All language subtitles for A.American.Ninja.Warrior.S14E01

- In life, there will
always be setbacks.

- I know it's not
what you wanted,

but you killed it, okay?

- It's what you do next
that becomes your story.

- I really wish that
my young self could see me now

because he would be
so happy with me.

- * We've got spirit *

* I know you hear it *

* There's no give up, give up,
give up, give up in us *

- Whoa!

- Nothing's gonna stop me.

- * Stories without
a few letdowns *

* Are boring when told *

- You know, not giving up,
all the hard work.

- And these tears are only
gonna make you better.

I promise you're gonna do much
better next time, all right?

- It feels more rewarding
when you work for it.

- A new season begins tonight,

with hundreds taking the first
step on the path to greatness.

- Here we go.

- It won't be easy.

- Hold on, hold on,
fight, fight, fight!

- But the rewards
will last a lifetime.

- * When it goes wrong *

- Since the last time
I competed,

I have had three major
orthopedic surgeries.

It has been a journey
for sure,

but I won't give up.

all: * We've got spirit *

- * And I know you hear it *

* There's no give up, give up,
give up, give up in us *

[cheers and applause]

- We don't quit over here.

- One, two, three!

all: One, two, three!

- * We've got spirit *

- To be able to muster
the strength to get back up

and try again, to never give up

is what this is all about.

It's what life's all about.

all: * We've got spirit *

- * And I know you hear it *

* There's no give up,
give up, give up, give up *

* Give up, give up,
give up, give up in us *

[cheers and applause]

- It's gonna be
a special season.

- We're deep
in the heart of Texas

inside San Antonio's Alamodome

for the season premiere
of "American Ninja Warrior"!

Hello, everyone,
and thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Here we go, Matt, for yet
another season together,

and we're going big
here in the dome!

- Well, this will be our home
for five nights of qualifying,

then we'll move on to LA
for the semifinals.

And we'll end the season
where we always do,

Vegas with
the National Finals.

- And the obstacles
this year are next level.

We are kicking it up
a notch yet again.

- Well, for more on that,
let's go down

to the third member
of our team, Zuri Hall.

- Thank you, guys.

It is so great to be back.

And yeah,
this qualifying course is like

nothing you've seen before.

And four of the obstacles
are brand-new.

That includes Rollercoaster

and Serpent.

Plus, the really fun one,
Carnival.

Ninjas use the rings
to control the ball

and roll it into one
of the three chutes.

The higher you go,
the easier the dismount.

If you roll the ball
into chute one,

your prize is a T-bar,
making for an easy exit.

But get it
in the lower chutes,

and your exit
is much more difficult.

Then it's another new one,
Salmon Roll.

The course ends
at the Warped Wall.

- Guys.
- Thanks, Zuri.

Now the story last year
was the "teenage invasion,"

and they're back once again.

- But watch out
for the veterans.

We've got some big names
making their return.

- That includes The Beast,
James McGrath,

back after
a three-year absence.

Just beasting it!

We've also got his girlfriend,

schoolteacher, Allyssa Beird.

Passes the test!

And stuntman, Flip Rodriguez.

There it is!

Leading the teenagers,

the 16-year-old who made it

to stage three last year
as a rookie, Vance Walker.

This kid is the real deal!

And these fans
in the dome are ready

to get this season going.

You can see the cupcakes
on the jumbotron,

and that means we're
kicking off the season

with one of our best
young stars,

the Cake Ninja,
David Wright.

This 22-year-old got
his nickname

because he eats cake
before every run.

And he just got engaged
a few months ago

to fellow ninja,
Caitlyn Bergstrom.

She's watching back
in Florida with her family.

- You guys are the best!

all: [chanting]
We want cake!

- David's sisters, dad,
and friend, Kevin Carbone,

are on the sideline leading
the "we want cake" chant.

[countdown clock beeping]

So here we go.

First run of the new season.

First obstacle
the Shrinking Steps.

Needs an extra swing,
but he's through.

And he's gonna need
that sugar high to kick in

on this new obstacle,
Rollercoaster.

Got to fly and grab
that second axle.

- Ooh!

- Now he'll carry
the axle here.

- Watch out, get off!

- He just muscled that.
- Whoa!

- Now, Split Decision
is back this year.

He has to choose
between two balance obstacles,

and he goes straight

to the scary-looking new one,
the Serpent.

Those cylinders will
spin on you.

- Yeah, go, go, go, go--oh!
- Oh!

[horn blares]

- Oh, my goodness.

- He can't believe it.

Realizing how much
those cylinders roll,

and it's a big surprise
for our first run.

Well, watch right here,
he just oversteps

on the front side
of that cylinder,

and it spins on him.

When his left foot
lands on the third one,

that spins too,

and the Serpent
claims its first victim.

[cheers and applause]

- There goes this year,
I guess.

See you guys next time?

- Last season, we invited kids

as young as 15 years old
to compete,

and they were amazing.

Now, here's this year's
first teenager,

15-year-old Lilah Nathison.

She's got fidget spinners
in her hands

because she has ADHD,

and Ninja has
helped her focus.

[upbeat music]

- Yeah, there you go.

- Let's go!

- Come on, come on.

- I'm not
your typical teenage girl.

I'm just like a ball
bursting with energy.

* *

both: Let's go!

- But I also have
a hard time focusing

and maintaining relationships.

[soft music]

I would say Ninja
is probably the best medicine

of anything I've taken.

- If there was a sport designed

for this child, this is it.

- Let's go.

- Yeah, girl, yeah!
- Let's do it--yeah!

- That's what
I'm talking about.

- Julius, you know,
he's her primary mentor.

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

- Do it!
- Ooh!

- Hey!
- Yeah, girl.

- He taps into her reflective
thinker side.

- Like, are you nervous
when you step up?

Or does it, like,
all just, like, go away?

- Nervousness is a perspective.

So make sure
you get yourself calm,

and tell yourself
that you've got this.

- All right.
- And you'll be fine.

- Okay, all right.

Ninja has given me
the best outlet

I've ever had for my ADHD.

- There you go.

- Tonight on the course,

I know I'm gonna
get some nerves,

but I will channel
that adrenaline right.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- Yeah, let's go!

- Lilah's family
is on the sideline.

- Let's go, Lilah!

- And her coaches
from back in North Carolina

are over there too.

- Julius right there gave her
the nickname "L Grizz"

that you see
on their T-shirts.

[countdown clock beeping]

- If you're wondering how
Julius came up with L Grizz,

he said she is fearless and
attacks like a grizzly bear

when she's on the course.

[cheering and shouting]

- When Jules gives you
a cool nickname

like that, you take it.

- Yeah, you take it.

All right, ride that momentum.

- Heads up!
- Ride it, yes!

- Don't forget about the gap!

Nice.

- She's through.

And now it's
on to Split Decision.

Will she gonna go
with Serpent on the right

or Domino Effect on the left?

- Yeah, yeah!
- Dominoes, dominoes!

- The family says Dominoes.

- Aw, doing the Griddy.

You know how
to do the Griddy, Matt?

- Well, now I do.
- [laughs]

All right, here we go.

- Oh, stays alive!

Oh, she's
got some grit to her, Matt.

[cheers and applause]

She's gonna need grit
and moxie

to make it
through this Carnival.

- This new one
is like Skee-Ball.

With those rings, you control
where the ball rolls.

And she sends it
into chute number three.

That means she's
gonna have a low swing

over to that nunchuck.

The single nunchuck.

- Bruce Lee wouldn't
want this nunchuck.

- Oh, wow!
- Okay!

- Got to get the dismount.

- Okay!

[cheers and applause]

Where did this girl come from?

Doesn't she know it's
is supposed to be hard?

- Already at the fifth
obstacle, Salmon Roll,

which is another new one.

She's got to jump that bar

through those notches and gaps

and move this giant wheel.

- This is gonna be a big leap
here for the 5'4" Nathison.

- Big hips, big hips!

Right here.
Big hips, come on!

- All right,
this is a big move here.

She's got to clear
this 1-foot gap.

- This is when it's good
to be 15 and light.

You can hang for a long time.

- 125 pounds.
Nice.

- Oh!
[horn blares]

- Too aggressive
on the adjustment.

- Just got the bar twisted,
goes down,

but not before a remarkable
rookie performance

out of the 15-year-old.

- And look at the celebration,
Matt, look at this.

- That's Ninja spirit
right there.

We'll have to wait to see
if that's good enough

to get Lilah
into the semifinals.

Lilah Nathison was just
having fun out there,

enjoying every minute,

and makes it all the way
to the fifth obstacle.

What a debut for her.

She's down with Zuri.

- Lilah, congratulations.
That was quite the run.

How are you feeling?

- I feel really good.

I was so scared
about the first two obstacles,

then I was through 'em,
and I felt good.

I had my crowd back here.

And best of all,

I looked good!

- I love your energy.

You did look very good.

We'll see soon if you went
far enough fast enough.

Great work.

- Thank you, I hope I did!
- Thanks, Lilah.

- We're off to a fast start!

[engine revving]

And the night's gonna rock.

- [yells]

- Because we've
got sports legends...

- Go!
- Whoo!

- Three-legged heroes...

- Aww.

- And maybe
a life-changing moment.

- If I get to Mega Wall,

I'm finally gonna
pop the question.

- It ain't no Texas two-step.

- Is he taking out
his dentures--wait, what?

- It's the season premiere

of "American Ninja Warrior."

[dramatic music]

both: Oh!

- Oh, oh!
- Oh!

* *

- Welcome back
to our season premiere,

where these new obstacles
are really testing our ninjas.

Take Rafael Sanz.

Minutes ago, this skydiver
from Florida came out

with his parachute ready.

- Coming out,
looking real official.

- The 25-year-old
rookie has done

over 200 jumps
in the past year

at speeds
of 120 miles per hour.

So Rollercoaster should have
been a breeze,

but wasn't.

- Oh!
[horn blares]

- He needed his parachute
for that fall.

Miami real estate agent,
Ian Ham Arashiro,

came out dressed for success.

- Go, Ian!
- You got this!

- And then undressed
to impress.

- Doing a handstand,
that's his jam.

- And the "Ninja"
rookie looked

even better on the course.

He was fine through the first
three obstacles.

- Oh, oh, nice!

- But when he got door
number three on Carnival...

- This could be typical going
out for that single nunchuck.

- He couldn't
quite close the deal.

all: Oh!
[horn blares]

- Fun-loving Brad Giles,

is known as the Giveback Ninja

for good reason.

He pledged to give $500
to charity

for every obstacle
he got through.

[cash register chimes]

And the Atlanta health care
executive delivered.

- Go, go, go!

Got it!

- Not only was he the first

to get the ball in the number
one chute on Carnival...

[bell ringing]

- Get that T-bar, nice!

- At 39,
he conquered four obstacles,

racking up $2,000.

- Well, Matt, there's no
better motivation than giving.

- But after all that giving,
on Salmon Roll,

his grip just gave out.

- Oh!
- Oh!

[horn blares]

- Brad Giles did a major roll
off the Salmon Roll!

- I love
"American Ninja Warrior."

That was great.

Whoo!

- Looks like
our next competitor wants

to keep his identity a secret.

- He does know his name is on
the screen behind him, right?

- Well, it's no mystery to us.

This is Jeff Loftus,
an engineering student

who likes to do woodworking.

He even brought a couple
wood moustaches for us.

- I think these are
Jeff 'staches.

- Loftus is part
of a loony bunch of ninjas,

all hailing
from Lynchburg, Virginia.

[upbeat music]

[overlapping chatter]
- Whoo!

- Let's go, baby!

- Go, go, go, go, go!

- They're calling us
the Loonies,

and when we get together,
I mean,

we're kind of a crazy bunch.

- To the top, to the top!
- [grunting]

- To the top, to the top!

Oh, no!
- [shrieks]

[laughter]

- I'm the normal one
of the group,

and that's hard to say,
because I'm not normal at all.

* *

- Usually, I'm the one trying
to help us make good decisions.

- Reduplication is
a little bit hidden here

because of the vowels.

- Yeah, reduplication.
Already knew that.

Marker.
Got it.

[laughter]

- And then you got me.

Hi!

I just have all these

different things I like to do.

[hard rock music]

I like woodworking...

welding...

laser cutting.

* *

Like, I could
build you anything.

* *

What I'm making you,
you're gonna pass

down to your grandkids.

- So out of the four
of your friends,

who do you think is
gonna get the farthest?

- What do you think?

- Probably you.
[laughs]

- That's right.
That's a good answer.

Good answer.

We got the Lynchburg
crew together,

and I'm happy to represent.

- And flip!

Whoo!
- It's gonna be a party.

- Yeah, let's go, baby!
- Whoo!

- One, two, three, Loonies!

all: Jeff, Jeff, Jeff,
Jeff, Jeff!

- Definitely gonna
hear the Loonies

over on the sidelines.

- Whoo!

- Yeah!

- And Jeff's family
watching back in Virginia.

- Whoo!

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

[countdown clock beeping]

- Let's see
if the engineering student

can figure out
the Shrinking Steps.

And it's no problem
for Loftus.

- Yeah, whoo!
- Yeah!

- This is a perfect course
for a crazy guy like Loftus.

He gon' have fun out here.

And this brand-new obstacle,
the Rollercoaster.

Got to fly
to grab that second axle.

- Ooh!

- Now he'll carry
the axle here.

- Oh, barely made
that last transition.

- He just muscled that.
- Whoa!

Matt, he got so lucky.

It's got to be the 'stache.

- Whoo!

- Yeah!
- Whoo!

- And he rolls right
into Split Decision.

Looks like the engineer's
gonna analyze and decide

which balance obstacle
is best for him.

- All right,
which way you gonna go?

That's the question here.

- He's looking over
at The Serpent.

- Dominoes!

You know you're hungry!

- He's listening
to the Loonies.

He's going to Domino Effect.

- I can't blame him
on that one.

The snake look crazy.

All right, here we go.

- Come on, come on, come on!

- Nice!
- And he is through.

- Wow.
- And he is pumped!

- Let's go!

Let's freakin' go!
- What?

Usually guys tear off
their shirt.

He's tearing off the sleeves.

- You can see it right there,
he's got some guns

for a mechanical engineer.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

- Now he's gonna step
right up to Carnival.

We didn't get
to explain it much earlier,

but you want
to control the ball

and get it
into the higher chutes.

You get it into that first
hole, you get the T-grip.

Number two is a Y-grip.

Three is just a nunchuck.

And if you drop the ball,
you get a Cliffhanger.

- Get number one, and your
chances are a lot better.

And he got it!

- Oh, with the one shot!

- He gets into the first one.

- Yeah, you see, he spent
a little bit more time

to get to that
first one, Matt.

That's the easier route.

- Leo the Lion is kind of
hiding it, there's a T-bar.

He's got it, that's
the easiest grip to control.

A lot of different ways
to play on this obstacle.

This is gonna be fun
to watch tonight.

But some extra swings here.

- Give that man
his stuffed animal, huh?

Get that man
his stuffed animal.

- Just needs the dismount.

- Yeah!

[cheering]

- And the Loonies
are losing it.

He's reached
the fifth obstacle.

But, Akbar,
will he have anything

for this new obstacle,
Salmon Roll?

This is the Salmon Ladder
meets Rolling Thunder.

Got to use that bar,
jump through the rungs,

but like they say in Britain,
mind the gaps.

This is the big test,
and you can see the momentum

of the wheel disrupting it.

- 12 inches to cover here.

Nice!

Nice!

Uh-oh, don't roll off though.
Keep that rolling!

- Now, you can see

the wheel's controlling him
instead of the opposite.

Now here comes the bigger gap,
a foot and a half.

- And, Matt,
this is where he's gonna

have a big kip
and a big move.

Without that big move,
Matt, he's gonna miss it.

Oh, not big enough!
[horn blares]

And just like that,
he is down.

[cheers and applause]

- But an energetic run.

And we'll see the rest of
the Loonies run a bit later.

Well, he definitely
had fun out here

and got the Loonies fired up,
but you've got to be precise

to land the bar
on Salmon Roll,

and Loftus just missed.

- Last season,
only four ninjas climbed

the 18-foot Wall.

- You got $10,000!

- Can anyone take down
the Mega Wall tonight?

Find out when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back
to the Alamodome

and our season premiere.

One of our oldest competitors,
59-year-old Mark Pressley,

is a grandpa and the dad
of fellow ninja, Megan Budway.

The Cary, North Carolina
native may be pushing 60,

but he pushed his way
past Rollercoaster.

- Whoo!
- Okay, old man!

What?

- At Split Decision,

Pressley was one of the few

to try the new balance
obstacle, The Serpent.

Oh!
- What--oh!

[horn blares]

- But older did
not mean wiser.

- That was fun.

- Then his daughter,
Megan, got her shot.

She's a classically
trained vocalist,

and she challenged her friend,

the Death Metal Ninja,
Josh Wagg, to a sing-off.

- [screaming]
Let's go!

- [operatically] Let's go!

- Whoo!

- The music teacher reached

the semi-finals last year,

and she looked strong again.

- Looking good.

- At Split Decision,

she took a different path
than her dad,

choosing Domino Effect...

- Oh, my goodness!
[horn blares]

- But had the same result.

- That's not what
I wanted to happen.

- Then it was Wagg's turn
to let loose.

- Yeah!

- Go, Josh!

- The heavy metal musician

had everyone rocking,
including me.

[screams]

- Now I know what you do
in your free time.

- At Carnival,
Wagg rolled the ball

into the number one slot,

which means he got a prize.

- Nice!

- A T-bar dropped down,

making for an easy exit.

But the show finally
ended at Salmon Roll.

No!
- Oh!

[crowd groaning]

- Up next is another one

of this year's
new crop of teenagers.

It's Marietta, Georgia's
Christopher Harding Jones.

- This is so cool!

- He is excited to be here.

And you see his shirt
says "Living Wide."

That's the motto
of Christopher and his family

because this 17-year-old has
been through so much.

[soft music]

- When I was a kid,
I could have

never imagined myself
being a ninja.

* *

When I did things
like soccer and dance,

I was always terrible at them.

In PE, I'd be the last kid
picked in everything.

* *

- But then, he discovered
"American Ninja Warrior."

Holy cow,
it was a game changer.

- My dad built me
a Ninja course.

He started really
getting excited

about the prospect of me
legitimately getting to be

on the show one day.

But about five years ago,

my dad was diagnosed
with stage four lung cancer

and given only four months
to live.

[Blessing Offor's
"Brighter Days" plays]

It didn't feel fair.

My dad never smoked
in his entire life.

Our family's worry was
that he would sort of give up

and shut down,
but he did the opposite.

And he coined the phrase
"living wide,"

which means it's not
about the length of your life,

it's about the width
of your life.

- * I know there's gonna
be some brighter days *

* Yes, I do *

* I swear that love will
find you in your pain *

- "Living Wide" ended up
changing hundreds

of people's lives
all around the world.

He entered
these groups of people

with terminal illnesses,
and encouraged them

to live their lives
to the fullest.

Not only did it
change their lives,

it changed our family's lives.

It's kind of cool,
the things that we did

after the diagnosis.

- Yeah.

- * I feel it in me
like the beating *

* Of life in my veins *

* I know there's gonna
be some brighter days *

- There's no question
that Christopher

being on the show
is living wide.

It's the epitome
of living wide.

- He was given
only four months to live.

Instead, he lived four years,

and they were some
of the best years of his life.

And when I do Ninja,

I really think he's there
with me the whole time.

- * Gonna be
some brighter days *

* I know there's gonna be *

* Some brighter days *

* *

- Matt, it is hard not
to root for this kid.

- And listen to the crowd,
now chanting his name.

He's trained
with many of the ninjas

in the Atlanta area,
who you see there.

He's got a big group
of friends

watching back in Georgia.

They all know just
what this means to him.

[countdown clock beeping]

Just finished his senior year
at Polk High School

outside Atlanta.

He has sensory
processing disorder,

which affects his balance,

so he couldn't play
traditional sports,

but started doing Ninja
back in 2015.

- And Ninja really
changed his life.

He went from a C student
to a straight A student.

[cheers and applause]

His friends call him "Topher,"

short for Christopher.

He is living wide right now.

But this could be
a big test for him.

Sensory processing disorder
really impacts balance.

Going to Domino Effect.

- Nice, nice, nice!

Oh, yeah!

[cheers and applause]

- And goes right
into Carnival.

And rolls the ball straight
into the number three slot.

- And I loved it.

This kid's so confident,

going for that single handle,

despite not wasting any time.

- Boy, he is moving
with speed.

Right through it.

[cheering]

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- Just amazing.

- I love the energy
that he's putting out.

- Let's go!
- Keep with it!

- And he's celebrating
his wins, I like that.

I see you, Christopher.

I see you, baby.

all: [chanting]
Living wide, living wide!

- The crowd chanting
"living wide."

Matt, you can feel the love.

In true Ninja spirit,

the whole crowd has
gotten behind this kid.

- Taking on Salmon Roll.

This has that big move
at the end

that no one's figured out yet.

- More than the success
that he's having so far

on "Ninja Warrior," Matt,

it's what "Ninja Warrior"
has done for him.

It's given him a certain
level of confidence.

All right, here we go,
this is the tricky part.

- And look at him
correct that bar.

Good maturity out
of this 17-year-old.

- Big underbar!
- Come on, you've got it!

- Here we go, living wide.

- He's got to keep the bar
even on both sides,

while jumping it up
and out over that gap.

- Up and out--nice!
- Wow!

- Nice, Christopher!
- What power!

[cheers and applause]

What power there.

- He is so focused.

Get out of there.

And look at this!
Matt, look at him!

He's in shock.
He can't believe it.

- Talk about living wide.

[cheers and applause]

Christopher Harding Jones,
running in memory of his dad,

could be the season's
first finisher.

all: [chanting]
Beat that Wall!

- You've got it!

- He knew exactly
what he wanted to do

when he came out here,
and that's to get that buzzer.

Nice.
- And he's done it!

[buzzer blares]

- For father!

[cheers and applause]

[yells]

- * I know there's gonna be
some brighter days *

- What a moment
for this 17-year-old!

Oh, just beautiful.

- Hey, Christopher!

Get over here, man.

I heard you, for your father.

You clearly understood
the assignment.

How exciting is this?

- I--can I have an autograph?

- Yeah, you can get
an autograph, man!

- Hey, can we get
your autograph?

- Yes, of course.
- Oh, man.

This is big-time, prime-time,
showtime, all-time, good time.

Great job!
- Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

Yeah, living wide!

- He was the first to land
that big move on Salmon Roll,

and then you could
feel the emotion

as the 17-year-old
made it up the wall

to get our season's
very first buzzer.

- [yells]

- Topher, you are living wide,
your dad's motto.

Your dad, I'm sure,
is watching down.

What do you think
he's thinking right now?

- He may not be here in person,

he has a front row seat
up there, and he is so proud.

- Amen.
- He's so proud!

- Climb down this wall,
go celebrate with your mom.

What a great moment.
- Oh.

- What a mature young man.
- Whoo-hoo!

- 17 years old.
- [laughs]

- Has already had
to grow up, and just--

I'm getting emotional again!

This guy is
really getting to me.

- * I know there's gonna
be some brighter days *

- Welcome back
to our season premiere.

While we were away, three more
of the loony competitors

from Lynchburg, Virginia
hit the course.

The oldest from the group
is Chad Thornhill,

a 38-year-old
theology professor

at Liberty University.

- Oh, he's hanging on!
- Whoo!

- Yeah, let's go!

- Last year, he made the wrong
decision on Split Decision.

So this time,
the 38-year-old avoided

another spinning balance
obstacle, The Serpent,

and went with Domino Effect.

- Yeah, I think he prayed
about this one, Matt.

- But the professor still
couldn't pass the test.

- Oh, oh!

What, what--oh!

[horn blares]

Then it was the group's
youngest member...

- [screaming]

- 19-year-old
Carrington Osborne.

- Let's go!

all: [chanting]
Carrington!

- The college sophomore was
making her "Ninja" debut

and sailed through
the first obstacle...

[cheering]

- But got derailed
on Rollercoaster.

- Come on, you got this.

You got it!

- Oh!

[crowd groaning]

- Three-time "Ninja" veteran,
Josiah Singleton,

is the unofficial leader
of the Lynchburg crew,

and he showed why.

- Hey, that was big-time,
prime-time.

[cheering]

- He powered his way through
the first five obstacles.

- Whoa!

Nice!

- Let's go!

- Then made his way
to the buzzer.

- Whoo!

- And became our second
finisher tonight.

- Let's go!

- He's pumped now!

- Come on, baby!

Country boy to the big city!

[cheering]

- Our next competitor
has traveled

more than 5,000 miles
to be here tonight.

This is Gary Hines.

He's originally from Georgia,

but he's now living
in Germany,

where he's a star.

[upbeat music]

- In Germany, I am a
professional handball player.

I've been there 12 years now.

Professional handball is one
of the top sports in Europe.

I would say handball
in Europe is

just about as big here
as basketball.

- My nickname is "Hangtime,"
and I got that

through handball because
I can jump very high

and hang in the air
a long time.

I competed on six seasons
of "German Ninja Warrior."

- [speaking German]

- Coming from
a handball background,

people don't think that I
could do what I'm capable of,

and I've pretty much
shocked them, surprised them.

[buzzer blaring]
Yeah!

And ever since day one,
I've become a fan favorite.

I came all the way
from Germany,

I'm not going home
empty-handed.

* *

- This dude's got a lot

of muscles
and one cool moustache too.

- And there's handball
teammates and their wives

watching from back
in Solingen, Germany.

- Oh, it's early
in the morning

over there in Germany.

Guten Morgen.
- Guten Morgen!

- Bros.

- And there's his American
family, the Turners,

who helped raise him
in Georgia.

[countdown clock beeping]

Today's his birthday,

turns 38 years old.

- And Hangtime,
a quick, confident start.

- Took about a 13-hour flight
to get here.

About to go for another ride
on Rollercoaster.

- 5'11", 185.

This guy has
excellent footwork.

My God, he's jacked.

- Is that
what handballers look like?

- [laughs]
Oh, my God!

I'm gonna start
playing handball tomorrow.

- He's gonna try the Dominoes.

- Go, go, go, go!

Nice!

- Hangtime right
through Domino Effect.

Grew up as a foster kid.

14 years old
when he met his parents,

Susan and Alan Turner.

He was a high school
track star,

but started playing
team handball

and was so good he made
the U.S. national team,

and then was recruited to play
on a pro team in Germany.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh, that ball's
having a hard time rolling.

- Listen, you don't think
he's gonna know how to--

- Uh-oh, uh-oh!

both: Oh, no!
[buzzer]

- Misses all three chutes.
- Uh-oh!

- Well, that is
the worst possible outcome.

Leaving him
with the toughest exit.

He's got to swing over
and land on that small ledge.

- That tiny little
Cliffhanger ledge.

all: [chanting]
Gary, Gary, Gary!

- Oh, my goodness!
- He did it!

- Wow.
- Hangtime!

Big old hands!

- Wow.

That is just remarkable.

[cheers and applause]

- Wow, look at this one again.

Hangtime Ninja hung on
for dear life.

- Imagine catching
a 185-pound weight

with your fingertips!

That left hand barely on.

No jet lag for this guy.

He's made his way
to the fifth obstacle.

- Hangtime.

This dude is the real deal.

What a rookie campaign so far.

- Team handball is
hugely popular in Germany,

second only to soccer,
and Gary Hines is one

of the league's
most popular players.

- Yeah, you can see why.
Dude's an athlete.

- But now has this big
move on Salmon Roll.

- Wow!

Look at--it's like
it's easy for him!

- If he can just avoid
a mistake right here,

he could be
our third finisher!

- Now he's got
to make this big lache.

Super athletic!

Look at him fly!
- Hangtime.

Now, let me guess.

You think this guy's going
for the Mega Wall?

- Of course he's going
for the Mega Wall.

But can we not ignore that
hangtime on that dismount?

Check this out again.

It's like he was
floating in the air!

all: [chanting]
Beat that Wall!

Hey, Hangtime, Hangtime!

Go get that money bag!

- I'm going to get it!

- Go get it!

- It's 18 feet high
for $10,000.

- Come on, you got this!

[dramatic music]

- No!
- Oh.

He just--he was too aggressive.

Too aggressive.
- His first misstep.

- That's all right.

- If you miss
on the Mega Wall,

you still get
to try the 14 1/2 foot Wall.

all: [chanting]
Gary, Gary, Gary!

- All right, here we go.

Yes!

- That's what
I'm talking about!

Hangtime!

[buzzer blaring]
- Yes!

- And Hangtime Hines is
making a lot of new fans.

- I'm here!
I'm here!

[all chanting in German]

- So, Gary, we know you've been
on "German Ninja Warrior."

How do it compare being here
on "American Ninja Warrior?"

- One of my ten-year dream

and goals has
finally came true.

Yes!
[buzzer blares]

- Well, you did it
in a big-time way, man.

That was fantastic.

- Hey, one more thing!

How do you say, "I'm going
to Los Angeles" in German?

- Ich gehe nachLA!

- There it is!
- I can't repeat it.

But that boy just
spoke German to us!

- Coming up,
this ninja's 70 years old.

What's his secret?

- I eat a lot of raw eggs.

- Plus...
both: USA!

- We've got three of America's
greatest soccer players,

and one of them's
gonna run our course,

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- We're just getting rollin'

on the new season.

But this new obstacle,
Rollercoaster,

is already giving our ninjas
the ride of their lives.

Minutes ago,
aspiring actor, Jake Parker,

was ready to put on a show.

The 24-year-old works
at an Orlando theme park,

so his performance on
Rollercoaster was a surprise.

[horn blares]

- My goodness, cannonball!

- Then it was Huntsville,
Alabama's

40-year-old mother of two,
Lindsay Eskildsen.

She had one of last season's
most impressive runs,

making it
to the fifth obstacle

just three months
after giving birth.

- That shirt says it all,

"Mama strong."

- Tonight, she had
her two little ones

watching from home,

and her husband
on the sidelines...

- Let's go, Linds!

- As she put together
another strong run.

Whoo!

- She's got
that baby bottle grip.

- But after making
the grab on Carnival,

she couldn't
straighten her swing,

and mama's strength
finally gave out.

both: Oh!

[energetic music]

- One of "Ninja's" originals,
Lorin Ball,

showed he can still
turn heads.

- Okay, I see you!

- The gym owner
from Colorado competed

on the very first season
of "Ninja Warrior,"

and at 35,
he turned back the clock

and turned on the jets.

- Nice little rhythm going.

- But even the wily veteran
couldn't handle Salmon Roll.

- Ooh--no!

He can't go down like that!

- Bug researcher,
Eric Middleton,

always brings us something
creepy crawly to eat.

He's dished out hornworms

and even a fried scorpion.

- Gah, ugh!

- But tonight,
he sent a friend

from the San Antonio Zoo

with a live scorpion.

- Eric, come get your friend!

- And while Eric was squirming
his way through the course,

we were squirming
in the booth.

Hey, Eric, will you hurry up?

We've got a scorpion up here!

- Yeah, we got a scorpion here!

- You ate one before.
You shouldn't be afraid.

[laughter]
- Ooh!

- Seconds later,
it was Middleton

who got stung
by the Salmon Roll.

Oh, no!
- Oh!

- Well, we talk a lot
about teenagers,

but we get all ages
who want to come out

and try the course,

including this one,
John Loobey.

Today is his birthday,

and there are 70 candles
on that cake.

That's right, he's 70!

- Is he taking out
his dentures?

Wait, what?

- And he did it!
- Whoa!

- Good lung power!

And if you're wondering
how a 70-year-old

stays in shape for Ninja,
he's got a special diet.

[rockabilly music]

- I'm an old dog,
but I do have some new tricks.

I eat a lot of raw eggs,

but I don't do it the way
everybody else does it.

This is how.

* *

- Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho.

He ate a raw egg,
including the shell!

- Well, it obviously works
for him.

He's got a lot of fans,

including a local
nursing home.

And even the teenage
competitors respect this man.

Some of them are only 15.

Loobey was 55
when they were born.

Oh!
- Oh, what?

Wait, what?
- He went Hulk Hogan!

- Whoa!
- What?

- He's got a tattoo!
- Oh!

Yo, he's swole, though!

- Dude, he's got
better abs than I do.

[cheering]

[countdown clock beeping]

- At his age,
having the agility to get

through the Shrinking Steps
would be amazing.

Come on, John!

- Yup, yup, come on.

Get it, get it, get it!
- Got it.

- No, come on, come on!
- Stay dry, stay dry!

- Stay dry, come on,
you got this one.

Yeah!

- Yes!
- Yeah, okay!

- John Loobey!

- Come on, John!
- Whoo-hoo!

- Let's go!

Let's go, John!

- And now he's got a chance
to break his own record,

the oldest to get
through two obstacles.

He did it when he was 65.

Can he do it again at 70?

And he is looking
strong, Akbar.

This crowd is on their feet
for John Loobey.

[cheers and applause]

Those dentures look good.

- Look at that!

Come on--oh, oh, no, no.
- No!

He didn't release
to the next bar,

and now it is gonna
be tough to save it.

- Come on!
- Look at him pulling it.

- Get out your dentures!

Just grab it!
- Look at those lats!

- He goes, "No."

He's saying, "You ain't about
to put me in the hospital."

[cheers and applause]

He's just doing pull-ups now.

- Look at the effor--

oh, he's doing another effort!

No!
[horn blares]

It's bath time
for John Loobey.

- Matt, that was
an impressive run.

- Just being out here
at 70 years old.

This is impressive!

- Lot of fun.

- Up next is one
of the greatest

women's soccer players
of all time.

Carrying her three
Olympic gold medals,

it's Heather O'Reilly.

She was a midfielder
for the U.S. national team

for 14 years.

She's won gold at the Olympics
and the World Cup,

and been on those
great U.S. Women's teams.

She's known
as HAO to her teammates,

two of whom are ready
to cheer her on.

- Let's go!
- It's Abby Wambach...

- HAO!
- And Julie Foudy.

The gold medalists are
in the building, y'all.

Abby, you talk to me first.
How proud are you?

How excited are you for Heather
to hit the course tonight?

- I mean, come on!

This is so exciting.

She's gonna crush it!

- USA!

USA!

- Julie, how are you feeling

about your girl taking
the course?

- My girl is going to rock it.

Let's go, HAO!

- All right, and lastly,
you know I got to ask,

might we ever see
you two on the course?

Any chance one day?

- Never!

- [laughs]
All right.

Well, in the meantime, let's
watch Heather do her thing.

Let's cheer her on, you ready?

- Yeah!
- Let's go, sisters.

- Heather's got the USA chant
going here at the dome.

Everyone's into this run.

all: [chanting]
USA, USA!

[countdown clock beeping]

- It's amazing she's out here.

Just had a baby
three months ago,

hasn't had
much time to train.

- Uh-oh.
- And HAO stumbled up.

- Hold on!

Oh!

Come on, get it, get it.

HAO.
Nice.

- Gets through it.
- Whoo!

- And she is pumped.

- Sounds like she just
scored a goal, Matt!

- Heather's now a soccer coach

at the University
of North Carolina.

And the whole team's
watching back on campus.

But now facing a real test
here on Rollercoaster.

- Well, she is used
to big pressure moments,

big man.

Always been a big fan
of the show

and wanted
to come out and try it.

- Roll of thunder,
let me hear your cry.

Oh!
- Oh, no!

- No, no--oh, my goodness.
- No!

- We're proud of you, Heather!

- Well, it ends
on the second obstacle,

but a courageous effort

by the soccer legend
Heather O'Reilly.

- How cool is this,
to come out and try this

three months
after giving birth, wow.

- All these guys are
incredible athletes.

I kicked a ball for a while,
but these guys, they're beasts.

Well done.

Well done, guys.

- Still to come,
meet Trey the Wonder Dog.

Three legs, but all heart.

- Come on, Trey.

Come on, Trey.

- And up next,
if he gets a buzzer,

she gets a ring.

The surprise of a lifetime

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back
to "American Ninja Warrior,"

coming to you
from San Antonio's Alamodome.

We're only halfway
through the night,

and it has already been one
to remember.

With scorpions, 70-year-olds,
and some surprise finishers.

Minutes ago,
12-time veteran,

Flip Rodriguez,
got his shot at the course.

- Remember
when he was just a kid.

- With many of his students

and training
partners watching,

the movie stuntman
avoided crashes

and worked his way
to Salmon Roll.

- The 32-year-old
still has that power!

Oh!

- He didn't get a buzzer,
but he's in good position

to move on to the semifinals.

- Keep pushing, baby.

- One of Flip's old students,
16-year-old Cal Plohoros,

did even better.

- Look at that, nice.
- Wow.

- Riding the rhythm.
I love it!

- The high school student not
only schooled the Salmon Roll.

- Matt, he didn't even flinch.

- At just 5'6", he almost
took down the Mega Wall.

- Ehh--oh!
- Oh!

[crowd groaning]

- Even with the miss,
he put up

the fastest finish so far...

- Let's go!
both: Yes!

- And then played matchmaker.

- My Spanish teacher has
the biggest crush

on you, Matt Iseman.

- Oh, sí?

- So if you'd like to say hi

to Señora Meyer,
that'd be great.

- Señora Meyer,
hola, como está?

- Then it was one
of our favorite teachers,

seven-time veteran,
Allyssa Beird.

- Let's go!

- Beird's boyfriend,
fellow ninja,

James McGrath,
and her mom, Daria,

were on the sidelines
as the fourth grade teacher

worked her way
to Split Decision.

Beird chose to take the road

less traveled, the Serpent.

- Oh, no!
Bitten by the Serpent.

- I did not expect
Allyssa Beird to go out

on the third obstacle.

Wow, that is a shocker.

- Well, that was upsetting.

- Well, now her boyfriend
gets his shot.

And this one could
be life changing.

It's the long-awaited return
of James "The Beast" McGrath.

This ten-time
"Ninja" veteran has faced

numerous injuries
the past few years,

and Allyssa's always helped
him battle back.

Tonight, he's ready
to cap his return

with a buzzer and a ring.

- This is going to be
my tenth season competing.

[tense music]

- The Beast
annihilating this course.

- The last time you saw me
was Vegas, season ten.

- Well, this obstacle has
been his nemesis.

No hesitation!

No!
- Oh, my goodness!

- And Allyssa Beird
can't look.

- I tweaked my shoulder,
and it ended up being

a really bad injury.

I was on the table for,
like, seven and a half hours.

For almost
four years straight,

I basically made it my job
to recover and come back.

It wasn't fun.
It wasn't easy.

But having Allyssa with me
and having her support me

through all this has
been amazing.

Like, I don't know what
I would have done without her.

- James and I have
been living together

for about a year
and a half now.

[upbeat music]

He's created a gym
in our living room,

just to have that opportunity
to train all the time.

* *

When I'm getting up for work,

he is going to bed
after doing 300 pull-ups.

* *

- It's taken thousands
of hours of rehab,

and coming into the season,

I actually feel stronger
than I've ever been before.

- Shoulder feeling good?
- Yeah, yeah.

Shoulder's feeling strong
and ready.

Allyssa's been my partner
through this long journey,

and if things go as planned,

I've got a special surprise
for her.

She's just the person I like,

and every day,
I, you know, choose her.

- Aw.

- So here's the deal,
he's told us,

if he gets a buzzer,
he will propose to her.

We know it,
but Allyssa doesn't.

She's gonna be watching
on the sideline

with her mom, Daria.

- That is pressure
right there.

You don't want to fall
after that promise.

- Plus, another "Ninja"
legend, Ryan Stratis,

will also be cheering him on.

- You got it, dude.

- McGrath and Stratis
competed together

way back in season two.

[countdown clock beeping]

And The Beast is ready
for his return, Akbar.

[cheers and applause]

- Nice.
- Whoo!

- Rollercoaster will
be a good test

to that surgically
repaired shoulder though.

- I'm sure he's thinking
about that shoulder,

but also thinking
about the proposal at the end.

Got to make sure
he's still thinking

about these obstacles.

- And he's through.

Now this will be
the first time

he's faced Split Decision.

And he's shaking his head
at Serpent.

Just watched
Allyssa go down there.

- Come on, come on.

- He is back, Akbar.

- Three obstacles down,
three to go.

- Halfway to a proposal.

- You got this.
Come on.

- He and Allyssa support each
other on the course and off.

They first met six years ago
at a Ninja competition.

- Oh, Matt, just look at him!

He's out here ballin'.

- McGrath's now 35 years old,

hasn't competed in four years,

but he looks like someone
running with a purpose.

- Probably never wanted
a buzzer as much as this one.

- Gets the T-bar.

- Oh, look at that little lion
looking down on The Beast.

- Well, there we go.

- Whoo!

- This dude is a beast
on the Salmon Ladder.

Let's see how he does
on Salmon Roll.

And you can see
Stratis looking nervous.

- Poor Allyssa,
she has no idea

how much her life could change

if James gets through
these next two obstacles.

- Can be a little tricky.

There's some timing
involved with it.

- Yes.

- Look at him,
finding a rhythm there.

all: [chanting]
Beast, Beast, Beast!

- One wrong move here,
and it won't be

the fairy tale ending
we all want.

- See the power of The Beast.

- Nice.
- There it is!

- Okay, here we go.

- Good job riding
the momentum.

He's so close
to that buzzer now,

but this is where
many have fallen tonight.

- Come on, you got this!
Everything you got!

- I like to see him
be a little bit

more methodical
with this big gap.

- Power up.
- Oh!

- He's flirting with disaster.

- He almost put that
over the edge.

- He's got to go up
and out a little bit.

- Watch that bar.

Nice!
- Oh!

- He beasted it!
- Wow!

- James McGrath!

- He saw that one coming, Matt.
He's got extra motivation.

- Well, at 6'2",
former track star,

can he get the dismount?

And he's done it!

I think he's gonna go
for the Mega Wall.

Allyssa's just glad
he's back on the course.

He's gonna do it.
He wants the 10 grand!

- Baby, come on,
let's go, James!

- Can those 35-year-old legs
get him up 18 feet?

Talk about a fairy tale ending,

10 grand to go along
with the ring.

Sha-na-na!

What a comeback
this would be.

[dramatic music]

[cheering]

[buzzer blares]
- Yeah!

Whoo!

* *

- The Beast is back!

- Wow!
What a comeback!

* *

- We thought we would never
see James "The Beast" McGrath,

and look at him
on top of the Mega Wall!

- Wow!

* *

- He's going down to celebrate.

What a great moment for them.

- These two met
through "Ninja Warrior."

[soft music]

* *

He's dropping to one knee!

* *

She said yes!
- She said yes!

Oh, she said yes.
- She said yes!

I'm tearing up up here.

- This is special.

And he got $10,000.

That should be down payment
for the wedding.

* *

Zuri, take it away.

- You guys!

Y'all are gonna make me cry!

Oh, my goodness, what a day.

Congratulations.
- Thank you.

- How do you feel?
- I feel amazing.

I mean, I didn't feel tired,

but my heart was just beating
so hard the whole time.

- Okay, now is that because
you were running out of breath,

or because you knew
you were gonna propose

at the end of this
if you hit the buzzer?

- You know,
maybe a little bit of both.

- And, Allyssa,
how are you feeling?

You're engaged.

- Really excited.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

- Okay, well,
now you got $10,000

towards that party,
so congratulations you two.

* *

- Coming up, a king...

- Yeah!

- A cake,

and an NBA great.

- Go hard, go strong.

- Plus...
- Good boy, Trey!

- The rescue dog
who saved this ninja,

and he did it on three legs.

Their story when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back
to the Alamodome

where our season premiere
definitely has a vibe going.

Georgia's Antwon Reeves is

a holistic-focused
personal trainer.

So he took
a spiritual approach

and tried a blessing
at the start.

Then the former
army sergeant got physical,

showing off
his 190 pounds of muscle.

- He wants
to show up and show out.

All right, here we go.

Oh, oh!

- But neither approach
seemed to work.

- Too excited.

- 16-year-old
Karen Potts is already a star

on her high school
softball team.

Okay,
she's calling her shot, Matt.

And tonight,
she looked like a ninja star.

- Really athletic.
Look at her go, Matt.

- With her teammates
back in Maryland watching,

the 5'11" shortstop sprinted

through
the first four obstacles...

- Go up, go up!
Oh!

- Before finally
flying out at Salmon Roll,

but that should be enough
to get her to the semis.

San Antonio chef
Parish Cardenas dropped off

one of his dishes
before he hit the start line.

- Chicken fajitas, baby, yeah.

- And while we
were chowing down,

Cardenas was
carving up the course.

[cheering]

- After rolling the ball
into the number one slot

on Carnival...

Matt, he's got
some flavor to his run.

He rolled
onto the fifth obstacle.

[upbeat music]

But Salmon Roll was
more than he could chew.

- Oh!

I could smell what he
was cooking on that move.

- Whoo!

- Our next ninja's coming
to the start line

with his best friend,
who happens to be

his three-legged dog
named Trey.

These two have an amazing bond
after rescuing each other.

- In 2019,
I was going through a divorce.

We did have two dogs.

We decided that my ex-wife
would take them.

What used
to be a full house was

now just me
in this empty house.

So I was really lonely,
and I'd go home every day,

and just lay there,
and not see anybody,

not talk to anybody.

I just felt like,
"What's the point?"

When I saw
a picture online of Trey,

that he was at a local shelter,

something about him
missing a leg,

I gravitated towards him.

Just like, "Man, I feel
like I can help this dog."

Come on, buddy.

Come on, bud.
Get up.

Being
an occupational therapist,

I had some skills
to offer this dog,

and it no longer became
about me.

It was about me helping him,

and that helped
give me a purpose.

You can do it.
Yeah, good boy.

I had to pull him
in and out of his crate,

carry him outside.

I would hold
a Trey in the water,

let him doggy paddle
through the water

so that he could build
the strength in that leg.

Up we go!

As the days went on...

Come on, buddy, come on!

Trey got stronger
and stronger,

and within a year,

Trey was running
around the yard,

doing anything
that any other dog can do.

Come on, Trey.
Come on, Trey.

He's my partner in crime.
He's my best friend.

Trey has been a therapy dog
for people with special needs,

specifically
who are limb different.

He's just a superstar
everywhere he goes.

* *

Trey inspired me
to chase my dream

to compete
on "American Ninja Warrior."

It took me five years
to finally get here,

but I'm so happy
that I stuck it out.

And I wouldn't be here
without Trey.

* *

- Aw, Matt,
you've got to love dogs.

- Absolutely, big man,
and Trey is gonna be running

along the sideline with
Kyle's parents and friends.

[countdown clock beeping]

- This guy is known
as the Sunshine Ninja,

spreading sunshine.

- And look at that confidence.

- Stepping up
to try Rollercoaster.

It's Kyle's first time
on a Ninja course.

Has some hops,
played high school basketball.

- He was a baller,
a little hooper.

- Oh, nice!

- Well, already through two,
Akbar.

I don't know what's better,
his moves or his tan.

He's gonna
choose Domino Effect.

He's waving off the Serpent.

He likes dogs, not snakes.
- Matt, that's a good one.

The training he's done
with Trey is working.

The dude is shredded.

- Go, go, go, go, hit it!

Nice.
Ooh!

- Well, Trey is a black lab,
but his dad, Kyle,

is looking like a greyhound.

Stepping up to Carnival.

As he said, he and Trey work

with those
who are missing limbs,

and some of them
are watching this run.

- Whoo!

- Get that tilting tube
right there.

Get it into the chute.

Looks like he's trying
to go for number one.

Oh, playing, a little fetch.

And he got the treat!

- He gets the line.
- He gets a treat!

- Gets to use that T-bar,

which makes the dismount
much easier.

- Nice!

- And this rookie
continues to impress.

- Let's go!

- Kyle McCreight
starting to feel it.

What a surprise this is.
He's at the fifth obstacle.

- Great athlete,
but doesn't have

a ton of Ninja experience.

We'll see what he does
with the bar in his hands.

- Hey, I said it before,
but that training

with Trey is clearly working.

That's 144 pounds of muscle

he's got to move
on this wheel.

Making some good progress.

Big move here.
Let the big dog eat!

Nice, nice.

And the sun continues to rise
here for the Sunshine Ninja.

He's getting closer
to a buzzer,

and Trey is starting
to take notice.

- And you could see him

checking both sides
of the bar, adjusting it.

- Yeah, that's right.

This is a big jump
right here, Matt.

This is where many have--

oh, no!

The great run
of Kyle McCreight

ends on Salmon Roll,
but that could still be

good enough
for him to move on.

Every dog has his day,
and Kyle McCreight

must have learned
some new tricks from Trey

because he just had
a great debut

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Makes it
to the fifth obstacle,

and we may see him
in the semifinal.

- Well, who do we have here?
Hi!

What did it mean for you
to have Trey here?

Because you two have built

the most incredible
bond together.

- Yeah, people say
all the time

they want to thank me
for saving his life.

I always tell people--
you know, they shake my hand.

I say, "You shake his hand

'cause he really
saved my life."

- Oh, my goodness.

Well, I'll shake his paw
in just a second here.

He's lucky
to have a dad like you.

It's nice to meet you, Trey.

Great work out there, Kyle.
- Thank you so much.

- Up next, her first buzzer
made history...

- Her-story was
just made tonight.

- Now Casey Rothschild
goes for another

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- We've already seen
a loony bunch

from Lynchburg, Virginia,
hit the course.

And minutes ago,
it was another crew,

all from Greenville,
South Carolina.

Seven-time "Ninja" veteran
Grace Sims celebrated

just being at the start line.

The 34-year-old tore
her ligaments roller skating

just a few months ago.

- So it was a minor miracle

she was able
to be ready to compete.

But the knee brace didn't slow
her down on Shrinking Steps...

- Matt, looks stable to me.

- Or on Rollercoaster.
- Nice timing, nice timing.

- But Domino Effect
was a step too much.

- Oh-oh!

- I did great!

- Then it was her husband,
Brett Sims,

who wears a stripe
for all 11 seasons

he's competed
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- He's earned every
single one of them, Matt.

- The gym owner was able
to dash through Domino Effect.

- Oh, nice!

- He powered through Carnival
and Salmon Roll.

- New obstacle, no problem.

- Then he raced up the wall

for his sixth straight
qualifying finish

and the 11th buzzer
of his career.

- Okay, I see you!

- Then it was another ninja
from Greenville,

gourmet cake maker
Becca Anderson.

Her brother, Bob,
held her cake version

of the Warped Walls.

- I say she's got them cakes.

- And the rookie
showed off some sweet moves...

- Nice, wow!

- Making a big save
on Domino Effect

and took a trip
to the Carnival,

but couldn't make the grab.

Her brother Bob's
a social media sensation

for doing crazy stunts.

- Man, he's got 3 million
followers on TikTok.

He's big-time, prime-time.

- Tonight,
the 26-year-old's moves

were equally
as impressive...

- Oh!

You don't do that
on the Ninja course.

- As he blew through
the rest of the course

and decided to take a run
at the Mega Wall.

all: [chanting]
Beat that wall!

- Becca's brother
about to get that 10 G.

[tense music]

Yes!

And he made the 18-foot wall
look like a piece of cake.

- Oh yeah,
you know it's about to blow up

on the Gram and TikTok.
All right.

- Well, we've had
so many great moments

at the Warped Wall,
including this one.

- Yes!
- Yeah, yeah!

History has been made!

- That was four years ago,
as Casey Rothschild became

the youngest woman ever
to hit a buzzer

at just 20 years old.

And now here she comes again.

She's carrying
the bisexual pride flag.

Casey started the group
"Queer Ninjas Unite"

to promote LGBTQ acceptance.

And some of the other members
are cheering her on tonight.

[countdown clock beeping]

Casey did well last season,

made it
to the national finals,

but hasn't hit a buzzer since
her first one four years ago.

- I'll never forget
that night.

It was such
a special night, Matt.

- She inspired many of
our young women competitors.

Casey was 20
when she got up the wall.

These teenagers would love
to break her record

as the youngest woman
to hit a buzzer.

- She is an all-round athlete,

still holds
the triple jump record

at Wesleyan University.

- And no problem jumping
through Rollercoaster there.

Now heads to Split Decision.

- Oh, wow,
she's going serpent.

She's not scared of the snake!

- 5'8", 140.

- She's got long legs, Matt.

- Oh, get the feet up!
Get the feet up!

- Nice, that's
what I'm talking about!

- She's the first
to conquer The Serpent.

Those cylinders
will spin under your feet,

but she stayed on top,

then made a great save
at the end.

Remember,
the top five women

from tonight will move on
to the semifinals.

Casey will have
a good shot at being one

of them if she gets
through Carnival.

- Good plan.
You got it.

Nice, in control.

You got this, all day.

Good, keep breathing.
You're okay.

- Goes right for three.

So she's gonna have
a long swing

over to the nunchucks.

Oh, misses the ring.

Now she's got it.

- She talked
about the pressure

of hitting the buzzer
in her first year

and how she just really was
trying to outdo herself.

This year, she's coming in
with a new mindset,

just to go out here
and have fun.

And look, she's having
fun on Carnival.

Nice grab!

- Good grip strength there
on that single spike.

And she's pumped.

- Okay, Casey,
are you having fun?

You're having fun?
Yeah, she's having fun.

- She is.
You can see the smiles.

But now she's
down to business.

No woman has made it
past the fifth obstacle,

the Salmon Roll.

- Remember,
she hasn't hit a buzzer

since that history-making run
four years ago,

but she's getting closer,

trying to be our first
female finisher of the season.

- Looking left to right.
Focusing on that right side.

Got it over the first gap.
- Good power!

- Now this next one,
she's got it!

Matt, she's got the rhythm.

- She just kept
moving forward.

I liked it,
that she's edging that bar

forward to get it
to the next rung there.

But it all comes down
to this final move, big man.

- Here we go, up and over.

Wow, there you go, Casey!
- What a powerful kick!

- You got it, okay, homegirl!
- Casey Rothschild.

- Isn't the mindset
so different

when you're just going
out there to have fun?

- And she is in disbelief.

- Yeah, go get yours!
Go get yours!

- Go, Casey!

- A four-year drought
since her last buzzer.

You know she wants it!

14 1/2 feet away

from the second buzzer
in her career.

She could be the first woman
in season 14

to get that buzzer!

- Oh, here we go, Matt.

Uh-oh!
- That's all right.

She's been here before.

- Visualize it, breathe.
You're okay.

- She knows how
to get up that Warped Wall.

- Again, trying to lead
the way for other young women.

- She's looking up.
See it.

If you can see it--

- Casey Rothschild's
such a strong ninja.

- Get up there!
Reach for it, nice!

By the fingertips,
and she's got it!

[buzzer blares]

[upbeat music]

- And she's emotional!

- * Show the world I am *

* *

- Oh, my God!

- Casey, you told me
you wanted to have fun.

Did you have fun out here?
- I had so much fun!

- So much fun!

- Oh, my God, I love you guys!

Represent.

- Casey,
you're the first woman

to hit a buzzer this season,
and I don't know if you saw,

but there are a lot
of little girls watching you.

What do you want
to tell those kids

watching you right now?

- I want to say
women are strong,

and I'm so excited to see one
of those teen girls

get a buzzer this season.

- Well, there you go.

- I want someone
to take that title from me.

- You are still
the youngest ever,

and you just got another.

We'll see you in LA!
- Whoo!

- Well, there's one more
teen girl to run tonight,

Jordan Carr.

We'll see if she can break
Casey's record in just a bit.

- Let's go.

- Plus,
he overcame cerebral palsy

to become one
of the top Ninja stars.

- All he does is this.

- Is he on his way to becoming
a teenage millionaire?

- Let's go!

- He's next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to the season premiere

of "American Ninja Warrior,"

coming to you from San Antonio.

- Minutes ago,
one of our top veterans,

"The Maker," obstacle designer
Kevin Carbone,

came out ready to go to work.

- Oh, Matt,
we know he's made a lot

of different obstacles
in his career.

- The 26-year-old rolled
through Rollercoaster,

and then thought
about the Serpent,

but decided to go
with Domino Effect.

- Whoa, okay, he is hustling.

- The five-time veteran
turned it on through Carnival

and then Salmon Roll...

- Whoa, big move!

- And looked like
he might have

the fastest time of the night.

- Oh!
[buzzer blares]

- It was a shocking fall,

but his fast time guarantees

he's moving on
to the semifinals.

- I second-guessed myself,
but I think I'm gonna move on

to the next round,
so here's to that.

- Then we were
graced by royalty,

the self- proclaimed

"King of Obstacles,"
Mack Roesch.

- I see you, big fella.
I see you.

- Roesch is
a veteran OCR racer,

and when he first competed
on "Ninja"

six years ago,
he conquered the course.

- I got it!

- Tonight, as the heaviest
competitor at 215 pounds,

Roesch muscled his way through
the first four obstacles.

- Oh, he's sliding.

Get out of there,
King, the King!

And, Matt,
he still has his crown on.

- But on Salmon Roll,
the King found out

that heavy is the head
that wears the crown.

- Trust yourself, King!

Oh!

[upbeat music]

- Shoot, almost had that.

- Up next,
he's still a teenager,

but is one
of the favorites to win

that million dollars
this year.

This is Vance Walker,

a two-time champion
on "Ninja Junior,"

and in his debut
on the big show last year,

he came close
to winning it all again.

- Last season was amazing.

- Matt, he will be
the shortest ever to get up

the Mega Wall.

- Never underestimate
this young man.

Come on, Vance.
Look at the speed!

Oh, yeah!

[buzzer blares]

- Let's go!

- As a rookie,
I was the youngest

and shortest person
up the Mega Wall,

got the $10,000, and in Vegas,

I was one of only two teams
to make it to stage three.

- Oh, my goodness!

He ran off the course!

- Vance Walker
going to stage three!

- But it's
a little heartbreaking

to get that close
to stage four.

- Only two obstacles
away from stage four.

- No, no!
- No!

- Last season,
I hit four buzzers,

but want to hit
six buzzers this year,

and that's exactly
what I intend to do.

I have the experience,
and I'm super confident

that I have a good chance
to win the million dollars.

- Vance's nickname
is Walker, Texas Ninja,

and he just moved back
to Texas from Georgia,

so there is a sea
of red-shirted fans

down on the sidelines
to cheer him on,

including his family.

[countdown clock beeping]

- His success on the course
is so remarkable

considering
his cerebral palsy.

He wore braces on his legs
as a kid.

- Sometimes, you just know
greatness when you see it,

and he's shown that
in his rookie year.

And we knew
because we saw him

on "American
Ninja Warrior Junior,"

but Vance Walker
is an absolute prodigy.

- He never fell once
during two seasons

of "Ninja Junior."

He expects to hit buzzers.

At 5'5", the shortest ever
to get up the Mega Wall.

And he's gonna choose
Domino Effect.

And flies right through.

- Matt, he is not stopping,
right into Carnival.

- He always has his foot
on the accelerator, Akbar,

but always in control.

Vance Walker is
the total package.

- Nice.

Nice precision too
on that jump.

And look how efficient he is.

all: [chanting]
Walker, Walker, Walker!

- Taking a breath here,
but he's got plenty of time

to catch Cal Plohoros
for fastest finish.

- This one, Salmon Roll,
a little bit more volatile.

- You have to be precise
with every move.

- Come on, Vance!

- We've seen this obstacle
give ninjas trouble all night.

We know it's still
very early in this season,

but if you're thinking
of someone who can achieve

total victory,
I'd be hard pressed

to put someone on the list
ahead of Vance Walker.

And he's being very careful
on Salmon Roll,

really taking his time.

- Oh-ho!

- Well, let's see it,
trying to take the next step,

get through this obstacle.

This is the big move,
1 1/2 foot gap.

Gotta fly that bar.

- Yeah, you can see him paying
attention to that left side,

keep your eyes right there,
even and steady, up.

Oh, no!

What?

Vance Walker, a rare misstep.

Wow!

- It's okay, Vance!
- It's okay!

- Look at this again.

He seemed very tentative
the whole way

through Salmon Roll.

And watch him
hesitate and fidget

with the bar
before that last move.

He got high enough
on the rungs,

but the right side
just slid off.

But the good news,
he went far enough,

fast enough.

He'll be moving on.

Of course, it's not
all about the teens out here.

Earlier tonight,
some parents got their shot.

- Love you guys.

- 42-year-old Jennifer Bryant

had her two sons
and husband

cheering her on from back
in Virginia,

as the college science
professor passed the test

on Shrinking Steps...

- Nice!

- But got a lesson in physics
on the Rollercoaster.

- Oh!

- Peyton Glover had
her two sons

and extended family watching
from North Carolina.

The 28-year-old
gymnastics coach was thrilled

to tumble through
the first two obstacles...

- Okay, I see you.

- But didn't have the balance
for the Dominoes.

- No!

- Proofreader
Becky Adnot-Haynes was trying

to impress her son and husband

watching from back
in Cincinnati.

Bookworm Becky
got straight A's

on the first two obstacles...

- Yeah!
Good job!

- But there was
no storybook ending.

She was knocked out
by the Dominoes.

- Oh, my goodness!

- Good job.

- I think I forgot
to read that chapter.

* *

- Things have gotten wild

the last few minutes

since zookeeper
Justin Andelin showed up.

- Oh, nice.
- There we go.

- Andelin runs
the Richmond zoo...

[owl hoots]

And he brought a very wise
friend to the start line,

a whiskered screech owl.

- Go, go, go, go!
Nice!

Look at the owl
following Justin!

- The 34-year-old dad
trekked all the way

to the fifth obstacle.

- Fly like an owl,
fly like an owl.

Oh!

- But the animal expert's run

was ended by the Salmon Roll.

- You know what he said, Matt:

"Owl" be back.

- Atlanta DJ DeShawn Harris
had the house rocking.

- Let's go, baby!
Whoo, yeah!

- Let's go!

- The former
college football player

made a one-handed grab
on Carnival.

- Ooh!

[upbeat music]

Okay with the save!

- And when the party
ended at Salmon Roll...

- Oh!

- He could celebrate
because he's moving on

to the semifinals.

- Moving on, baby!

- North Carolina's
Brett Hernandez Strong had one

of last year's best moments

when the 19-year-old rookie

conquered
the 18-foot Mega Wall.

- Oh!
- Yes!

- Tonight, the college student
made it to the wall again.

- He going
for another $10,000.

- And he conquered it again.
- Are you kidding me?

- The third ninja to take down
the Mega Wall tonight.

- Well, up next is
a competitor

we know very well, Akbar.

This is
15-year-old Jordan Carr,

who we watched tear up
the course

during "Ninja Junior,"

and this ninja is impressive.

* *

- I would definitely say
I'm a fierce competitor.

- Yeah, nice, whoo!

- Whether it's
pull-up competitions...

* *

Pie-eating contests...

* *

Everything.

* *

I started
competitive rock climbing

when I was
around nine years old.

I competed at nationals
quite a few times.

- Let's go, Carr, come on.

Yeah!

- In my first year of "American
Ninja Warrior Junior,"

I placed in the top eight.

- Jordan has the pedal
to the metal, here, Akbar.

[buzzer blares]

* *

- And then
"Junior" season three.

- Just a handle behind!

Look at her go!

- Oh, my goodness!
- Oh!

Couldn't stick
the dismount, Jordan Carr.

- There's a lot of emotion

with the moment
I shared with Akbar.

- I know, it hurts,
and it should hurt, okay?

And these tears are
only going to make you better.

I promise, you're going
to do much better

next time, all right?

All right, good job.

All right?
Okay.

- But that just showed
that I was fighting

for something
and how much I cared.

In Ninja, guys and girls
compete side by side.

Usually, in every other sport,
it's always separate.

So to be able to, like,
prove myself on a course

alongside guys is
just really awesome.

[soft music]

The big show is definitely

a little more intimidating
than "Junior,"

but I am feeling confident
in my skills.

I will be the youngest woman
to get up that Warped Wall.

* *

- Jordan's got her parents
on the sideline

along with mentor
Flip Rodriguez.

- Let's go, Jordan!

- And at 15,
she's already coaching ninjas.

Some of her students watching
back in Connecticut.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And Matt,
on "Ninja Junior,"

they were racing,
so Jordan had to go fast,

which led to mistakes.

Doesn't have to do that here.

She can take her time,
be a little more careful.

I think that's
really gonna help her.

- Come on, Jordan!

She's competed
in climbing competitions

all over the world,

ready to take on
Rollercoaster.

Didn't release,

so now she's gonna
generate swing to get over.

No problem.

And she is through.

The 15-year-old now
through two

and letting out a big sigh
of relief there.

- Looking over her options
at Split Decision.

Looks like she's saying no
to the Serpent

and headed for the Dominoes.

- Okay, fast,
light on your feet, okay?

- Flip offering some advice.

- It's all
about the timing here.

- Wow.
- Nice speed, nice gait.

Wow, light on her feet.

- She was locked in.

- Whoo, let's go!

- She can use
her climbing skills

here on Carnival.

Rock climbing
since she was three years old,

placed seventh in the nation
for sport climbing in 2019.

- I mean, at 15 years old,
what were you doing?

- I was probably
playing games at the carnival,

but nothing like this.

Jordan needs to swing over
and grab that single nunchuck.

- Oh, look at that!
- Wow!

- And she stops by
to give a little look

at the stuffed animal.

- That was
that rock climbing grip.

- Last year was the first
with teens as young as 15,

and 14 teen boys
hit the buzzer,

but no teen girls
have done it so far.

Casey Rothschild did it at 20,

and that is still
the youngest for women.

But she's got
to get past Salmon Roll,

which has already knocked out
15 ninjas tonight.

- Wow!
- Look at that, nice.

- Great power.
Two moves, watch the bar.

- Nice and easy.
Nice and easy.

Come on.

- Yes.
- Nice.

- She's 5'6", 124 pounds,
got to generate some power.

Now here comes
the make-or-break moment.

Yes!
- Wow!

- Okay!
- That was the tough one.

Now just a few moves
away from doing what

no teenage girl
has ever done before.

- Jordan Carr, so strong,
history in the making.

Yes!

[cheers and applause]

- Stop worrying, Jordan.
Let's go.

- As we said,
Casey Rothschild holds

the record as the youngest,
at 20.

15-year-old Jordan Carr
trying to break that record.

all: [chanting]
Beat that wall!

- Can she do it?

And she did it!

[buzzer blares]

- Let's go!

[upbeat music]

- Let's go!

* *

- Akbar,
we just saw a flying Carr!

- Elon Musk couldn't design
a car that great!

- Jordan, congratulations.

You do know this
is supposed to be hard.

- Really?
No, I'm just kidding.

- [laughing]

- Well, hey--
- It was!

- Let me tell you,
not only are you going

to Los Angeles,
you just made history

as the youngest woman ever
to hit a buzzer, Jordan!

- Let's go!

- 15 years,
5 months, and 28 days old!

We told you
to watch out for this girl.

She was calm,
cool, and confident,

and at 15,
she's now a record holder,

and our second woman finisher
of the season.

We're gonna see Jordan Carr
in the semifinals

and probably
for years to come.

And we're not done yet.

- He may be
the most exciting ninja

on the planet,

and every run is
a can't-miss moment

when you're RJ Roman.

He's next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're wrapping up
an electrifying night

in San Antonio,

and the great runs
keep on coming.

- Whoo!

Let's go!

- Minutes ago,
it was Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.

He was one of last season's
breakout teens,

making it all the way
to stage two in Vegas.

- Let's go!

- When you're 130 pounds,
you can throw your weight

around like that
like it's nothing.

- Electric Enzo made
the big move on Salmon Roll

and looked to be
on his way to the buzzer,

but a small adjustment
made the bar go sideways.

- No!
[horn blares]

- And he came up just short.

- No!

- Frustration
and complete shock.

- But his fast time meant Zuri
could deliver some good news.

- You're moving on.
- There we go, all right.

- We'll see you in Los Angeles,
all right?

- Then another teenager,

Georgia rookie
Ethan Bartnicki,

pulled off the save
of the night.

- Uh-oh, hold on!

My goodness,
that was a save right there!

That was a save!

- And though only 5'4"
and 114 pounds...

- Nice!

- The 17-year-old
hit the buzzer

in his "Ninja" debut.

- Let's go!
- Let's go!

- How did you hold on, buddy?

- I'm the GOAT.

- Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!

- And the Plumbing Ninja,

Vinnie Castranova,
really had it flowing.

- I don't know
too many plumbers

that could do that, Matt.

all: [chanting]
Flush that course!

- With his girlfriend
and newborn baby watching,

the three-time "Ninja"
veteran snaked his way

to the fastest finish so far,
2 minutes, 27 seconds.

- Let's go!

- Flush that course!

- But his best performance
came after the buzzer.

- Will you marry me?

- He popped the question

to his girlfriend Katie,

and she said yes.

- Oh, Castranova!

That's our second proposal
of the night!

- And there's
only one runner left

who can beat Vinnie
for that top time.

Get ready to rock
because up next

is Ninja's
heavy metal musician,

the speed demon from Orlando,
RJ Roman.

The five-time veteran
always goes for broke.

He's had the fastest times
in qualifying

the past two seasons.

- He'll have
his family watching

back in Florida.

This is the Ninja spirit
we've talked about,

supporting the last runner
as much as the first.

- Oh, you know
nobody wants to miss RJ.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, if he wants
the fastest time

for the third straight year,
he's gonna have to beat

Vinnie Castranova's
2 minutes, 27 seconds.

- The way he's going
right now, Matt,

I'm going to pin him

at about 2:12,
finishing this course.

Look at this, wasting no time.

- I'm gonna take the under,
big man.

Oh no!

- He's so fast,
he can't even mess up.

- A close call
on the Dominoes,

but that's RJ Roman's style.

He throws caution
to the wind on every run.

That's why he's
so much fun to watch.

- Nice.
Wow, he may go in a minute!

[cheers and applause]

- Well, with his speed,

he's already guaranteed a spot
in the top 30,

but he's aiming
to be number one.

Still needs to get
through Salmon Roll.

- I said 2:20, I'm sorry.
I disrespected the man.

- I told you
it's gonna be under.

But this obstacle,
Salmon Roll, has taken out

more ninjas
than any other tonight.

- This Heavy Metal Ninja,
this is heavy metal

you're moving right now.

- Find that baseline
and slap it!

Yes!
- Look at that!

- Oh, my goodness!
- Are you serious?

- You gotta think he's gonna
go for that Mega Wall.

- He's asking his crew if he
should go for the Mega Wall.

- I think
his mind is made up.

all: [chanting]
Beat that wall!

- RJ is just 5'6",

has never conquered
the Mega Wall before.

If he can do it,

it'll be a record-tying
fourth one tonight.

- Can he rock the house?

Yes!

[buzzer blares]
- Yes, let's go!

[rock music]

- And the fastest time.
- And he is pumped!

I think he just
about broke that buzzer.

* *

- I just got
to tell you, man,

I'm about to write you a ticket

for going so daggone fast, man.

Slow your butt down, man.

Here you go.
That's your ticket, man.

Great job.

- Hey, RJ,
I didn't think we got

to say this,
not only did you get

the Mega Wall, you got
the fastest time of the night!

- Let's go!

- He had a close call
on Domino Effect,

but RJ Roman never
slowed down, and look,

he had room
to spare getting on top

of the Mega Wall,

and for
the third straight year,

has the fastest time
in qualifying.

[buzzer blares]

* *

- What a way to end
this history-making evening.

We had four Mega Walls
in one night,

tying a record.

Jordon Carr becomes
the youngest woman

ever to hit a buzzer,

and two proposals
among our 13 finishers.

Check out others moving on

during Akbar's
Gbajabia-Moments!

- All right, here we go!

The Dirtbike Ninja,
Zach DiPaolo,

made some noise
as he hit the start line.

DiPaulo flies high
in front of thousands

at motocross shows,

but for the second year
in a row,

he couldn't fly
past the second obstacle.

- But at least he's used
to crashing.

- NBA player Amar'e Stoudemire
was cheering

for his financial adviser,
James Bartholomew.

- Go hard, go strong.

- Bartholomew's a former
basketball star himself,

but he shot
an air ball on Carnival.

Game over.

And number one,
Missouri dairy farmer

Caleb Dowden brought us milk
straight from his own cow.

- That is fresh from the cow.

I can still hear it mooing.

- The milk was refreshing,

but Caleb's run
got spoiled quick.

- Oh!

So that wraps up

an awesome first night
of qualifying.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila
and Zuri Hall,

I'm Matt Iseman.

We'll see you next time
on "American Ninja Warrior"!

[dramatic music]

* *