Original subtitles

[bright tones]

[upbeat music]

- We're about to light up Las Vegas.

It's qualifying night on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, this is a special season,

and these ninjas are turning in some special performances.

We're seeing a lot of speed.

- Absolutely, big man.

And speed will be important again tonight,

as only the top 15 men and top 5 women

will move on to the semifinals.

- And this is a talented group.

- We'll see one of the top contenders to win it all,

the Fly Boy, Isaiah Thomas.

- And he is annihilating this course.

- But we've also got two doctors,

a rocket scientist,

a pilot, and a cowboy.

- All right, all right, all right.

- Yeah, plus, two popular ninjas from the past

are back after years away.

- Along with the great athletes,

this season we're reliving some of "Ninja's" greatest moments.

Zuri, what are we going to see tonight?

- Guys, it hurts just to watch 'em,

and tonight, we're counting down

the most unforgettable falls in "Ninja" history.

- Oh!

- You'll laugh.

- Oh! - What?

- You'll cry.

- Oh, my goodness!

- It's gonna be fun.

[cheers and applause]

- And we've got an ace up our sleeve

for the first run here in Vegas.

This well-dressed gentleman is Ace Goodson.

- This man is dressed for success.

What? What?

- Oh, the jacket's coming off!

- That man jacked!

- Well, Akbar, he has the physique of a superhero,

and back home, he's a super dad.

- Family is extremely important to me.

I pretty much dedicate my entire life

to making sure my family is secure, protected.

My wife lost her hearing because she has MS.

My daughter, she's now wearing hearing aids

similar to my wife.

My son Elijah, he has special needs.

He is autistic.

He is nonverbal.

He requires constant support.

Ain't that right?

Oh, yeah.

I get up first thing in the morning.

I run with my son to keep him calm for the day.

That's been happening for three years in a row now.

We rollin'.

And it actually started to garner a lot of attention.

[horn honks]

Everybody sees me, they're honking their horns

and they're waving, and he loves it.

He's riding around with his tablets and his gadgets,

or he usually has a big snack.

Yeah!

He's getting a little big, so I won't be

able to run much longer, but...

We almost at 5 miles, man.

That's all uphill.

Still doing it, and 700 miles and counting.

So tonight, I'm hitting a buzzer for my family.

- The kids are in bed, but his wife Chenae

is watching from back home.

- Go, babe!

Let's go!

- Matt, I feel like he's body shaming me.

Look at those muscles.

My goodness, you know he's hitting the weight room.

- Let's go!

- 5'10", 170, struggled on the balance obstacles, Akbar.

Fell on the third obstacle in each

of his last two appearances.

- Yeah, that's been his thing, Matt.

He's got the muscles.

Let's see if he has the athleticism, the agility.

- Whoo!

- Now has to tackle the iconic obstacle, the Log Grip.

- Let's go, Ace! You got this!

Breathe!

- Now, you can't flex on Log Grip

and then go out on Log Grip.

Hold on, flex, bear hug, do whatever you gotta do.

- Well, he'll be tested here on these drops at 170 pounds.

- Watch out. Ooh, hold on!

Oh, OK!

He's like, "I'm too swole to go out on the Log Grip."

- It wasn't pretty, but he survives.

[cheers and applause]

- But this is the big test.

Both years he's competed,

he's gone out on a balance obstacle.

And it's been the third obstacle.

[air horn blares]

- Trying to change his luck.

Oh, oh, oh!

- Nice, he did it!

- Fights through it.

He is fired up.

- [cheering]

- Hey, you just got to stay alive sometimes.

Now on to this fourth obstacle, Spin Cycle.

This is the farthest he's ever been.

Oh, oh, no! Oh!

- Aw!

- Couldn't make that transition.

- Matt, I think that time Ace Goodson was probably

still thinking about the success

he had on the third obstacle.

- It's OK, babe.

- You can tell he was feeling himself out there,

especially when he finally made it

past the balance obstacle.

This was his best run ever, but he couldn't

make the grab on Spin Cycle.

- I'm still flexing, still happy.

- Our next athlete is obsessed with "Ninja Warrior."

This is Auburn, Indiana's Joy Wolf.

After years of applying, she finally got the call

this year, and she's gonna enjoy every minute.

- When I was 12 years old,

I was on "American Ninja Warrior Junior."

My run did not go super well.

- Splashes down, but gave it her all.

And no quit in Joy Wolf.

- Hey, it's OK.

You're a Ninja now.

How awesome is that?

- But I fell in love with it, and that plugged me

into the best community

that I ever could have asked for.

I applied as soon as I could for "American Ninja Warrior."

Hey, guys. What's up?

It's Ninja Joy.

And welcome to my "ANW" 14--

"ANW" 15 submission video.

I watched a lot of my friends get called,

which was really exciting.

But I was like, "Why didn't I get called?"

At the end of the day, I was stoked to just be able to be

a cheerleader for them.

Yes! Let's go!

I applied as soon as I could for season 17.

At age 16, I was diagnosed with FOMO.

Year after year, I submitted my application,

and all of my friends got the call

to compete on "American Ninja Warrior,"

and my phone never rang.

And this year, I think it's time

for me to be able to compete alongside them

and cheer them on.

I was driving in my car on the way

to work when I got the call.

And I pull over in a random parking lot,

immediately call my dad, tears in my eyes.

I just got the call for season 17.

It was a really good experience.

- Come on, Joy, you're crushing it.

- I have put countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears

into my training for this moment.

- Yes! - Yes!

So to finally be here and to get to show the world

what I have is super exciting.

[cheers and applause]

- Joy's dad is the one who got her into this sport.

He's there with mom and Joy's brother.

[countdown clock beeping]

She has waited so long for this moment.

- Yes, Joy! Come on!

- And she is getting all the joy out of it she can.

Look at all of her friends cheering her on.

They know how much this means to her.

Got to be surreal, having been on the sidelines

for so many of her friends' runs.

- You know she doesn't want to disappoint them

by falling on Log Grip. - Push hard!

- Tight! Tight!

- And she gets through.

[cheers and applause]

But now the always dangerous Block Run.

- You can do it.

You got this.

- Ah, right there, a little pep talk.

Told herself, "You can do it." I like that.

And it worked.

- And she's pumped.

- Oh, my goodness, she is freaking out.

I'm freaking out.

That is real excitement,

all the years of watching and never being able to participate

on the big stage.

She gets her opportunity, that's exactly

how you're supposed to act.

- She's been waiting a long time for this moment

and making the most of it.

What could she do here on Spin Cycle?

- Now she's giving FOMO to some other young ninja watching.

- Well, talk about making the most of your moment

when it comes around, Joy Wolf is putting on a show.

Wow! - Nice.

- Joy Wolf!

[cheers and applause]

- Hey!

- Hey, Joy.

- I see you.

There is a lot of joy in this young woman.

- Let's go, Joy!

Let's go, Joy!

Let's go, Joy!

- But this fifth obstacle, Battering Ram, will be a test.

- She's had to be the one on the sideline

and from a distance, cheering the other ninjas on.

Now she has her crew cheering her on.

- She kicked that cylinder a little bit.

- Oh!

[air horn blares]

- Well, still a tremendous first run for Joy Wolf.

- Oh, my gosh!

- She got her shot at the course,

and she had fun, made it all the way to the fifth obstacle.

And if her time is fast enough,

that could get Joy into the semifinals.

- That was so fun.

Holy cow! [laughs]

- Tonight, some of our top contenders hit the course.

And the ninja who won it all the last two years,

Vance Walker, is back.

We're thrilled to have you in the booth.

But he's got some surprising news.

And one of our top women, Isabella Wakeham,

has news of her own to share.

- He said, "Hey, I have one more surprise for you."

- Plus...

- Moose!

- The Moose, "Ninja" vet Morgan Wright,

makes his return to the course.

And he's got an unbelievable comeback story.

- I think I'm having a heart attack.

[vitals monitor droning]

I was in a coma for five days.

- All this and more coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to qualifying, where moments ago,

46-year-old physician assistant and mom

Karen Wiltin hit the course.

- Come on, Mom! You got this!

- Cheered on by her two daughters,

Wiltin was making her fifth appearance on Ninja Warrior.

Though she's made it as far as the seventh obstacle

in the past, tonight on Log Grip...

- Oh, whoa!

Right into the wall!

- She couldn't stick the landing.

- Dang it.

- It's a season to celebrate "Ninja's" past.

And tonight, we're counting down

unforgettable falls that a few

of our ninjas would like to forget.

- No! Are you kidding me?

- Over the years, we've seen that no matter the size

or strength of our athletes...

- No! - Oh!

- These obstacles can humble you.

- Oh, no!

- And number five on our list comes from more

than a decade ago in Dallas, when ninja Jared Greer

took on the Log Grip.

At first, he seemed to make it through.

- Whoa!

[air horn blares]

- But the log swung back and boinked him in the head.

- Boy, that looked like it hurts.

- That's number five on our countdown.

And now, 11 years later, Jared Greer

is ready to bounce back from that run.

This Texas pastor is now 37,

and he's using basketball and Ninja to spread his message.

- You're gonna have a pretty normal night.

Well, it's never normal when we're doing Ninja, right?

- Jared! Jared!

Jared! Jared!

[cheers and applause]

- I'm basically a traveling pastor where I just

get in front of people, do a little bit

of a live demonstration.

And then we just hang out with kids,

and we just encourage them that they can overcome

whatever obstacle they face in life.

And it's just been amazing.

- Jared!

Jared! Jared!

[cheers and applause]

- I wanted to merge my passion for helping people with Ninja.

So in 2015, I started a Christian nonprofit

called Overcoming Obstacles Ministries.

We take this portable obstacle course around to churches,

schools, all over the nation.

We've seen 165,000 people play on our obstacles.

We've seen so many people, like, have these moments

of saying, you know what?

Like, I'm facing hard things.

But when I come together with a community, like,

I can overcome whatever I face.

[upbeat rock music]

Let's go!

Let's go!

I love to do trick shots.

I've been doing 'em since I was a little kid,

and then got into Ninja.

And I was like, "I could merge these two worlds,

"you know, shooting awesome basketball shots

while doing Ninja."

- Let's go, man.

- It's just amazing to bring the fun of Ninja,

but also the truths of Ninja and to see people's

lives changed forever.

- Jared! Jared!

- Well, we wanted to see one of his trick shots, too,

so we've set up a basket on top of the course.

- That hoop is 25 feet high.

Now, that's about a 40-foot shot.

If he makes this, I'll put that on my mama,

I'ma run out this booth.

- Jared! Jared!

- Here we go, Jared Greer from way downtown.

- Jared! Jared!

Jared!

- No!

- Ooh, that's a brick shot, but that's a hard one

to make right there.

- Let's go!

- Still gets some love from his wife

and two sons who are on the sideline.

He's got some of his Texas Ninja friends

cheering for him as well.

[countdown clock beeping]

If you're wondering, Greer did play basketball.

He was a point guard at Hargrave High School

in Huffman, Texas.

Looking like Jerry West there with that footwork.

[laughs]

And now the rematch with the Log Grip.

- Let's go! Let's go! Come on!

- Yeah, you know he's been thinking about this obstacle

since he got knocked out on this thing 11 years ago.

- About to go for a 26-foot ride on the Log Grip.

- All right, hold on. - Big drops here.

- Uh-oh, he's got the switch grip going on.

- And another one. - Don't drop!

Oh, ah! - Nice.

- Let's go!

- His wife knows how long he's waited for this.

- Let's go!

- He is so pumped.

- Gets his redemption on Log Grip.

- He still can't believe it, but yes,

he's got to pay attention to Block Run.

He doesn't want to get crossed up.

- Don't want to get called for traveling here.

Jared Greer, just trying to survive.

- Godspeed, Jared! - Here we go.

Let's go. Nice!

- Good footwork.

[cheers and applause]

All that time playing hoops,

he should be good around the basket.

He's got three of 'em here on Spin Cycle.

- Here we go.

Let's get that good little shake going.

- So you can see that basket, it's all about timing.

- Nice.

- Good transition.

- I like the way he came in on that one.

He came in really close.

- You can see, gotta go up a foot here.

This transition is a big one.

- Ooh! - Got it.

- And you can see it as he puts

his body weight into it,

it kind of swings his body out of control.

But great recovery there.

- But spending a lot of time here, Akbar.

And he's 5'8", 155, not big.

But at 37 years old, it adds up.

[cheers and applause]

- He's breathing.

You know he's feeling it in his lungs,

but he's also feeling it in his forearms,

because he did spend a lot of time there on Spin Cycle.

- Well, this might be the trick shot artist's

best trick if he can somehow get through Battering Ram.

This cylinder is hard to handle.

- It's off-centered, so you got to throw your body into it

and commit to it.

- And you can just see those hands fighting

to maintain that grip.

- Ooh, you can see it on his face there, Matt.

He didn't have a good grip.

- But still a gutty effort by 37-year-old Jared Greer.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, the pastor's prayers were answered.

He got his redemption on Log Grip.

Hallelujah.

And he battled his way to Battering Ram,

but just had nothing left.

- Well, you are about to get an earful,

because coming to the start line now

is 15-year-old Kaden Forsha,

better known as the Chatterbox Ninja.

Spend a little time with this kid

and you'll understand how he got that nickname.

- I'm here at the Refuge Reads,

and I'm so excited because I get to do a speech tonight.

I love to do public speeches.

Imagine getting excited for an obstacle

instead of dreading it.

I also love to announce at Ninja competitions

and to announce for "American Ninja Warrior."

Well, you got to visualize each obstacle before you start

and catching that ring with no problem.

A few years ago, I took over Matt

and Akbar's hosting booths.

Welcome to Downtown Los Angeles for another awesome day

at "American Ninja Warrior Junior."

- Hey, what are you guys doing up there?

- When I was younger, I struggled

with dyslexia, like, just couldn't read like other kids.

I was still struggling in school,

and that's when I dropped down to the third percentile

for reading.

And now I love to advocate for kids

who have dyslexia and ADHD.

We need to give struggling readers

the help they need as early as possible.

I've gone to the Colorado State Capitol three times to speak

in favor of a dyslexia bill.

And I've also spoken on the TED Talk.

I found my passion, and that's helped me

embrace all the other obstacles in my life.

I've started to see my dyslexia as a gift and a superpower,

because it helps me see the world in a different way.

Get ready for Kaden Forsha to hit a buzzer

on "American Ninja Warrior."

[cheers and applause]

- Well, we remember him well from "Ninja Junior," Akbar.

- Yeah, we do. This kid has so much energy.

- And he'll have his equally energetic family

cheering him on from the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Boy, has he grown since the last time we saw him.

- He's thinned out, all muscular now.

He's got a big group of friends cheering him on.

- Come on, Kaden!

- Well, I'm glad he's still doing Ninja.

We've seen him host. He's given a TED Talk.

Smooth!

[cheers and applause]

- Oh, here goes the Chatterbox.

- Block Run, always tricky.

- Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

- He's still got the same energy.

- He sure does.

- That is an energy you cannot forget.

You see him going with the switch grip.

I like that. - Just effortless.

Akbar, he is flowing through the course.

- Let's go, baby!

Yeah!

- Let's go!

- He's moving quickly.

If he finishes in under a minute,

he'll get a chance at $10,000 on the Mega Wall.

- And here's the crazy thing.

Forsha is another one of these Ninjas

that wasn't even born when some of these obstacles

were designed.

- Our youngest athlete tonight. - Come on, Kaden!

Come on! Let's go!

[cheering] - Forsha for sure.

Nice!

- Whoa!

Kaden Forsha-- - Oh!

- And he had--

he was messing around and still almost got the Mega Wall.

- Here we go, he's got it.

- Well, there he goes.

- Let's go!

Come on, baby!

Let's go!

- Our first buzzer of the night,

and it's our youngest competitor.

- Kaden, man, I love that energy.

- It's been a while. How are you guys today?

- Oh, you're interviewing us... - Yeah, yeah.

- Buddy, I love it.

- Yeah, 'cause I'm coming for your jobs, right?

- [laughs] - That's what we said!

- I gotta-- I gotta take charge here right.

You know, Matt... - Yes?

- I could, like, teach you how to run the course.

- Hey, Kaden, we're too old for this stuff, buddy.

- All right, well--

- [laughs] - Hey, listen, how about this?

Why don't you keep competing Ninja while you still can?

- I will.

- And when you get a little bit older,

maybe then we'll talk about switching jobs.

- That would be cool.

- But in the meantime, go celebrate.

- Great rookie debut.

- Let's go.

- Coming up, he's an American hero,

saving lives in combat.

Now he'll try to stay alive on our course.

Chase Meade is up next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"

where two Texans just took their shot.

Houston videographer Aiden Gonzalez

filmed his very first trip to the start line.

- Aw, look at that. He's ready for his close up.

- The 21-year-old put together

a run that was action packed...

- Ooh, hard on his gluteus maximus.

- And was a crowd pleaser.

Oh, my!

- See, that's why it pays to be young.

- The rookie made it all the way to the Battering Ram.

- [groans]

[air horn blares]

- Matt, he left that one on the cutting room floor.

- Another Houston Ninja, Sam Sann,

is the night's oldest competitor at 57.

- Man, look at the hair, the abs,

and he's almost 60, Matt.

- Sam's been competing since season 4

and has had many memorable runs,

including finishing a semifinals course at age 48.

- Wow!

Hit that buzzer! Hit that buzzer!

- Tonight the gym owner got hung up on Log Grip.

- Oh, no!

- And though he tried hard, the old-school ninja

couldn't defeat the old-school obstacle.

- Oh, no!

- And now it's another "Ninja" favorite from the past.

This is fun-loving Florida PE teacher Morgan "Moose" Wright.

We last saw him six years ago.

And you can see he's getting emotional about being back.

This means a lot because he is lucky to be alive.

- Good afternoon, boys and girls!

- Good afternoon, Coach Wright!

- I am an elementary school PE teacher,

and I've been teaching for almost 20 years now.

One, two, three. - Five!

- One, two, three. - Six!

- I've had thousands upon thousands of students

come through my classroom.

And I've spent decades being in shape, being fit.

But what I realized is, no matter what happens,

life still comes at you pretty hard and pretty fast sometimes.

[vitals monitor beeping]

I had a heart attack three years ago.

I remember walking into the gym,

and I felt a little lightheaded,

a little spacey.

And so I drove myself to the hospital,

and telling them at the desk, "Hey, I'm really sorry.

I think I'm having a heart attack."

I don't remember much after that.

I had to get the AED shock machine, CPR.

I coded twice.

I was in a coma for five days.

They finally got me around.

It was 11 days in recovery.

It was intense. It was intense.

We all think we're healthy and we're fit,

and then one day you're not.

It was just one of the most incredibly humbling

experiences I've ever had.

But I managed to pull through,

and through fitness and Ninja,

it's taken me three years to build back up.

- Whoo!

- When you get that second chance at life,

you take a hold of that, you take note of it.

I'm hoping, you know, that I can get out there,

get word out.

Go to your regular checkups.

Look at your cholesterol numbers.

You can't be there for your family, for your friends

if you aren't taking care of your health and your heart.

Just to be here again and seeing everybody's face

light up when they see me again, it's the world.

- There's some others who are happy he's back.

- Ah!

- His family in Florida and some of his students

at Diplomat Elementary in Cape Coral

are cheering him on.

His energy is infectious.

Plus, some Florida Ninjas showing Moose their support

on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Here we go.

The Moose is loose at 50.

- Can your gym teacher do this?

And more to the point, can your gym teacher

do it after suffering a heart attack?

[cheers and applause]

Oh!

- Oh, take time to pose.

- That's a move he first showed us back in season ten.

[cheering]

He's posing.

Look at the Moose.

- I love how he just takes the time

to celebrate the accomplishment of just taking down

that first obstacle.

- He's an Army veteran,

did 15 years of military service.

Now going to try to battle his way across Log Grip.

- Uh-oh. Oh!

- No!

[children groan]

- Not the ending that Moose wanted,

but still gotta be happy he's out here at all

after everything he's been through.

- He was emotional at the start.

This was a victory to be back on the course

after that heart attack.

He slipped off Log Grip,

but it's great to have him back.

- [screams]

- And always entertaining.

- [screams]

- The fans still love Moose.

Tonight we're counting down some unforgettable falls,

and they can happen even to the best,

like Brian Wilczewski.

He was a top competitor and brother of Ninja great

Chris Wilczewski.

Brian hit buzzers in qualifying

every season he competed,

in seasons five through nine,

but this elite competitor had a few moments

he'd like to forget.

In the season five national finals,

Brian was expected to go far,

but instead, he fell on the very first obstacle,

the Timbers.

- Are you kidding me?

This is a big shocker.

- Though heartbroken at the time,

the fall became an inside joke among his family.

When he returned to Vegas in season nine,

his parents wore shirts saying,

"No one falls on Grip or Timbers."

That year, the first obstacle was Snake Run.

- How did he miss that?

- And Wilczewski fell early once again.

- Talk about deja vu!

- And that's number four on our list.

Well, we love members of the military,

and we've got another one up next.

This is Chase Meade.

He's a pararescue man for the U.S. Air Force.

- Jumps out of perfectly good airplanes and helicopters,

and you got some of the gear here, Akbar.

- I mean, look at this. This thing is 60 pounds.

Like, this is like, half your body weight.

My goodness.

- Jumping out of a plane with that on his back,

his helmet, this guy is a true American hero.

[helicopter blades whirring]

- We're known as PJs.

And we specialize in combat search and rescue.

[dramatic music]

So everything from jumping to diving

to a mountain rescue, swift water rescue,

collapsed structure, confined space--

wherever you're at, we can come get you.

* *

Our motto as a PJ is, "That others may live."

And I've jumped out of planes from anywhere

from 18,000 to 20,000 feet.

I've dove to 120 feet.

The Ninja course is an obstacle

that I think that I can overcome.

I'm Technical Sergeant Chase Meade, pararescueman.

I'll see you on the course.

[cheers and applause]

- His wife and three kids are on the sideline,

and more friends and family in the stands,

including Chase's mom.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Let's see what Chase Meade can do here.

Hoping he can stay dry.

Been in the Air Force 12 years,

now stationed at Lackland Air base in San Antonio.

- He hasn't had a lot of Ninja training,

he's just going to come out here

and rely on his natural athletic ability.

[cheers and applause]

- Pretty impressive to be coming out here

as a 34-year-old rookie.

[cheers and applause]

- We'll see how these two drops on Log Grip

compare to the drops he's used to.

- Here we go.

Boom, one, two, and the threesome, nice!

- No problem! - Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- But Matt, we know he jumps out of planes, he scuba dives,

he climbs mountains to save lives,

but can he run through Block Run?

- A real agility test here. - Nice, nice.

Oh!

- Stays upright.

[cheers and applause]

- And Chase Meade's staring down the fourth obstacle.

Let's see what he can do here on Spin Cycle.

5'10", 180 pounds, and as we've seen,

he's used to going with that 60-pound chute

on his back there, man.

- He probably feels real light.

And if he feels real light, he can just throw his body

from basket to basket.

- He's got the strength, but Spin Cycle

is all about technique.

Not a lot of momentum here.

- Ooh! [air horn blares]

- Oh! - No!

- The pararescue man splashes down

on the fourth obstacle,

but a strong "Ninja" debut for this rookie.

- Coming up, she's in the zone right now

because Isabella Wakeham runs next.

Plus she's got some big news.

And who will be the first this season to take down

the Mega Wall and win 10 grand?

We'll see if it happens tonight on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Vegas, where minutes ago,

a Ninja who's been on a roll lately, Sam Folsom,

hit the course.

- Sam Folsom going straight for the fastest time.

- Teamed up with his fiancée, Isabella Wakeham,

Folsom won last year's Couples Championship

and made it all the way to stage 3

in the regular season.

- Oh, yeah, he wants it.

- And he blazed through the course

to finish with the fastest time so far.

It was under a minute, so he got to take a run

at the Mega Wall for 10K.

- Look at that jump! Oh!

- But he's still moving on to the semifinals.

[cheers and applause]

Well, now it's Isabella's turn,

and the college student has had a busy year.

After she and Sam won the Couples Championship,

they took a big step in their relationship.

[acoustic music]

- My boyfriend proposed to me, Sam Folsom.

So now I am a fiancée.

Our first date was at a Ninja World Finals

in North Carolina.

And he brought it full circle,

proposing to me in the very same spot.

And I just started crying.

I was so happy.

And he said, "Hey, I have one more surprise for you,"

and pointed in the bushes.

And my brother, who lives across the country,

was hiding in the bushes taking photos for us.

- Isabella Wakeham gets through her three obstacles.

- I already had planned for that evening

to go back and meet our friends and family to watch

the Couples Championship.

- They've got the fastest time of the night so far.

[cheers and applause]

- Oh, look at that.

- But what Isabella didn't know

was that we were actually going back to

a surprise engagement party.

[cheers and applause]

And it was such a great way to finish off the day,

and then to finish the entire evening with winning

the Couples Championship.

- You've won $25,000.

- With that money, we've decided

to use it on our wedding.

- We're going to have a Ninja ceremony.

It's going to be at the barn where Sam

and his family and I train.

And we're going to have so many Ninja friends there.

Before I walk down the aisle, I'm running up that wall.

- Sam will be on the sidelines

with Isabella's mom and brother.

And her dad and other family members are watching

back in the Houston area.

She is one of the best.

Two times, she's made it to the national finals.

[countdown clock beeping]

The top five women from tonight will move on to the semis.

Isabella expects to be one of them.

[cheers and applause]

Probably needs to make it at least to the fifth obstacle.

- Better be careful here on Log Grip.

- No problem.

[cheers and applause]

- And you see Sam is there giving her

some tips for Block Run.

- Well, balance obstacles can be tricky, even for the best.

Right through it.

Well, it's already been a great year for women.

We've had four hit a buzzer, Isabella hoping to join them.

She got one in qualifying last year.

- It's fine.

Wait for your alignment. Wait for your alignment.

You can send it here.

- Sam's coaching her through Spin Cycle.

- As a good fiancé should.

[cheers and applause]

- But this fifth obstacle, Battering Ram,

has been a roadblock.

Only one woman has gotten past it.

That was Jessie Graff on opening night.

[cheers and applause]

- Ooh, nice!

High throw there.

This is the big transfer.

- That throw that she had from one and two

is the same thing she needs to have here.

- Lock it down!

- You got it!

- Make sure she gets enough ups.

- Got it! - Nice.

- And she's sensing it.

Needs the dismount.

Isabella Wakeham, gonna go back to back!

- Wow.

Get that second buzzer.

OK, Isabella.

- Isabella Wakeham gets a qualifying buzzer

in back-to-back years.

Only a few women have ever done that.

[cheers and applause]

She and Sam won our Couples Championship,

using the prize money for their wedding.

And Sam's going up to help her celebrate.

- Get up there.

[buzzer sounding]

- They each got a buzzer, and now they hit one together.

- Congratulations.

- Congratulations. - Congratulations.

- What a power couple.

You see why they were our couples champions.

- Yeah, absolutely.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, up next is one of the great characters

we've met over the years on "Ninja Warrior."

It's nine-time veteran Todd Bourgeois.

He's a college professor in Florida,

but he grew up on a Louisiana cattle ranch,

and that's why he's known as the Cajun Cowboy.

- Howdy.

[upbeat country music]

[cows mooing]

I grew up on a 2,500-acre ranch down in Southwest Louisiana.

* *

I was literally a cowboy, 700 head of cattle.

We've got a bunch of baby calves running around.

We've got dogs running around.

You know, if there was an alligator

on the farm that started getting too big,

we gotta go take care of it.

I was the one who was always jumping in trying

to get the gator out.

I was the youngest of three boys,

so that kind of made me a little bit crazy.

Cajun culture came with it 'cause that's where we were.

Look at that Cajun strength right there.

That's grip strength right there, buddy.

[upbeat Cajun music]

I just do it the fast way.

Get some claw, pull that out. Roar.

Cook some gumbos on a Friday night,

and rip it, you know? [laughs]

[upbeat country music]

There are Ninja gyms all over the country,

and they're fancy,

but my course is a bit different.

[groans]

You're dealing with the heat.

You're dealing with the elements.

A lot of bugs.

I think it's fantastic.

I think it makes you more of a warrior.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- And there are his parents watching back

at the ranch in Louisiana.

And he's got a posse of Ninja friends on the sideline.

- They're having a hoedown out there.

[cheers and applause]

[countdown clock beeping]

- And the Cajun Cowboy, on the course.

Last saw him on season 13.

Hasn't hit a buzzer since season eight.

- Wow. - Squeeze it hard!

- You got this!

- Let's see if this cowboy can ride the Log Grip

without getting bucked off.

- Hold on!

- Oh, hold on.

Nice. - Let's go!

- Whoo! - Got it down!

- Assistant professor of occupational therapy

knows how to keep his body healthy.

- Let's keep it going.

- And he's moving.

41 years old, but he's got some young buck in him.

- Yeah, Matt, it's been a minute since we've seen him

here on the course, but it looks

like he hasn't missed a step.

[cheers and applause]

Already at Battering Ram.

All that training on that swamp course in Florida

is paying off.

- And he clearly has his passion for Ninja

still strong, Akbar.

Oh!

Watch that right hand. Good adjustment.

- Nice. Whoo-hoo-hoo!

He is fighting.

- Hasn't hit a buzzer in nine years,

but he's closing in on one.

Gotta get the final cylinder.

- There we go, big hips. Pull it!

Yes! - Last one.

Here we go.

Well, look at this, Akbar.

- Ooh!

Right on the tipsy.

- In disbelief!

- Ah!

- He is in shock.

Oh, man, I tip my hat to you though,

man, that was excellent.

Excellent.

He looked so strong throughout the run,

but as he goes for the dismount,

watch his foot. It just hits the water.

The Cowboy's ride is over.

- The good news, with his speed,

that'll probably be enough to get him into the semifinals.

Coming up, he was a breakout star

who made it to stage 3 as a rookie.

- It's about to go down right now.

- Now, more than a decade later,

Idoko Abuh is back.

And we'll see him next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Tonight, we're counting down

the most unforgettable falls in "Ninja" history.

Jonathan Sharp Brown was a six-time "Ninja" veteran

known for taking chances, like in season seven

when he jumped over the Rolling Log.

- What the-- he leapt it!

- Oh, my goodness!

- His reckless style always came with risks.

- Whoa, what?

That's just crazy.

[air horn blares]

- In season eight, he waited 23 days

in the walk-on line for a run that lasted 4 seconds.

- No!

What? Are you kidding me?

- But number three on our countdown came in season ten,

when Brown was so confident

he ran with his phone in his pocket,

and on the third obstacle, it popped out.

- Oh, his phone is in the water!

- Brown didn't survive the run.

[upbeat music]

And neither did his phone.

- Someone's gonna need a new phone.

- That's number three on our countdown.

- Langdon Dinsdale didn't bring

a cell phone to the course.

Heck, he didn't even bring shoes.

The Barefoot Ninja never wears footwear, even on the course.

- It looks like he's got good grip strength with his toes.

[cheers and applause]

- With his wife and kids watching,

he made it through the first two obstacles.

- Nice. OK.

- But Block Run was a challenge.

- I hope he's got calluses on the bottom

of his feet to give him a little bit of traction here.

Oh, oh! Oh my goodness.

Oh!

Yeah, that boy's got some drip.

- 18-year-old Jess Wombles has her pilot's license.

And the Sky Ninja had a safe landing on Log Grip.

- Oh, she got it.

- The University of Tampa student

has gone down on the balance obstacle

in each of her last two seasons.

- You can see, she said, "Third time is a charm,"

so here we go. Nice!

It's a charm. She called it.

[cheers and applause]

- She then flew across Spin Cycle...

- If you believe it, you can achieve it.

Nice.

- Before crash landing on Battering Ram.

- OK, Jess. Oh!

- But she's still got a chance to move on.

- That was so fun.

I am just so happy that I got past that third obstacle.

- We've been welcoming back memorable Ninjas from the past

this season, and here's another.

It's Jacksonville, Florida's Idoko Abuh,

who had a breakout rookie season 12 years ago.

Ready to take the stage now in Vegas, it's Idoko Abuh.

- Season five was my rookie season.

I'd never actually trained on a "Ninja Warrior" course.

I was just doing parkour training

with a team in Orlando, and I was out there just having fun.

And, yeah, it took me further

than I could have ever expected.

I made it all the way to stage 3.

- I think we got another "Ninja" star on our hands.

- And I never thought I would do so well,

or even have the opportunity to make it so far on the show.

So I'm not the same person today

since the last time you seen me on the show.

School got a lot more intense, so I did have to step back

from being in the band, but I was able to complete

my engineering degree, and now I'm an electrical engineer.

I design new products in the automotive world.

My goal is to show I still got it.

Am I moving as well as I did back 10 years ago?

Absolutely not.

I was a beast 10 years ago.

[laughs]

But I'm back and I'm ready to hit some buzzers.

- There it is!

- An amazing run!

[cheers and applause]

- Idoko will have his girlfriend on the sideline,

as well as some Florida ninjas who are showing their support.

[cheers and applause]

[countdown clock beeping]

We haven't seen him since season seven,

but let's see what he brings back in season 17.

- Matt, he's so comfortable.

He's out there wearing cargo pants.

I guess he doesn't expect to get wet.

- Still in great shape--

5'8", and 165 pounds.

- Oh, hold on, hold on.

Nice! - Got it.

- Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- Started as a parkour athlete.

Those skills should help him on Block Run.

- Go, baby, go!

- Keep going. Keep going. Keep your feet up.

Nice! - Right through it.

[cheers and applause]

- Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- He's a four-time "Ninja" veteran.

He knows how to compete.

- But can he figure out Spin Cycle?

- Big swing, big swing! - You got this!

- Nice.

[cheers and applause]

Uh-oh. - A little twisted around.

Electrical engineer, got to understand flow.

- Oh, come on, now! That's it.

- Idoko Abuh.

- I see you, man.

[cheers and applause]

- He told us he wasn't the same guy as ten years ago,

but he hasn't missed a step, Akbar.

- Born in Anyigba, Nigeria,

and, Matt, there's a saying in the Nigerian culture,

"Naija no dey carry last."

And that just means, "You may not start out first,

but you definitely won't finish last."

- He's definitely not last.

He's put himself in good position to move on.

Oh, no! [air horn blares]

Abuh makes it all the way to the fifth obstacle.

And it looked like he had more in the tank.

- He definitely did.

We haven't seen him in ten years,

but Idoko looks strong as ever.

He was in beast mode until Battering Ram

finally took him down.

[dramatic music]

- He is the only two-time champion

of "American Ninja Warrior,"

but we've got some big news to share about Vance Walker.

And we're going to tell you all about it when we come back.

- Welcome back to Vegas, where we're about

halfway through the night.

- And these ninjas are starting to see some real success

on this qualifying course.

Colorado Springs' Glenn Albright

was a college track athlete.

- Nimble footwork.

- He got off to a fast start, kept it going,

and put together the best run of his career.

- Glenn Albright.

- In five previous seasons,

he had never finished a course,

but that changed tonight.

- He's gonna get his first ever buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

- Yeah! - He is feeling it.

- Let's go!

- The Big Cat, Karsten Williams,

has ten buzzers in his "Ninja" career,

and his mama, Linda has been there for all of 'em.

- Hold on, Karst!

- At 43, Karsten is one of the older ninjas,

but he shows no signs of slowing down.

- Yeah!

- Big Cat really moving.

- He turned back the clock

and put together a strong run...

- Can he get the dismount, the grip failing?

Got it!

- And added another buzzer to his résumé.

[buzzer blares]

- Let's go!

Aw, yeah, I still got it, baby.

We still got it.

- Well, speaking of guys from Texas,

we are joined up here in the booth by two-time,

back-to-back defending champion Vance Walker.

Vance, we're thrilled to have you in the booth.

- Thank you.

- But we do want to know, what's keeping you

from competing this season?

- Yeah, so I have my labrum and my hip

is torn in two different spots,

and there's a bunch of stuff wrong with it.

I'm getting surgery a couple days after filming.

So I'll be out for this season

and hopefully back for the next.

- Now, I gotta ask, do you feel like you'll be able to recover

and get right back to it? - I think so.

The recovery should be hopefully less than six months.

- OK.

- So I should be able to hopefully train for next season

and be back again.

- Well, we're going to put you to work right now

helping us call the next athlete.

It's your buddy, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.

I know you two have been training

and line dancing together. You know him well.

- Yeah, we were training partners

for both of the last two seasons,

and he is an insanely strong competitor.

- Enzo has been to the national finals

four times in his "Ninja" career,

and he likes to go fast.

Always has a big cheering section,

including his family

and lots of other friends on the sideline.

[cheers and applause]

[countdown clock beeping]

- Hey, Vance, does Enzo need to worry

about any of these obstacles?

- I honestly don't think so.

He is just such an insanely strong competitor.

You see him two-stepping with the same foot.

- I know, right?

- I don't even know how that works.

- Speed's going to be important this year.

It will be all racing in the national finals,

and we've seen some fast times on these qualifying courses.

How does that set up for Enzo?

- Well, I think this course really plays to his strengths.

He's a very good strength-based athlete,

but he's also very technical.

So things like this-- look at him

lining up his body right there, linking those with ease.

He's got the placement down,

just needs to not miss a hand right here,

and I think he's golden.

- But isn't it easy to make a mistake

right here on Battering Ram?

Got to get a firm grip on top, right?

- Oh, yeah.

Yeah, and you see how high he is.

- Wow, he's gonna have a shot at $10,000.

- Looking pretty good. - Oh, my goodness!

- Oh!

- He's still fast enough that he can go back and get it.

Nice. - There we go.

- He's got it.

- He still got some in him!

- Whoa! - Yeah!

[cheers and applause]

- Wow.

Hey, Enzo, you were flying, man,

but you had that slip at the wall

that cost you the fastest time, but...

- You still got it in under a minute,

and you're getting a shot at $10,000.

- Yeah!

- Vance, you got any advice for Enzo here

as he's staring down that Mega Wall?

- Well, I think if you took a little bit less time

line dancing, a little bit more training,

I think you would have gotten the wall first try.

But we'll take-- we'll take a buzzer.

[laughter] - Listen, listen.

- Get him, get him! - You see Block Run though?

That's that balance from line dancing.

- There it is! - That's a fair point.

[laughter] - You know it.

- All right, get down there and give it a shot.

There's 10 grand if you can get up that 18 1/2-foot wall.

- So you've done the Mega Wall.

When you're looking at it, what's the secret?

You've just done six obstacles.

What's it like?

- Yeah, it's just being in the moment.

When you're in training,

you practice like you're on the course.

You imagine being there in the moment.

And now he's there, hoping that training pays off.

- For folks at home, this wall is massive,

18 1/2-feet tall.

Here we go, drive up!

Oh!

[audience exclaims]

- Aw, man.

- Comes up a bit short, but I think

an omen of things to come.

Vance, what did you think of what you saw of Enzo?

- He's a top contender, for sure.

I think he has a very good chance at winning.

- Hey, before we let you go, I got to ask you--

between Matt and I, who do you think

has a better chance of getting up that Mega Wall?

- Well, it comes down to height, but also power.

- OK, I think he's going towards me, Matt.

Matt's getting a little nervous.

- I think the correct answer is neither.

Neither of us have a chance.

Vance, you're the one who's going to do that stuff,

even with your bad hip.

- Not this season, but--

- Well, listen, we want you to get well, get better.

We can't wait to see you back on the course, my friend.

- Of course.

- Still to come, we've got "Ninja" favorites...

- She is doing it big.

- And favorites to win it all.

- I'm built different!

- Plus, Ninja great RJ Roman

has trained many top competitors,

but he's got a special bond with rookie Grace Gordon.

- Grace is a beast.

When the lights come on, she's really gonna shine.

- Their stories coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- While we were away,

a trio of teenagers hit our course.

Tomball, Texas's Brayden Nelson got

a big reception at the start line.

The 18-year-old wears hearing aids.

That's one side effect of having RTD,

a riboflavin transporter deficiency,

a rare disease that affects hearing, vision, and balance.

He celebrated conquering the first obstacle...

- Let's go!

- And then took on the second.

- Grip, grip, grip. Oh, no.

[audience exclaims]

- Then it was another Texas teen, Weston Boswell.

Because of severe food allergies,

he can't go to gyms

and can only train in his backyard.

Despite the difficulties,

the 18-year-old looked strong at the start,

until he got hung up on Log Grip.

- Uh-oh. Ooh.

Oh.

Oh, my goodness.

That grip strength is wearing out.

Oh!

[air horn blares]

- College softball player Karen Potts

knocked it out of the park before her run.

- Ooh, that one's out of here!

- Her teammates at Case Western Reserve University

were watching as the shortstop legged it out on Block Run.

- Speed, speed, speed! Yeah!

- At 5'11", she's the tallest woman tonight,

and she used her long limbs to make the catch on Spin Cycle

and tried to do the same on Battering Ram.

- No!

- But she's got a good chance to move on to the semifinals.

Well, this course is about to be rocking

because Florida musician RJ Roman is up next.

Even though he's only 28, he's one of our

most experienced ninjas tonight,

with an impressive 18 career buzzers

and six trips to the national finals,

including a trip to stage 4 two years ago.

- You got this! - Beat that course.

RJ's family watching in Jacksonville,

and he's got a big group on the sideline,

including many of the athletes he's trained.

- Yeah, he's one of the most sought after

Ninja coaches in the country.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Had his best season two years ago when he climbed

stage 4 for a million dollars.

[cheers and applause]

- That's interesting.

RJ with a cautious approach to start.

- He knows speed kills.

He wants to shred that course, but you can see he's taking

a methodical approach here, Akbar.

I think he just wants to punch his ticket to the semis.

- Well, Matt, that's what we call eight years of experience.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Oh! - Oh, wow!

- Don't trip.

Nice. - Real smooth.

Oh, my.

Well, don't look now, but he's still got

a shot to go for the 10K.

- Even when he's methodical, he's fast.

That's just stunting on 'em.

- He fell on the fifth obstacle in qualifying last year.

Not gonna do that again.

- Well, he's got about 12 seconds here

if he wants the chance to get that Mega Wall.

Here we go.

Nice.

[buzzer blares]

[upbeat rock music]

- RJ Roman, he doesn't know how to do anything but go fast.

You do know you made it under a minute?

- What?

- That was 57 seconds, buddy.

- OK, sweet.

- You were going methodical.

- Oh, yeah, definitely.

I mean, you saw how last season went.

[laughter] You know, so...

- Well, we were commenting on this mature approach

from RJ Roman, but you still did it fast enough.

You get a shot at $10,000.

Get down there and take it.

[cheers and applause]

- He's tried the Mega Wall three times in his career.

He got it once three years ago.

- Mega Wall! Mega Wall!

Mega Wall! Mega Wall!

[tense music]

- We've already had two try the Mega Wall tonight,

and eight others try it earlier this season.

No one's been able to conquer it.

Can RJ be the first?

[cheers and applause]

- Oh! - Oh, no.

- I wasn't ready for that one. Sorry, guys.

- So, a stumble, but he's all right.

Doesn't get the Mega though.

- But he does get his 19th career buzzer

and a trip to the semifinals.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, now it's time for one of the many Florida ninjas

who's been coached by RJ,

Orlando high schooler Grace Gordon.

She and RJ bonded over their love of Ninja,

but also a medical issue they both face.

- I have a skin condition called eczema.

It can be really mild, just, like, a few scratches,

or it could be constantly going at your skin.

And it's not very pleasant.

It's embarrassing.

A kid would, like, point it out and be like,

"Oh, what's that on your arm?"

Even just pointing it out would make me insecure.

So I was around 10 years old when I discovered Ninja.

My first coach at the gym was RJ Roman.

He talked a little bit about his vitiligo,

and I saw it, and I was like,

"Man, that looks a lot like what I have."

- Growing up, everyone likes to point it out, right?

And that's not comfortable for a kid.

So having already gone through it,

I found confidence afterwards.

I was able to show her

if I can do it, then she can do it too.

- Starting Ninja was a huge confidence booster.

- Oh!

- Because everyone in the community

is so supportive of each other,

and slowly, the better I became at Ninja,

my confidence was also getting better and better.

- Grace is a beast.

So I think, when the lights come on,

she's really going to shine.

- It means a lot to have RJ be on my sidelines tonight.

And I can't wait for him to see how good

he's trained me over these past few years.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- He just got a buzzer, and now RJ is gonna be on the sideline

along with Grace's family.

[countdown clock beeping]

Just 15 years old, a student at

Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.

And Grace already has her learner's permit.

Her dad has a rental car business,

and she gets to drive some of the vehicles around the lot.

- All right, well, let's see if she can avoid

a crash here on Log Grip.

She's only 5'3", needs a good grip.

Come on. Here we go.

Oh, throw yourself!

Ooh, that looked easy. Nice transition.

[cheers and applause]

- Just 120 pounds, I thought she was

going to drop off there, but she's locked-in.

- Run fast!

Stay above the bar!

- Amazing Grace.

Let's see how sweet the run is.

- Oh, how sweet it is.

- Wow. And she's pumped up!

[cheers and applause]

I tell you what, her confidence is growing

with every obstacle.

- RJ must be a pretty good coach,

and an even better role model. Nice!

Matt, this-- OK, she done--

- Wow. - She did this before.

[cheers and applause]

Look at her! Oh, my goodness. What?

- She is flying now!

This 15-year-old rookie has defied expectations.

She's on the fifth obstacle.

- We did not expect this kind of confidence

her first time on the course.

Matt, you said it.

You can hear them saying it, "Amazing Grace."

How sweet the sound would be if she hits that buzzer

on her very first go.

- Well, this is the big transition here

to this final cylinder. - Come on.

Come on. - Oh!

- Sha, na, na!

- Just couldn't wrap those arms around.

But a stellar rookie performance

out of Grace Gordon.

- I'm not sure who enjoyed this more, Grace or RJ.

She was excited with every obstacle

she conquered, and so was he.

This student learned well, made it to the fifth obstacle,

and made her coach proud.

- You're the best. You're the best.

- That was incredible. What's up, y'all?

Grace, come here girl.

Wow, where did you come from?

How are you feeling right now?

- I feel really, really good. - Yeah.

How did it feel to have RJ, your coach, your entire family

here cheering you on from the sidelines?

- It felt amazing.

I love that everyone was so supportive.

I was so happy. [laughter]

- And RJ, dude, she's learning from the best over here.

So what were you thinking watching her run tonight?

- I was so proud.

And, like, the coolest part, going from something unique

that I had with my skin disorder

and being so insecure and then finding confidence

with "Ninja Warrior" and watching her do

the same exact thing is amazing.

So I'm really excited for the people

that she's going to inspire, and maybe people

that she's going to be running on the course

next to in the future, so...

- Well, Grace, that was absolutely incredible.

We'll know soon if you went far enough, fast enough, OK?

Great work out there. - Nice to meet you.

- Absolutely.

So nice to meet you too. You're so sweet.

Guys, back to you.

- Coming up, it's one small step,

and one of our most colorful ninjas is ready for takeoff.

- Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

Whoo!

- Plus our countdown of unforgettable falls.

- Hold on, hold on!

Oh, no!

- What's your guess for number one?

It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- NASA engineer Adam Naids always gives us

an out-of-this-world run,

and moments ago, the five-time Ninja veteran

hit the start line, ready for another mission.

Uh, this is the tower.

It's go for the Space Ninja.

- Though his sideline was a space oddity,

with astronauts and aliens,

Naids made it through the Quad Steps.

- And we've got a successful launch.

- But on Log Grip, the 35-year-old

from Houston had a problem.

- Oh! [air horn blares]

- Failed mission.

- Whoo!

- Stuntwoman Janeshia Adams-Ginyard

also had some fun at the start line.

- I like it.

- The rookie from Cerritos, California,

has worked on "Black Panther," "Avengers: Endgame,"

and other Marvel movies.

- Ooh!

- But when her foot hit the water...

- Oh, no. - It was a wrap.

Well, you're going to love our next athlete.

This is Hunter Ogden from Churchill, Tennessee.

He's a small-town teenager

who's had to battle a lot of obstacles in his life,

but always has a smile on his face.

- I was born with cleft lip and palate.

I have had 13 surgeries,

and those ranged from having lip revisions

and septum rhinoplasty.

I've come out all the more determined,

and it's never really been a crutch in my life.

I live in Northeast Tennessee.

It's a small town called Churchill.

It has 6,000 people, so you basically know everyone there.

[laughs]

I really just started climbing trees outside in the backyard,

and that grew to my love of "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's like climbing the trunk of a tree.

- I competed back on season 15,

and as I was running across Log Runner,

I missed my step on the third log.

- Oh! Oh my goodness!

- He's still alive.

- I knew I messed up my ankle right away,

but I continued to push through.

- Push it off! Oh, my!

But now he's getting up slowly.

- Oh, he's limping. Oh, my.

- He's limping badly.

- I hit the fifth obstacle and, by that point,

I was really starting to feel it.

- Up and out. - Ooh, boy, Matt.

- Come on. - Oh!

- Oh!

- My ankle was fractured and sprained.

When I got back home, everyone knew about it.

My dad and I were in Walmart, and this random lady

just came up and gave me a hug.

And she said, "I saw you on the TV."

I'm a small town kid.

I never thought that something like this would happen to me.

Yeah!

I'm so excited to be back for this season.

I'm feeling great, ankle is feeling great,

and I'm ready to hit some buzzers.

[bright music]

[cheers and applause]

- And there's his family.

I'm sure the whole town is watching in Tennessee.

His great-grandmother, who first got him into Ninja,

is cheering from Georgia.

His dad is down on the sideline

with many other young Ninjas.

You can't help but root for Hunter Ogden.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Matt, you talk about the toughness this kid has

just to be able to fight through that pain

when he did break his ankle.

That shows you the type of athlete he is,

the type of mentality he has.

- Well, he may need to worry about a hard landing

if he gets through Log Grip.

- And remember, he's only 17 years old.

He's never been on most of these obstacles.

[cheers and applause]

- A big landing, but he pops right up.

[cheers and applause]

It was a balance obstacle that broke his ankle.

Got to be thinking about that as he goes across Block Run.

- But no problem.

[cheers and applause]

Well, he is fired up, Akbar.

He's making some good progress here.

The small town boy is coming up big.

What a comeback run for him.

- He is making this look easy.

Some of these obstacles were around before he was born.

- And now on to Battering Ram, and he has been flying.

Remember, the top 20 move on.

- Let's go. - OK!

I see you, baby.

OK, Hunter!

He's looking so confident attacking Battering Ram.

- Well, last time he did obstacle number five,

he was hurt. Now he's healthy.

- This transition is real challenging.

- Oh! Nice. - This guy's got it!

This last cylinder does not lock in place.

[cheers and applause]

Got it!

- Nice landing.

[cheers and applause]

- And now he's got a chance to get his first buzzer.

- Well, he's on the rehab. That ankle looks good.

- And he's got it!

Hunter Ogden.

[buzzer blares]

From injury to buzzer, baby!

[cheers and applause]

What a run!

[cheers and applause]

- How does that one feel, man?

- After last time, that feels great.

That is awesome.

- So last time you were out here,

you had a broken ankle.

You didn't quit. - No.

- Could you imagine being up here now

and making this look so easy

and finally getting that buzzer, Hunter?

- I can't. It feels unreal.

I didn't get to talk to you guys last time.

- Yeah, I know.

Were you nervous at all about your ankle

and how your ankle would perform on this?

'Cause you just flew through this course.

- Yeah, I mean, of course, I was nervous,

but, you know, as an athlete, you gotta just push

all that aside and just lock in.

- Lock in.

Hey, and you were locked-in, baby.

- Let's go!

- You were locked-in. - Let's go!

- Oh, he's really going to be a hero in his hometown now.

Hey, Hunter, hit that buzzer one more time

and go celebrate with your friends and family, buddy.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

- Yeah!

- Coming up, in two seasons, Nacssa Garemore

has never hit the water.

- Oh, my goodness!

- Can he keep his streak alive?

- I see you, Nacssa.

- He dances to the start line just ahead

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Two Ninja veterans are now newlyweds,

as Kyle Soderman

and Megan Johnson recently tied the knot.

[cheers and applause]

And tonight they got to honeymoon in Vegas,

with Megan going first on the course.

- Come on, Megan!

- These two won our very first Couples Championship

two years ago, and Megan got off to a good start tonight.

- Let's go! Come on!

- She looked like a runaway bride on Block Run.

- She ran through the blocks.

- But on Spin Cycle, the honeymoon was over.

[audience exclaims]

- Good job, Megan!

I love you.

- Then it was Kyle's turn.

- Nice.

That's the way to do it right there.

- The six-time "Ninja" veteran is known for going fast.

And he sailed through the obstacle

that took out his wife.

- No regards for personal safety.

He is just going for it.

- He cruised all the way to the buzzer.

[buzzer blaring]

- Let's go!

- And for a wedding gift,

he gets a trip to the semifinals.

- Whoo!

- Soderman is from Minnesota,

and that's the next stop on our countdown

of unforgettable falls.

Leif Sundberg was nicknamed

the Swedish Ninja because of his heritage,

but he was also known as a Salmon Ladder specialist.

- I do a bunch of tricks, flips, spins.

Whoo!

One of the moves I do is a muscle up.

I flip the bar as high as I can go,

and I can skip the entire Salmon Ladder

with one single move.

- So number two on our list

came during season ten semifinals

in Minneapolis. - Oh, yeah!

- Sundberg reached the Salmon Ladder

and had a chance to show off his signature move.

- This will be huge if he can do it.

- There you go. Get it!

- He's made the reverse, now gotta go

all the way to the top.

- Oh, boy, here we go.

What?

- Whoa! No!

- Sundberg knocked out by the obstacle he's famous for.

- Shoot!

- It was a risky move, and it cost him.

- That's number two on our countdown.

There's a doctor in the house.

Heading to the start line is Steven Bachta,

a pediatrician and father of two

from the Chicago area.

And whether he's delivering babies

or training for Ninja, it's all in a day's work

for Dr. Bachta.

- I'm a pediatric hospitalist,

which means I'm a specialist who takes care of sick children

in the hospital.

[intercom beeps]

Every day is a little bit different.

We're running around, trying to take care of sick kids.

They're always calling me from the emergency room

or from the delivery room.

Helping a child get better from illness,

it's the best job in the world.

How's it going, man?

Can I listen to your heart?

My Ninja journey all begins 100% with my kids.

- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior."

- Next up on the course is my dad!

- We were watching this show on TV.

And I'm like, "Hey, you want to go try that somewhere?"

And, luckily, Chicago has lots of gyms.

That's how the journey began.

- Whoo!

- I'm 43 years old now, and I'm in the best shape of my life.

- Yeah, let's go! Get out!

- I feel the most prepared this season

that I've ever felt. - Nice, Steve.

Let's get it!

- Dr. Bachta's in the house,

and I'm ready to hit my first

"American Ninja Warrior" buzzer.

[upbeat music]

[cheers and applause]

- Man, he went from doctor to dad real quick.

Rocking them leopard shorts too.

- And there are his wife and kids

watching from back home.

- Come on, Dad!

- Let's go, Dad!

- Plus two of the Ninja greats he trains with,

Flex Labreck and Chris DiGangi.

- Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Never hit a buzzer, but has made it

to the semis each of his previous times competing.

Cautious approach here on the Quad Steps.

- Well, you want your doctor to be cautious, right?

You want him to be very intentional.

- [laughs]

[cheers and applause]

And wipes his brow, he's happy to survive.

- Remember, he's 43 years old,

so he might need medical care before this is over.

- Well, Log Grip will be a test.

- Got that outer grip here.

- Big squeeze!

- 6 feet tall. - Watch the drops.

- Nice, the drop. Nice, good.

Throw yourself off.

Ooh, OK.

[cheers and applause]

- Didn't have to look smooth, just had to do it.

He passed the test.

And look at how calm he is.

I like it, not too big for the moment.

And he's collapsing, but he's surviving.

[cheers and applause]

Doesn't have to be pretty.

- He's running this course like doctor's handwriting.

Right, you would know that. You're a doctor.

A little sloppy, but guess what?

As long as you can read it, it's all good.

- That's it.

He wants to donate blood, just not on the course.

You can see a little struggle there. Good shot.

You can see how tough it is to control the momentum on these.

- I like the angle. And, ooh, he thought about it.

He had it right there.

Now, Matt, the longer he holds on, though,

he's gonna drain his grip strength.

He's got to commit to it.

- Come on, big catch. Yeah.

- Whoo!

- Such a challenging obstacle.

And you can see him regrouping, trying to find

the rhythm on the lower body.

- Nice.

- And he's made it through four obstacles,

manages to survive.

A couple extra swings, and we've seen it catch up

here on the Battering Ram.

- This fifth obstacle is brutal.

And he doesn't have a physician assistant to help him out here.

- This is really impressive.

He's one of our older athletes tonight,

and you know, as a doctor,

doesn't have much time to train.

- All right, come on.

You got the big arms. Nice!

Matt, the doctor's in!

He's in!

- This is amazing, his best performance.

Could he get through this?

This is the transition.

- Come on, make that one! Nice!

- Whoa! Nice!

[cheers and applause]

- OK, Dr. Bachta!

- Can he do it? Bachta!

[cheers and applause]

- Go get your first buzzer.

- 14 1/2 feet away from his first ever buzzer.

- Get that buzzer!

Get that buzzer!

- Ooh, OK.

[audience exclaims]

- OK, breathe, breathe. You got it.

- You got it.

- He's come all this way.

He will not be stopped by the Warped Wall, Akbar.

Here he goes, Bachta.

- Here we go.

- Got it! - That's it!

That's it!

- He's enjoying it.

- He's a doctor and a showman.

- The doctor is in!

[cheers and applause]

Gets that buzzer!

[cheers and applause]

Doc-ta, you did it! - I did it.

- All right, hold on now.

Just be quiet for a second.

Let me hear your heartbeat.

- [laughs] - Ooh, boy, man.

Oh my goodness, man, your heartbeat's up

on that one.

I know, obviously, your first one.

How does that feel? - Oh, it feels great.

All right, guys, five years ago,

I'm on my couch with my kids watching you guys.

Five years later, I just hit a buzzer.

Anything's possible, guys.

- Anything is possible.

That includes getting a buzzer at 43 while raising a family

and working as a doctor.

Congrats to you.

What a run for "Doc-ta" Bachta!

She's been a fan favorite for years,

but something's different this year

for Barclay Stockett.

We'll see the Sparkly Ninja's run

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Oh, baby.

There's another member of the Bergstrom family.

And minutes ago, new mom Ashley Bergstrom

hit the course just seven months after

giving birth to baby Jason.

- That's what I'm talking about, Mama!

- While dad Caleb held the baby,

Ashley showed mama's strength on Block Run.

- Save it!

Save yourself!

Oh, yeah.

You don't mess with mom strength.

[cheers and applause]

- The five-time "Ninja" veteran made her way

through Spin Cycle.

- She's got the support system on the side.

- But her slower pace meant she needed to finish

Battering Ram to be in the women's top five.

And it looked like she might do it.

- Oh, she wants it badly.

Oh!

Oh, so close.

She was so close.

- Then it was Caleb's turn.

And the new dad did what he always does,

go fast. - Look at him go!

- The Ninja veteran came close to winning

it all the past two seasons,

and he was cruising through the course

until a scare on Battering Ram.

[audience exclaims]

- Oh, wow, very close.

- He still finished in under a minute,

earning him a shot at the Mega Wall.

[buzzer blaring]

Bergstrom has conquered the 18 1/2-foot wall

three times in past seasons...

- Oh!

- But he couldn't get it tonight.

- So close!

- Still, the new dad is moving on to the semifinals.

And now it's one of Caleb's training partners,

and this kid is off to an amazing start

in his Ninja career.

Flipping his way up for his run

is Florida teenager Nacssa Garemore.

Not only did he make it

to stage 4 his first two seasons,

he has an unbelievable streak going.

He's never fallen

on the course.

That's 74 straight

obstacles conquered.

- Matt, I'm a big fan of his dancing.

Hopefully, we'll see that if he hits another buzzer.

- Nacssa has got a big group of family and friends

watching back in Florida.

And his mom is leading the cheers down on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And look at that big move.

Wow, that was a little risky.

- Well, he goes fast, but obviously has never fallen.

He knows what he's doing.

- He's very powerful though. You can tell.

All right take your time here. It will spin on you.

Well, maybe not him.

- It's just incredible.

It never looks like he's got his foot on the accelerator,

but he's always moving so effortlessly fast.

- Well, there's a reason why he's never been wet.

- Oh, my God, this is just remarkable.

- He might still be a teenager, but I'll tell you right now,

this kid has got some special talent.

- And with this pace, he'll likely

earn a shot at the Mega Wall, and he may edge out Sam Folsom

for the fastest time of the night.

It's going to be close.

[buzzer blaring]

- That's now 80 straight obstacles completed.

- Hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey!

- What's that dance called?

- I don't know what it's called,

but it's on Instagram. - It's on Instagram?

- Yeah.

- All right, you gotta send that to me.

I gotta learn a new one. - I got you.

- Oh, you got me, all right.

- But, Nacssa, you're not done.

You got the fastest time of the night,

and you were under a minute,

so you get to take a run at the Mega Wall for 10 grand.

- Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

- Head on down.

Nacssa had a shot at the Mega Wall last year,

but came up short.

- Oh! - Oh!

The Mega Wall has seemingly been impossible this year.

12 ninjas have tried it, none have conquered

the 18 1/2-foot wall.

- He's going to need a lot of power, a lot of speed

to journey up this massive Mega Wall.

- Holy moly! - He got it!

- Dear God! - Nacssa Garemore!

- Oh, my goodness!

- That's $10,000 courtesy of the Wells Fargo

Active Cash Credit Card.

The Active Cash Credit Card earns

unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Terms apply.

- Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

Finally!

- $10,000, buddy.

Congratulations!

The first Mega Wall of the season.

- Look at this, watch the drive

as he just sprints up the wall,

grabs it with his left hand, and pulls himself up.

There's nothing this kid can't do.

Still just a teenager, and he's got 10 grand in his pocket.

- Since she debuted back in season eight,

Barclay Stockett has been known as the Sparkly Ninja,

and, this year, she has a little extra sparkle.

She just got back from a special trip

to Hawaii with the love of her life, Tee Jackson.

- I just married my best friend, Tee Jackson,

in Hawaii on the Garden Island of Kauai.

Whoo!

[tranquil music]

We just got married. - Yeah.

- And it was pure magic.

Our reception was a sunset cruise.

We were rocking that boat dancing.

There was definitely some

Ninja related things happening.

I did get a lot of pull-ups on the sunset cruise.

It was the most magical day of my life.

We actually met at a Ninja Warrior competition,

and she was trying to ask me for tips and tricks.

Having Tee on my sidelines, I feel like I can do anything,

like I'm a superhero, and her getting to witness that

is really special to me.

[bright music]

[cheers and applause]

- She looks so happy.

Our congrats to Barclay and Tee.

A buzzer would be a real nice wedding present, wouldn't it?

[countdown clock beeping]

- Exploded onto the scene in season 8,

has been through so much.

Barclay lost her mom to cancer,

and then she went through some health issues of her own.

So good to see her smiling again.

[cheers and applause]

- Only 5 feet tall, the shortest woman tonight.

Log Grip ain't gonna be easy.

All right, she's gotta wrap around.

[cheers and applause]

- But no problem for Stockett.

[cheers and applause]

Jessie Graff, Tiana Webberley, and Daniel Gil,

they like what they're seeing.

She's looking calm, very dialed in.

Learned how to surf.

Working on her balance.

Let's see if it pays off here on Block Run.

And she is through.

- Matt, her pace is a little behind.

She's not going very fast.

- And that could be a problem.

Only the top five women will advance.

If Barclay wants to be one of them,

she's got to pick up the pace.

- We've seen it be a race to that fifth obstacle,

the Battering Ram.

Barclay is going to have her fate in her hands,

needs to get through this quickly

if she wants to move on.

- All she has to do is get her body

lined up with that next transition and next throw.

Good.

- But she's taking a lot of extra swings,

and that's eating up time.

But gets through it on a roll.

[cheers and applause]

But she's slower than the other six women

who've reached this point,

so now she has to do something she's never done

on a qualifying course, get past the fifth obstacle.

She's 0 for 4. - She has the skill set.

She has the experience to get past the fifth one.

She has to trust the process.

She has to trust her experience.

Big jump, nice.

But do you see what she did there?

She came in real close.

That's going to be the secret for her

as well, especially with the smaller hands, smaller--

oh, ah, that's it.

- You can see it, that bigger cylinder

just doesn't give her much room to work with.

It's this transfer that's the challenge.

- Oh, no.

- And the grip just gives out, Barclay Stockett.

- You were so close.

- The fifth obstacle remains means her barricade.

- She made it to the second cylinder,

but it's bigger and tougher to get a grip.

As she moved it down the track,

her hands just slipped off.

- Not the ending she wanted, but Barclay and Tee

still have a lot to celebrate.

Coming up, he was a proud Texan,

but Isaiah Thomas made a big bet on himself,

moving to the Big Apple.

- I just knew for myself I had to make the jump.

- We'll show the Fly Boy's new life in the Bronx

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- We've been counting down some of our

most unforgettable falls tonight.

- Whoa!

- They're fun to watch...

- Bop, bop, bop! Oh!

Oh, boom!

- But probably moments these ninjas would like to forget.

- Whoa! No!

- And now it's time to reveal our number one.

New Jersey school teacher Louis Apalucci

calls himself the Vest Ninja.

And he wore a vest when he competed in season 13,

and also a red, white, and blue cape,

a decision he regretted on the second obstacle.

- He was blinded by it! - Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, my God! I've never seen it.

This is literally a blind dismount.

- No!

- Oh, my goodness! Oh!

- He's still dry.

Can he save it? - No!

In all of our years doing this,

we have never seen this one before.

[laughs]

- That's number one on our countdown.

[upbeat music]

- There was nothing quite as wild in Jaleesa Himka's

run minutes ago.

- That looked effortless.

[cheers and applause]

- With her energetic mom cheering her on,

the Colorado teenager looked strong

and became the eighth woman tonight

to make it to Battering Ram.

- Nice. Ow!

[air horn blares]

- And though she didn't complete it,

her time was good enough to get her into the semis.

- Yes! Yes!

You did it!

That was so good!

- Florida's Kyle McCreight was ready for a day at the beach.

- Oh, he's bringing the beach to Vegas.

- McCreight's three-legged dog, Tre,

was watching back in Sarasota as his owner

showed good agility on Block Run.

- It wasn't pretty, but he made it.

- The three-time "Ninja" veteran put together

the best run of his career...

- Big up, get up, nice.

- As he made it through the course

and got his first-ever buzzer.

- Come on, come on!

[buzzer blares]

[cheers and applause]

- You guys know I love a beautiful sunset,

but the view from up here, so much better.

- Oh! - Ah!

That's good.

- [laughs]

- Thank you, guys.

- Our final runner of the night is one of the top contenders

to win it all. It's the Fly Boy Isaiah Thomas.

He has made some big strides in his training

and also in his life, as the teenager from Texas

moved to the Big Apple.

- Moving from Dallas, Texas, all the way to New York

has been definitely, like, an environment change.

There's people everywhere.

It's a lot of just go, go, go, and no rest.

A lot of people driving on the road are just very angry.

[horn honking]

My favorite thing about New York

is just the adventure, not knowing

what's gonna happen the next day.

First, I didn't really want to move to New York,

but I wanted to become more independent

and learn a different lifestyle,

because I was very dependent on my family,

and I just knew for myself and to become a man,

I had to make the jump.

- Hey, kiddo.

- Hello. - How you doing?

- I'm doing well.

I speak to my mom daily, you know?

I gotta let my mom know that I miss her and I love her.

The one thing I miss the most about being away from my mom

is definitely the food.

- Is it good?

- Mmm!

The Ninja community here in New York

has been very supportive.

- Go, go, go, go, go!

[cheers and applause]

- Being a coach, I've got to touch a lot of people's hearts,

and they've touched mine.

One, two, three!

[together] Fly Boys!

- Watching these athletes grow and achieve their goals,

it's just an amazing feeling

knowing I get to be a part of it.

[upbeat music]

[cheers and applause]

- The Fly Boy is still a mama's boy,

and his mom, Jennie, is going to be leading

the cheers on his sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- A lot of the other ninjas say

Fly Boy has turned it up a notch this year.

They say watch out for him.

He could win it all.

- 6'2", 165, tall, lean,

and no shortage of confidence for Isaiah Thomas.

- Let's go! Fast feet, fast feet!

- You can see mom there going, "fast feet."

There he goes.

He's got fast feet, fast hands.

- He just saw Nacssa Garemore get the Mega Wall.

He may be going fast to get a shot at it too.

- Wow, he is flying.

- Not even 30 seconds yet,

he's already on the fifth obstacle.

- Wow, at this rate, he could earn a shot at the Mega Wall

and get the fastest time.

- All right, watch that hand now, watch that hand.

- Ooh.

- Nice.

- This could be the fastest run of the entire season.

[buzzer blaring]

Unbelievable!

Just over 42 seconds!

- Whoo!

- He is built different.

[cheers and applause]

- Hey, that right there--

- That was the fastest time of the night,

42 seconds and change.

- You're barely breathing heavy.

And your confidence has grown.

What can we expect this season from you, my friend?

- Only my best, and I'm just doing what I love.

- Well, no surprise.

You made it under a minute.

So hop down and take your shot at the Mega Wall.

[cheers and applause]

- 18 1/2 feet to win 10 grand.

- Oh, he wants a good luck hug from Mama.

Let's go. - He's calling for his hug.

- Aw. - Aw, aw, yeah.

Fly Boy, mama boy, all the same thing.

He about to be a rich boy after this.

- Came up just short last year.

- Oh! Oh, my goodness!

Look how close he was!

- That's tough.

- No one had conquered the Mega Wall

all season until Nacssa Garemore

did it a few minutes ago.

- Mega Wall! Mega Wall!

- 10,000 would be nice in New York City.

Fly! Fly! Young man, fly!

- Wow!

[buzzer blares]

- Let's go!

- That's $10,000 courtesy of the Wells Fargo

Active Cash Credit Card.

The Active Cash Credit Card earns

unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Terms apply.

[cheers and applause]

- What's next? What's next?

- I've got a funny feeling about this young one.

- Wow. - I love you, Isaiah!

- Isaiah, go celebrate with your mama, my friend.

You're $10,000 richer.

- That boy is standing on business.

He means business this season.

- No one had taken down the Mega Wall all season,

and now we've had two in the last 15 minutes--

Nacssa Garemore and now Isaiah Thomas.

Those two sit at the top

of our leaderboard,

but look at all the fast

finishes we had tonight.

RJ Roman is moving on,

and so is small-town teenager

Hunter Ogden.

Isabella Wakeham became

the fifth woman

this season to get a buzzer.

All 20 of these athletes will

be back here in a few weeks

for the semifinals.

That's it for tonight.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman,

and we'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."

[dramatic music]

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