media heart-throb Nathan McCallum...

It's not gonna be a problem. It's all mine.

..and out on the warm-up course getting ready for her run,

Kate Cumbers, a bunny-eared dynamo with a bundle of energy.

I'm Kate, the Energiser bunny.

I'm here at Ninja Warrior to kick some serious butt.

Boom!

Time for a quick break, but don't go anywhere.

We're back with more action on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Welcome back, everyone, to Australian Ninja Warrior.

So far tonight,

we've seen everyday ninjas give it their all on the Ninja course.

Fisherman Cody Thomas did well to get to the wall

but it was an empty haul after three attempts.

Tiny Kadeem Aarons aimed up

but fell short on the tilting ladders.

And we've seen proud mum Janet Smith turn it on for her girls,

making it all the way to the ladders too.

But it was Deadly Ninja Jack Wilson setting a blistering pace,

ripping through the course

and the only one to make it up the Warped Wall so far.

Felt pretty deadly, eh. I'm stoked, eh. I'm very grateful.

In the warm-up area now, two boys we are really excited to see in action,

parkour twins Dylan and Brodie Pawson.

Just how will their unique set of skills

translate to the Ninja course?

But up next, Kate Cumbers, from Newman in Western Australia,

a small-town girl with a big personality.

This outfit explains who I am. I'm the Energiser bunny.

Ninja Warrior! Whoo!

I train five hours a day nonstop, seven days a week.

I believe that I can smash this course.

I can show the men that girls can do it too.

I want to inspire young ladies to get out there, be fitter,

be stronger and just face their fears.

(LAUGHS)

I'm Kate, the Energiser bunny.

I'm here at Ninja Warrior to kick some serious butt.

Boom!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MAN: Go, Kate!

FREDDIE: Oh, my word.

We have seen some entrances onto the Ninja Warrior course.

Nothing quite like that.

Go, Kate! MAN: Go, Kate!

BEC: Now, Ben, if those ears fall off and go into the water,

she will be disqualified.

(BEEP)

BEN: Come on, Kate.

Kate Cumbers is a world champion in tae kwon do in 2012.

She is used to elite competition.

We saw her bunny briefs there.

She's even got a little bunny tail going on.

MAN: Yes!

Never, ever got a driver's licence because she says she runs everywhere.

Yeah! Well done, Kate!

Get a load of this, Ben. She can do a plank for 30 minutes.

And I thought 30 seconds was impressive. OK, here we go.

Oh, here she goes...

Oh! (BUZZ)

The bunny got all wet. Can the bunny swim?

Oh, Kate.

The trick to beating the Silk Slider

is releasing the silk and grabbing that rope in a seamless motion.

She was unable to get her paws on the rope

and she was still holding on there to the slider.

Sadly, that bunny's boiled.

Kate, you say you're full of energy

but just not quite enough energy tonight.

(LAUGHS) Yeah. I think I got a bit excited.

I have seen a drowned rat before

but this is the first time I've seen a drowned rabbit.

Anyway...

Looking better than a drowned rat, though.

Oh, yeah, definitely. Good on you. Well done. Well done.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Hello, hello. Isn't he making a statement!

He's a real-life Tarzan, Bec. Ryan Roberts.

He's an arborist. Climbs trees for a living.

Let's hope he doesn't get the chop tonight on Australian Ninja Warrior.

RYAN: Being an arborist is very dangerous.

You have to go beyond what your body is telling you to,

which is, "Come down, get out of the tree.

"Don't do it, don't do it."

My mum's seen the work that I do.

It scares the living daylights out of her.

For someone that climbs a tree for a living,

Ryan is a bit scared of heights.

I am scared of heights but I manage it.

It's my mental game that I'm gonna bring that no-one else has,

'cause they don't have to go through what I go through day to day.

And with these strong forearms grabbing ropes every day,

I definitely can win.

I think Tarzan can win.

I'm in it to win it.

Tarzan! Tarzan!

BEC: Look at that support crowd. Team Tarzan.

I'd like to be on that team.

He's dressed as Tarzan.

Can he fly through this Australian Ninja Warrior course?

(BEEP)

He's not our biggest competitor, just 5'10" and 83kg,

but every muscle's flexed.

He's flexed, alright. Here he goes. Silk Slider time.

Onto the rope. Nice dismount.

And now just looks up, injects his way through the Bridge of Blades.

This is the next challenge, though. A big one.

WOMAN: Go, Ryan!

But he does hang in trees for a living as an arborist,

so he is used to being up high.

And climbing from obstacle to obstacle isn't worrying him at all.

Watch your feet! Watch your feet!

All yours, all the way!

There's mum Sue. She can barely watch.

(CHEERING) Big cheer from the crowd.

Go, Ryan! Comes up to the tilting ladders.

Now, you'd think he should have all the skills

to get across these ladders,

but we've seen them tilt plenty of ninjas into the pool.

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Tarzan! Tarzan!

"Tarzan, Tarzan," says the crowd.

Here comes the swing. He's the king of swing tonight.

And the transition is successful.

The crowd pumped.

And here he comes,

getting ready for his opportunity to take on the Warped Wall.

Here he goes.

And he doesn't even waste any time. Go! Just like that!

Well done! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Fastest qualifier yet.

PEOPLE: (CHANT) Tarzan! Tarzan! Tarzan!

Go down and see your family. Put a shirt on.

Tarzan, it's too much for us.

It was a perfect run across the Bridge of Blades.

And from there, Ryan swung through the rest of the course

like the 'King of the Jungle' himself.

The arborist from New South Wales

our next ninja through to the semifinals.

WOMAN: Knew you could do it!

FREDDIE: Ryan... Or should I call you Tarzan?

Let's have the Tarzan cry.

(MIMICS TARZAN CRY)

I'm not sure about Tarzan. I think that was more Jane.

But go and do your lap. Go on, go and see your fans.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Who can join Tarzan at the top of the Warped Wall?

Still to come, former triple jump national champion Emma Knight.

Elite gymnast Celeste Dixon.

I don't think this is about proving anything to anyone.

It's more about proving something to myself.

And in the warm-up area,

preparing for his run, stripper 'Magic' Matt Wilson.

Hey, mate, wishing you all the best.

Hope you win this so you quit stripping part-time.

Speak for yourself. I'd rather him keep taking his clothes off.

Let's go, Wilson! MEN: Whoo!

When Australian Ninja Warrior returns.

Whoo!

BEN: Welcome back to Ninja Island.

So far, we've seen two ninjas complete the course.

But as the competition heats up, more are finding their way up the wall.

Thomas Pichler's skills as a gymnast have brought him Commonwealth gold.

And tonight, he showed us why.

Not a problem for Thomas, though.

This lad's got two gold medals.

All the skills on show as he conquered the course

and the Warped Wall on his second attempt.

This is huge!

For a bloke who trades on his looks for a living,

it was a pretty ugly run from Instagram sensation Nathan McCallum.

Rumour has it, if he was chocolate, he would take a big bite of himself.

But it was Nathan's third desperate attempt at the Warped Wall

that guaranteed he'll have something else to blog about tonight.

Professional stuntman Mike Snow

nearly came off the Bridge of Blades after putting it into a spin.

Mike Snow - like a bull in a china shop, he's attacking this.

Frustrated, the ginger ninja took it out on the course.

What a no-nonsense operator.

But we are still waiting for a female ninja

to make it up the Warped Wall.

Entering the course now

and bringing a world-class level of experience and training

to Ninja Island,

it's former Australian triple jump champion, Emma Knight.

In primary school, I was probably one of the last kids

to actually get the action of triple jump.

But then, once I got it...

I was setting little goals every year after that,

trying to get better and better.

The trick to doing a good triple jump is good, fast, active take-offs

to try and just keep momentum going through,

not trying to waste too much energy going sideways or up.

When I approach the first obstacle,

I am going to be focusing on what that first movement is gonna be

and I'm just gonna hope

that my brain will take care of the rest after that. (LAUGHS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BEN: Listen to the roar come up.

She's quite tall - 180cm, or 5'11".

That put her in good stead

when she was taking on the world in triple jump.

2011 and 2014, she was the champion in triple jump for Australia.

(BEEP)

And have a look at these long legs in action.

Oh! Oh, no!

Whoa. We did not expect that...

No. ..from a triple jump champion.

Poor old Emma completely underestimated the Quintuple Steps.

It was the first step. You can see there, she didn't steady herself.

And then, by the time she hit the second one, she was off balance

and the triple jumper hit the pool on the third.

Alright, our next competitor has come all dressed up,

but he's equally happy dressing down.

He is part-time stripper Matt Wilson.

Yeah, right?

I'm Matt Wilson. I'm 24 years old.

I'm from Townsville, North Queensland.

Well, this costume, it's basically a superhero,

pretty well-known superhero, and he's a bit of a larrikin, as am I.

Well, at every opportunity,

I'm gonna try and do something a little bit crazy.

Hey, I'm Matt, your entertainment for tonight.

Given my background as a male entertainer...

you know, who knows, I might start ripping pieces of clothing off,

I might start dancing like Channing Tatum, who knows?

You know, it could get wild.

He'd be feeling overdressed at the moment.

(LAUGHS) He's nervous, eh?

The surprise for his mum tonight

is that she didn't know he was a stripper until this moment.

Oh, dear.

Come on, Matt. Do her proud.

(BEEP) MAN: Go, Matty.

He's got some friends and his brothers on the sideline

cheering him on.

Tess, Adam, Daniel and Luke.

Come on!

OK, the first one. He's away.

Now onto the Silk Slider. He's got a nice grip there.

He needs to get onto that rope. One motion onto the platform.

And that was easy as one, two, three.

Yeah, Matt's a stripper and a joker

but he's got some skills, no doubt about it,

as he makes his way through the Bridge of Blades.

He is gonna need all of those skills on the Tyre To Cargo Net.

Relax. Take your time.

Start again. Let's go, bro. Let's go.

This is tricky.

When little things go wrong, it's easy to start to panic and rush.

FREDDIE: Go on, lad.

Come on. There you go.

He's asking for it.

He wants the crowd to lift and that's fair enough.

(CHEERING)

Grab it.

Come on. Grab it.

That's it, Matt.

Hold on, bro.

Is he panicking, Freddie? How's he doing?

FREDDIE: He needs to get a bit of momentum.

That's it, Jack. Pull back. Back and forth.

There we go, onto the net.

Oh! There's the face plant!

I did not see that coming.

Oh, his face broke the water!

Matt lost his cool on the tyre swing.

He struggled for the right grip

and his back hand was too low on the rope,

meaning he couldn't get enough momentum.

Dead pool, numb face.

Matt, that was one of the most spectacular finishes we have had.

I'm still catching my breath.

I kind of winded myself, but I'm feeling good.

Thought I'd go up, give the obstacle course a go and just came undone.

Great effort. Hope the face isn't too bad. Well done, Matt.

Cheers, buddy.

Coming up, the awesome Pawson twins do everything together.

Like, I'll literally do one jump and he has to do it.

But when it comes to the big question...

Oh, who's the better twin?

..these parkour prodigies are letting the course decide.

We can officially determine who's the better twin.

BEN: But warming up to run right after the break,

she was ranked in the top five of our female qualifiers...

It's more about proving something to myself.

Can Celeste Dixon be the first female to make the Warped Wall?

Ninja Warrior. I'm doing this for women everywhere.

When Australian Ninja Warrior returns.

Welcome back to Ninja Island.

Our female competitors tell us

one of the great appeals of Ninja Warrior

is competing on exactly the same course as the men.

But so far, no woman has reached the Warped Wall.

Alarna Haintz wasted a lot of energy on the swing rope,

trying to get a hold of the tyre.

FREDDIE: Oh, she's going with her feet now.

Not sure she'll get a great grip with her feet.

Once she did, the fitness coach had nothing left to hold on.

This obstacle is proving to be a real pain for a lot of our ninjas.

Oh, no. No, Nat...

None more so than sports lecturer Nat Deegan.

Nerves got the better of tattooed sales assistant Danielle Graham,

ninja success literally slipping out of her hands.

That means the wait continues for one of our female ninjas

to reach the Warped Wall tonight.

But of all the women in heat one,

our next competitor is possibly the favourite to break the drought

and get up the wall - elite gymnast Celeste Dixon.

My name is Celeste Dixon.

I might be small but I'm gonna leave a massive impression on you.

I got picked in the squad for the 2000 Olympics

for gymnastics for Australia.

I was in the team up until the committee changed the entry age.

You had to be turning 16 the year of the Olympics,

so I was four months too young.

Very devastating. (LAUGHS) But you get over it, right?

I'm a little bit worried about my height, to be honest.

I'm very short - 161. But my arm span is probably shorter. (LAUGHS)

I'm doing this for little women everywhere.

I don't think this is about proving anything to anyone.

It's more about proving something to myself.

I don't know, I just wanna have some fun and play on the obstacles.

BEC: An elite gymnast for ten years,

representing South Australia and her country.

Come on, Celeste! Go!

There is dad Steve.

Imagine his disappointment

when his little girl missed her Olympic dream.

(BEEP)

During the tryouts, the experts put her in the top five female warriors.

But not all of the performances during tryouts

have equal results here on the course

because it's not until you try it

that we really know how you're going to go.

Go, you good thing!

She is 161cm, 57kg.

And if you don't mind, have a look at that six-pack.

Down the Silk Slider now. Onto the rope.

Nice. Yes.

Take it easy!

Gymnasts seem to have a natural athleticism

tailor-made for this course, Ben.

On these obstacles,

that's possibly more important than strength or height.

Yeah, she's got all the tools.

But as she faces the dreaded tyre swing, Freddie,

how's she looking on the ground?

It's been an obstacle

the female competitors so far have found difficult.

But if anyone has got the qualifications to get through this,

it is Celeste.

Go, beautiful.

She'd be wanting to get plenty of height

and then attack the tyre from the top.

Here we go. Look at that momentum. Yes!

You've got it, girl! You've got it! You've got it!

Yeah, we've seen other competitors

take a few minutes to build that energy.

Celeste... Yeah!

Now Celeste is onto the net.

Could she be on her way to the Warped Wall?

We can't stand still up here. This is too much to watch.

The whole crowd cheering her on.

She can't believe it. She can't believe it.

Oh!

Hang on, you don't have time for that, surely!

We saw the cartwheel. Take it easy, take it easy.

But she's got two obstacles to go.

Come on, Celeste.

Yes! Yes!

Take it easy.

Slowly.

MAN: Easy.

This is where it really starts to hurt.

She looks calm enough but she's slowed right down here.

That's it. Come on, Celeste!

Up.

It's alright.

She went searching for it and it wasn't there

but that time it's there.

Whoo!

Come on, sweetheart. Come on.

Listen to Dad, Celeste. He's willing you on. We all are.

Bring home the bacon! Bring home the bacon!

Oh, look at this.

Oh... Oh!

Oh, no! Oh, Celeste Dixon, so close.

Celeste Dixon was clearly fatigued midway through the first ladder.

Transitioning, she gets good height

and manages to grab the second there but she slips off.

All her weight is on the one hand

and she didn't have the grip strength to hold on.

Hey, it's alright, sweetheart. You did great.

Celeste, no, we thought you had it.

We saw you swing and the gymnastics skills were all coming in.

And then just slipped. Should have gone under, not over.

Well, you're the expert. I wouldn't like to say.

But it was an amazing moment when you came off the net.

You covered your face as if you was amazed to get that far.

Yeah, very. (LAUGHS)

I didn't think I'd be able to reach from the tyre to the cargo net.

It was an unbelievable display. Amazing effort. Congratulations.

Yeah, Celeste! Well done.

Well done, hon. Way to go.

Celeste has gone far enough fast enough to put her into 14th place.

So, with just two ninjas left to run,

she is through to the semifinals.

The wait is over. The awesome Pawson twins are entering the arena.

Nothing separates these two, not even their DNA.

But there's one thing that will separate them tonight

and that's the Ninja course.

Hey, I'm Dylan Pawson

and I'm gonna be Australia's first Ninja Warrior...

Wait, wait, wait, no.

So, I'm Brodie Pawson

and I'm gonna be the first Australian Ninja Warrior.

And we're both 22. We're twins and we train parkour in Brisbane.

We grew up and we always were kind of doing sports

and, like, nothing really stuck.

And then we all of a sudden, like, just saw parkour

and then we pretty much just did it ever since.

We're so similar that if he's done a jump,

then I know, physically and mentally, I can do it as well.

Yeah. So it's this exact same...

If I've seen him do it, it's just, yeah,

if I know he's done it, I can do it,

so that's pretty much the mentality to it.

This is probably, like, the first competition,

like, where we're going pretty much...

We're going against each other. Yeah.

We never actually have had that competition.

A lot of friends always ask us, "Oh, who's the better twin?

"Who can jump further? Who's the fastest?"

This probably will be the decider. It's gonna be the decider.

For life. It'll just be for life.

It's going to be fierce twin rivalry tonight.

The first to attempt the course will be Brodie.

He's the older of the two.

Dylan on the sideline there, along with Brodie's girlfriend Rebecca.

Yeah, parkour is a sport that started in France.

It's all about moving through urban obstacles at speed,

so the twins have got great agility

but their upper body strength may be an issue.

Let's find out.

(BEEP)

And he's underway.

These boys push each other every weekend

in parkour and other physical challenges.

Now the Silk Slider.

REBECCA: You can do it!

Got good form at the moment, straight onto the rope. Looks good.

So far, that upper body strength isn't an issue,

as he blitzes through...

Oooh, nice save there. That was lucky.

Time for the rope. He's a wannabe stuntman.

Does a bit of stunt work,

so that would put him in very good stead for this obstacle course.

He's moving quickly, Bec. Legs up, legs up!

The other half of the twin combination

looking on from the sidelines.

Go, go, go, go. Come on!

This is very quick.

And time matters

because qualification is about furthest fastest.

And his time is rock-solid at the moment, Brodie Pawson.

He's up there at the moment on the tilting ladders.

He needs to make sure of this, Bec.

Oh, this is the dangerous bit coming up.

Oh... Nice. Finish it off. Well done.

Any doubts about his upper body strength

have been blown out of the water.

Here we go. Time for the Warped Wall.

And he's wasted no time! He's straight up there!

He's home! Oh, forget about time!

He is the fastest of the night!

That was like a stroll in the park! He does this every day of the week!

(HOOTS) Yeah!

Well done, Brodie!

Yeah, they're going nuts for Brodie.

Oh! Hello!

Phenomenal! Brodie Pawson.

Good luck! My turn.

Brodie blitzed the field

and he's thrown down the gauntlet for his brother.

He's turned in an amazing time - one minute, six seconds.

Oh!

Oh, hugs from his girlfriend down there. Beautiful stuff.

And high fives from his bro.

Brodie, that was unbelievable.

Now, you're gonna have to level with me.

How easy was that for you?

Yeah, it was hard, but just my cardio is terrible, eh, but...

Well, if your cardio is terrible, mine's an absolute disgrace.

Congratulations, Brodie.

Now, you've set the time for your brother.

Dylan, you're up next, mate. Off you go. Go and get ready, son.

Coming up, after his brother smashed out the quickest time tonight,

just how fast will the second Pawson twin go?

All the action after the break on Australian Ninja Warrior.

Before the break, we saw an extraordinary run.

One half of the awesome Pawson twins, Brodie was close to perfect,

as he flew through the course in just one minute and six seconds.

Now it's his identical twin brother Dylan's turn.

Who's the better twin? This probably will be the decider.

It's gonna be the decider.

Dylan's our last runner.

And the biggest question of the night - can he beat his brother?

Or will the course get the last laugh?

Dylan, go! Whoo!

Whoo!

There's Brodie, watching on.

You can do it. Dylan! Dylan! Dylan!

Well, one twin was successful. You'd think the other must be too.

Well... That's the way twins work.

Remember, the time to beat is one minute and six seconds.

(BEEP)

Here he goes, Dylan Pawson wasting no time on the first obstacle,

straight through it.

And now grabbing onto the silk. Needs to catch this rope.

A little hiccup there but onto the mat.

Do you think he's pushing too hard?

He probably is, but it's sibling rivalry at play here.

OK, time for the rope. Look at this!

He has got to be one of the fastest so far on the course tonight.

Oh, that was close. He nearly had wet feet.

Let's check the time here in just a moment, Bec.

He is five seconds faster than Brodie was hitting that mat.

Now the ladders.

I like these parkour guys. They are tough.

Look how agile he is.

Go, Dylan.

Oh, he handled that jolt so well.

You've got it. You've got it, bro.

Come on! Yes!

He's onto that ladder seven seconds faster than brother Brodie.

And now the wall.

Oh, take a look at this. He's not even gonna take a break.

Straight up the Warped Wall, hand on the buzzer.

Unbelievable! He has broken a minute! 58 seconds on the course!

Yes, he's done it! You beauty!

He beat me. He beat me. (LAUGHS)

Yeah!

Hallelujah!

You beat me. Good job, man.

Good job.

Number one! Number one! Number one!

Dylan, that was amazing.

Better run or worse run than your brother?

It was a little better. Just a little.

So I know that you two are close and you train together

but you're gonna have to get competitive with each other.

Alright, well, you're both through to the semifinals.

So, congratulations, boys.

Go and rest up and get yourselves ready.

Well done, boys.

Dylan obliterated the course in under a minute,

beating his brother by eight seconds.

They are our top two finishers tonight

and go straight through to the semifinals.

Also joining them in the semis will be Tarzan, Ryan Roberts,

Deadly Ninja Jack Wilson

and two of our female competitors, who did brilliantly to make the cut,

Janet Smith and Celeste Dixon.

We have seen some incredible runs tonight

but the Performance of the Night goes to Dylan Pawson,

with his unbelievable 58-second run.

Well done, Dylan.

That's it for tonight.

It's been a phenomenal night.

And I'll tell you what, we're gonna be back before you know it

right here on Ninja Island,

as we search for our first ever Australian Ninja Warrior.

Goodnight.

Our first 18 ninjas are through to the semifinals,

where the course will get both longer and harder.

Oh!

And, as always, one mistake and you're out.

But tomorrow night on Australian Ninja Warrior,

round two of qualifying, brand-new obstacles and 50 new competitors.

None are tougher than ex-commando Scott Evennett.

We were ambushed. Some bullet fragments went through my face.

Could Olympian Olivia Vivian be our first woman to climb the Warped Wall?

I go 100% and I attack every goal I have.

But for pure guts, you won't believe Sam Brabham.

Always been positive, and putting yourself out there

is probably the best role model that I could be.

That's tomorrow on Australian Ninja Warrior.