Original subtitles

BEN FORDHAM: Last week, over three epic semi-finals...

Oh, yes!

..our ninjas took on the toughest courses ever seen on Ninja Island.

BEC MADDERN: This is astonishing stuff.

And just 24 elite athletes...

This woman is phenomenal.

..rose above the rest to earn a place in this week's Grand Final.

Here I come, Mt Midoriyama!

Tonight, in the last semi-final, only eight more Grand Final places remain.

I was not scared of the heats but now I'm nervous.

Ready to battle it out, the Cossey brothers, Ben and Lee.

They've underperformed so far.

Oh, no.

Can they lift when it really matters?

The Tradie Ninja, Sam Goodall.

He built his own Mt Midoriyama

but he's also been keeping another secret.

It's quite likely that my hands will start seizing up.

Plus, he's 120kg of raw power,

easily this season's biggest ninja, Bronson Norrish.

And the pint-sized Disco Ninja, Betsy Burnett.

How the hell did you do that?

Will she defy expectation all over again?

The Grand Final is within reach.

It's what they've all been striving for -

to earn the right to attempt the greatest challenge of all,

to be the first to conquer Mt Midoriyama.

Which of tonight's ninjas

will continue on for their shot at Grand Final glory?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Welcome back to Ninja Island

where we're kicking off Grand Final week

with the last of our semi-finals.

We began the season with hundreds of ninjas

hoping for a place in the Grand Final.

However, standing in their way,

the toughest obstacle course in the world.

The heats claimed many of our ninjas

who were fit enough to make it all the way but

didn't have what it took in the moment.

Tonight, the last 30 ninjas make the run,

knowing it'll only be the cream of the crop who make it through.

We've saved some of the very best for the last of our semis.

Tonight, you'll see Season 1 superstars,

the climbing Cossey brothers.

Ninja lovebirds Betsy Burnett and Josh O'Sullivan -

can they both make it through?

Our fastest female through the heats, India Henry.

There's also Queensland's Loki Kuroi,

our favourite tradie, Sam Goodall,

and the mountain of muscle,

this year's heaviest ninja, Bronson Norrish.

Each night of the semis

has presented different challenges for our ninjas,

with the last being so tough

that no-one made it to the top of the Chimney Climb.

We've changed it up again

so let's have a look at the obstacles on course tonight.

The Quadruple Steps are the first of nine obstacles

that stand between competitors and the Grand Final.

Next, the Log Grip.

Squeeze tight and hold on through two jolts to reach firm ground.

The Broken Pipes have everyone talking.

So far in the semis, they've taken out 18 ninjas.

The slightest step off centre sets the pipes spinning

and, from there, it takes a lot of skill and luck to recover.

The Spinball Wizard caused all sorts of problems in Semi-final 2.

These handlebars can spin 360 degrees.

Ninjas must lashay from one handlebar to the next and then to the mat.

Obstacle five is new, the Floating Stairs.

A 45-degree angle pole tests climbing ability,

then a pair of eight down-and-up steps demand great grip strength.

Onto the infamous Warped Wall

but there's no buzzer at the top because the work isn't done yet.

The Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip is also new.

It demands explosive power as ninjas muscle the bar up three rungs,

then move in whatever way they can

across paper clips that tilt when body weight shifts.

Then the Hourglass to Tramp to Cargo Net.

Competitors shimmy across the tilting hourglass, then the tramp drop.

It took out all four ninjas who attempted it last time.

If you get it right, ninjas climb down the cargo net.

Finally, the Chimney to Rope Climb, a vertical challenge seven metres high,

the last three on a rope

that leads to the moment all ninjas are striving for.

And, remember, only the top eight furthest fastest

will move on to tomorrow night's Grand Final.

OK, it's time to bring out our first semi-finalist of the night.

His mission is huge.

Only six ninjas out of 90

have completed the course so far in the semis.

But, if anyone can rise to the challenge, it's this man,

one of the legendary Blue Mountains rock-climbing brothers, Lee Cossey.

In the heats, I'm not sure

if there was extra pressure on us but, at the end of the day,

you know, we're like every other competitor,

we can come off anywhere.

Alright, oh, no, hang on!

That's a shocker.

Gone.

I guess I feel kind of lucky getting through to the semis

but tonight's a new night and I'm definitely here to redeem myself.

We're the Cossey brothers and we're psyched

to smash the Ninja Warrior obstacles in the semi-finals tonight.

There is Lee's partner, Andrea Hah,

who unfortunately missed out on a Grand Final place.

And that's brother Ben,

who'll be running later tonight, but now it is all about Lee.

We are away.

It's all about furthest and fastest.

The last eight Grand Final spots up for grabs.

Yes, they are and Lee looks like he's bolting to get one.

Come on, Lee.

The Log Grip.

Hold on tight through two jolts.

Yes.

No drama.

And now the Broken Pipes.

Lots of ninjas have had problems on this one!

Oh! Wow.

Lee Cossey's gone.

Lee Cossey, one of the hottest contenders this year, went down

in the heats early and has gone off the Broken Pipes in the semi-finals.

Can you believe it?

Lee's first step is off centre.

The pipe starts spinning and we have our first huge shock of the night.

Lee, was that nerves or was the tactics tonight speed?

Definitely the tactic tonight was speed.

Yeah, just went fast.

They spin a little bit quicker

'cause they're not as heavy, not being as long, but, yeah, missed it.

OK, ladies and gentlemen, Lee Cossey.

Lee Cossey out.

An absolutely stunning start to the night.

Is this going to be another night where the course wins

or will our next ninja turn fortunes around?

A self-confessed petrol-head,

we hope she can put the pedal to the metal and go all the way.

After sneaking into the semis in 19th place,

she is 28-year-old Loki Kuroi.

So, I've brought along one of my good luck charms tonight.

It's out of one of my drift cars.

It means a lot to me to have my car with me at all times.

It's a bit of a tradition with my friends.

We go to shopping centres carrying our steering wheels.

It trips people out.

Ninja Warrior is not about how big your muscles are.

It's how much willpower you're gonna dedicate to it

and how much heart you're gonna put in to get to where you want to get.

This is one impressive ninja.

Ooh.

To be in the semis is an awesome experience.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Yes!

If I could get up for the Grand Final,

that would set new goals for myself.

New limits, new bars I never knew I could actually reach.

To be able to say I'm up there

and I can do this, I'm like, OK, sick, now I can step it up again.

Well, this is a big night.

Look at the good luck charms out in force

and I can sense rev-heads around Australia thinking, "Is she single?"

No.

Her partner Benjamin's on the sideline with her mate, Lachlan.

Okey dokey, Loki. Let's do it.

Come on, kid.

Freddie, we're all cheering her on.

From Moreton Bay, Queensland.

28-year-old Loki Kuroi.

Makes light work of the Quadruple Steps.

She's only 5'5".

Not a long arm reach.

So, she's going for the handles closer to her on the Log Grip.

One jolt, two jolts - well done.

Very focused, isn't she?

Really concentrating and she needs to.

Here she is now on the Broken Pipes.

Don't hesitate, just go, just go.

Ooh! Ooh, good recovery.

Oh, she's there. Good recovery.

Just hanging on.

Concentrate, Loki.

Keep going! Come on, Loki.

Yes, Loki. Well done.

She is tough, Ben, a real fighter.

You remember that from the heats.

Well, she's getting all the encouragement in the world.

That's a huge leap on the Spinball Wizard.

Yeah, Bec, this was a problem in Semi-final 2.

Nine ninjas came a cropper on it but Loki's got a good swing going.

Catch it!

Oh, she's into cars, not motorbikes,

but she knows the way around handlebars.

Come on, Loki. Don't tire. Yes, Loki.

As she looks up at these steps,

a slight look of dread comes across her face.

Understandably, understandably.

Here she goes.

The first part of this is a pole climb

and then you have to switch on to the floating stairs.

Gee, she's looking in great form.

She's done well. She is.

She's not going for every stair, going for every second or third.

The up is a little bit more challenging.

Only a few more steps to go, Loki.

Come on, Loki.

Can you get a crack at the Warped Wall?

She's doing it. I'm backing you tonight.

Yes, Loki! Loki!

(CHANTING 'BEAT THE WALL')

Well, now the chant goes up even more.

This is her first shot at the Warped Wall.

"Beat the wall" - you can hear it.

This is incredible, Ben.

Six women have made it up the Warped Wall in the heats.

Onesie Ninja Laura Edwards made it in the semis

and now Loki has her chance to do it.

Just revving herself up, Loki.

Plenty of drive.

Oh! Oh, she was close.

You got it.

Eyes only on the prize.

Only one woman currently in the Grand Final, Olivia Vivian.

Are we looking at number two?

Oh, Loki, Loki.

Go, Loki. Yes, Loki, Loki!

Those fingertips must be so strong.

That is the eighth women up the Warped Wall.

Wow!

And further proof

of the girlpower that has dominated Ninja Warrior in 2018.

Come on, Loki, let's go!

Just checking out the trampoline.

You can just take your time, Loki. Gather yourself.

Get the feeling back in the forearms.

Get your breath back.

Easy for you to say, Freddie.

She's gotta face the Salmon Ladder.

And she's on.

Oh!

Ooh, that was an unfortunate slip and fall and I think that's all it was.

But remember the name - Loki Kuroi,

the eighth woman to make it up the Warped Wall this season.

In an otherwise faultless run,

she couldn't slow her swing down on the Salmon Ladder.

She lifted the bar at exactly the wrong moment and it was game over.

Loki, I'll give you the towel first. Thanks.

And I'm sure you want your steering wheel back.

My good luck charm.

Loki, you said you had unfinished business with the Warped Wall

and you managed to conquer it.

I'm so happy. That was awesome.

It was so good. Was your heart in your mouth?

First time, you get inches away,

but then the second time you flew straight up there.

It's just technique, just knowing where to go, how to get up.

That's awesome.

Well, it's a fantastic effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, Loki!

A great effort.

How good was she?

And now Loki begins the wait to see if she'll be in the Grand Final.

Coming up, Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall

is fighting more than the course tonight.

He's also battling illness.

It's quite likely that my hands will start seizing up

and I'll just run out of steam.

Will Sam's brother-in-law, Zed Colback,

win bragging rights in the battle of the families?

I've got my eyes definitely set on Mt Midoriyama

and to get into the finals would just be the best thing ever.

Also ahead, no-one fights harder than this ninja, Betsy Burnett.

I might only be little but my belief is this big.

And from war-torn Liberia, Bobby Taylor.

Here's my sis. I love her.

And his number-one fan.

Alright, it's go time, baby. Let's do it.

Whoo!

Welcome back to Ninja Island

where 27-year-old Bobby Taylor is on course on the floating stairs.

In his heat, Bobby finished tenth,

getting up the Warped Wall on his third attempt.

Wherever he goes,

his biggest fan, his sister, Joyce, isn't too far away.

One at a time, Bob.

You'll remember Bobby and Joyce

came here as refugees escaping civil war in Liberia.

You can do it.

They've got a beautiful bond, these two.

Save your energy.

Here we go, let's get this crowd going.

Let's get this crowd behind Bobby Taylor.

Save your energy.

Bobby Taylor.

Ooh, he's just slowing down now.

Oh, testing that finger strength.

Oh, no, I think he's starting to tire.

Don't give in now, Bob.

Come on, Bobby.

Has he run out of steam?

His arms are burning. He's hurting.

Oh, he's gonna go for it. He's gonna swing off.

Good lad, Bob.

Too good.

Here it is - the Warped Wall.

Remember, he took three attempts to get up it in the heat.

This course is harder, though.

He is really hurting this time.

Come on, Bobby, deep breaths.

Has he got the energy?

Up he goes, Bobby Taylor.

Two hands. No issue whatsoever.

Hauls himself up.

OK, so, here he comes

to the very challenging Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip.

He is tired, landing heavy on the feet now.

Save your energy whenever you can, save it.

You've got this, you've got this, Bobby.

Bobby hits the bar.

Three rungs he's gotta go up.

But his arms are really straight, aren't they?

He's in the dead hang there.

He's gotta find it within himself

to push himself vertically up the salmon ladder.

No. Bobby Taylor.

Just doesn't have enough.

Whoo!

What a wonderful run, though, from Bobby Taylor.

And his sister, Joyce, is pretty happy with that and so she should be.

This course is designed to cause fatigue.

The further you go, the more it hurts.

You could see Bobby was starting to struggle by the floating stairs.

He took as long as he dared to recover at the Salmon Ladder

but just didn't have enough energy in the tank.

Bobby, that was an incredible effort.

You just run out of steam at the end there, mate.

Definitely. Your sister on the sidelines.

I get the feeling she lived every step of the course with you there.

Yeah.

She's on the sidelines.

She's shouting and screaming. She's getting the crowd going.

I reckon she's as tired as you. Yes.

Well, she may be your biggest fan

but you picked up plenty of fans around the course tonight

and I, for one,

hope we see you and your sister back again next year.

Are we gonna see you, Bobby? Absolutely. Let's go.

Top man. Ladies and gentlemen, Bobby Taylor!

Well done, Bobby Taylor.

But will his time be good enough to make it into the Grand Final?

There's no doubt competition for the remaining eight spots is intense.

Our next ninja wouldn't have it any other way

because he thrives on challenges.

He's the brother-in-law of Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall

and a rock climbing instructor from WA.

He scaled the Warped Wall with ease

and he's back right now to take on the semi-final course.

Zed Colback.

I'm so stoked to be in the semi-finals.

I just can't wait to take on the course tonight.

On the sideline, I'm gonna have my fiancee, Nicole.

We got engaged not long ago.

Went out rock climbing with her

and proposed on the top of a massive rock.

So, that was pretty awesome.

This is brilliant stuff.

That's confidence.

It's awesome to have my brother-in-law, Sam,

doing the same semi-final.

I think there is a bit of some quiet rivalry there.

Now, if you tickle me, I'm gone.

I think I can beat my brother-in-law, quietly.

I think I'm just gonna be able to go out there

and do my best and hopefully that'll be enough.

There she is,

sporting a new sparkler on her finger, fiancee Nicole.

Her dad, Steve, and the Goodalls.

He's one of 13 kids so no shortage of cheering back home in Mandurah, WA.

Alright, here we go, the battle within a battle.

Family bragging rights on the line.

The young bloke, Zed.

Gee, light on his feet just like Sam.

But this is Zed's time to shine and here he is on the Log Grip.

Done, sorted.

Next, what's next?

Broken Pipes next and we saw what this did to Lee Cossey.

Ooh, well done.

He gets to what we call the mushroom and then resets.

Massive.

Spinball Wizard now.

This is where Zed will come into his own.

All about upper body strength.

He's a rock climber.

Good jump onto the first handlebar.

Look at that control.

Those handlebars can twist but not right now.

Zed Colback - great core and upper body strength.

Six foot tall.

71 kilograms.

And he's off.

Onto the Floating Stairs.

This is the first time ninjas have seen this obstacle.

It begins with that climb up the pole.

Up the pole and then a climb down the sloping stairs.

What a nightmare.

But he's sucking in the oxygen.

Beautiful!

And really good form.

You can see that angle there.

His arms are at a 90-degree angle,

meaning he's got plenty of gas in the tank.

He's not at a full dead hang.

Though, as I just say that,

he goes for a little rest there but that's fair enough.

One more. Yep, you're good.

Yep, lovely.

And now the Warped Wall is in front of him.

He can do it.

He wastes no time.

Straight up to the top of the Warped Wall.

Yes, Ben, but this is where it gets serious.

Fatigue's building

and the last three obstacles are the toughest of all.

Not one ninja managed to complete them in the last semi.

Zed Colback now onto the second part of the semi-final course.

And his first look at the Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip.

And Zed has still got

very much a business look on his face at the moment.

Go, Zed. Perfect.

He's gotta go up three rungs. There's one.

Have a look at the drive in his chest and shoulders.

There's two. He's strong.

He's nailed the third.

Onto the Paper Clips now.

They'll tilt with Zed's shifting body weight.

They will.

See Zed's rock climbing skills coming out here.

He's using his legs to give his arms a rest.

That's very, very clever.

They're going to be burning but now he needs to cross over.

The transition is the toughest part.

Come on, Zed.

Here we go.

This'll be a big relief - yes!

Great transition.

What is amazing, though,

is how composed he's looking at this moment,

shifting his weight between his arms and legs to share the load.

That is clever.

He's gotta be tiring but he looks so in control.

Zed, very big chance here.

This is where the rock climbing experience will come in.

Look at him, see. Oh, what is this?

Look at that.

When you spend half your life hanging from a cliff somewhere,

you're able to do these amazing things.

And imagine the rock climbing fraternity at this point in WA.

They all know Zed Colback.

He's an instructor over there.

All of his students and all of his pals

will know how well he can go in this competition.

You've got it in ya.

Onto the Hourglass to Tramp to Cargo Nets.

Yep, that's perfect.

As he shimmers across the Hourglass.

Look, he'll start looking down now.

Onto the trampoline.

X marks the spot.

You know where you've gotta bounce.

No-one got past this last time.

Yes. That's a good hit!

Now he's up to the Cargo Net.

This won't be a problem.

He's not gonna make a mistake here, surely.

Oh, not a chance, Zed Colback.

Zed, one more obstacle. You've got this.

You've got this!

But can he finish?

The Chimney to Rope Climb.

Seven brutal metres.

Here he goes.

Just positions himself.

He's gotta use his arms and legs for the first four metres.

But he looks like he's starting to struggle with his fingers.

It's taken its toll. He's been shaking 'em.

He's been wiggling 'em. He's been waggling 'em.

Trying to get some blood back inside.

Come on, Zed.

You can do this.

Almost at the rope.

That's it, you're safe.

Oh, he's tiring.

He's a little over halfway and now it's all arms, all hands.

He's using the feet because he's thinking,

'If it's all arms and all hands, I'm not gonna be able to do it.'

So gutsy.

Have we ever seen anyone fight this hard on the rope before?

And now he cracks a little bit of a smile as he goes through that hole.

Well done, Zed. You're up there.

You've just gotta get your hand on that buzzer.

Bam. What a relief.

The rock climber has just climbed the chimney.

And what about the smile from Zed Colback

as he realises he's made the Grand Final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Zed, get your locks out.

Whoo!

And with a flick of the hair,

we have another ninja complete the semi-final course.

Light and strong, Zed Colback used all his rock climbing skills

to work his way through the course

but even he was nearly spent by the end.

Willpower alone getting him to the top of the tower.

Come here, Zed.

Good job.

Zed, you fought and fought

and you dug deeper than you've ever dug before.

I can see it on your face.

Yeah, absolutely, that was crazy.

Did you think you'd get to the top?

I didn't really expect to but when I got closer, each obstacle,

I was like, 'It's actually happening.'

And you've laid down the gauntlet for this young man next to you.

And advice for him?

Yeah, just take your time if you're able to.

Oh, OK. Preserve your arms, yeah, and do it.

Ladies and gentlemen, Zed.

Happy families here on Ninja Island

and Zed Colback stakes his claim to be one of the eight furthest fastest

to make the Grand Final but who will join him?

Coming up, Bronson Norrish launches 120 kegs at a Grand Final spot.

I'm stoked that I've made it this far.

I'm not stoked that I'm the fattest ninja.

Blue Mountains climber Ben Cossey.

Can he go where his brother couldn't?

There's no rivalry between us, you know, not really.

And never say never.

Our smallest ninja, Betsy Burnett, reaching for the stars.

Yes, come on, Betsy!

Welcome back to Ninja Island.

This is the last of four semi-finals.

The top eight ninjas tonight

go through to tomorrow night's Grand Final.

Next on course, one of Australia's favourites.

Betsy Burnett is our shortest competitor, is female and fabulous

and one of just six women to make it up the Warped Wall in the heats.

She may be short in stature but this determined Disco Ninja dazzles.

A big, huge welcome for Betsy Burnett.

My name is Betsy Burnett, I'm 28 years old from Sydney

and I'm the Disco Ninja.

Coming into the heats, I was worried about obstacle two

and three but managed to get there so that was an awesome feeling.

Yeah, she'll skate across. Quick, quick, quick.

Obstacle four - tried to reach with my feet onto the cargo net

a few times and it just wasn't happening.

I started to panic a little bit, thinking,

'How am I gonna do this? How am I gonna do this?'

Josh was on the side and he said... Reach with your left hand.

I instinctively listened to him.

Yes! He was right!

My heart was beating so fast.

Beat the wall!

I knew that, if I gave it my all,

like I do in training, that I could get up this Warped Wall.

She is giving it everything.

She has pumped those arms and it has paid off.

And I got up the wall!

Being back on the island for the semi-finals

is gonna be a whole 'nother challenge in itself

but I'm just gonna visualise throughout the day,

make sure that I'm in the right state of mind

and just believe in myself.

I really, really want to be the girl in the Grand Finals.

I've dreamt about it and I really believe that I can do it.

Betsy Burnett.

This girl is a giant.

She is, Freddie, and no prouder fans than her family

and boyfriend Josh who's on course soon.

Come on, Betsy. Betsy Burnett.

I love this girl.

Straight away, everything is harder for her with those little legs.

That's a big leap between the platforms

but she's all ticker, believe me, nothing gets in her way.

She's through.

Betsy Burnett, she is a crowd favourite.

We can hear that here on Ninja Island

and I'm sure she's a favourite at home.

Have a look at Betsy trying to wrap

her very small arms around that huge log grip.

She goes for the ride of her life and she does

and that, believe it or not,

is a really challenging obstacle for Betsy

just because of her wingspan.

She's been a firecracker.

Deep breath.

And we love her. Let's go.

Come on, Betsy.

The whole country's behind you.

The Disco Ninja approaches the Broken Pipes.

Yep. She runs across.

Good technique.

Oh, it's an uncomfortable landing, though.

In fact, there's no comfortable landing on that mushroom.

Here she goes, pumping herself up for the second half.

Come on, Betsy. You can do it. Run, run, run.

Good girl! She saved herself.

There's a long way to go, though.

Yes, yes, yes.

Here she is now on the Spinball Wizard.

She's gonna need a huge bounce off this trampoline

onto the first of the spinballs.

She's up. Yes, Betsy!

Just clinging on!

This is amazing.

Get swinging here, Betsy.

The big challenge for her, she does not have that big wingspan

and now this is the next big challenge.

Let's see her let go of the centre handlebars.

Oh, she's saved it!

She's saved it! One hand.

She's only got one half of it.

Please recover, Betsy, please recover.

She's still alive, Bec. She's gonna get off.

She's gonna do the dismount with one handle.

Heavens to Betsy, can she do it?

She does!

Yes!

Amazing scenes from this little powerhouse from Sydney.

Betsy Burnett clinging onto the Spinball Wizard with just one hand.

Oh, my goodness.

One of the great saves in Season 2 from our shortest ninja.

I can't work out how she did it

but we've gotta forget that for a moment

because Betsy Burnett is on her way towards the Warped Wall

but she's gotta get through this staircase first

and it's not any old staircase.

No, it is not.

It's all about finger strength,

grip strength and, most important, willpower.

Almost there. The crowd cheering her.

Trying to feed off that crowd. Trying to feed off that noise.

Everyone with you here, Betsy Burnett.

Come on!

She knows she can get out of trouble now.

She's backed all her skills to get this far.

She's amazing. She's simply amazing.

And everything she touches is gold.

Now the wall.

The wall. That wall.

Can she beat it again?

Betsy Burnett, the Disco Ninja, she eyeballs it,

she's staring it down and now she mounts a challenge against the wall!

Oh! Fingertips, Betsy.

Oh, that was so close.

Get your composure, deep breath.

Deep breath.

Plenty of advice from Josh.

His advice helped Betsy conquer the Rope to Cargo Net in her heat.

"Take a breath," he's saying.

I can't watch. I can't watch.

Can Betsy Burnett do it again?

Come on, Betsy Burnett.

Yes, she does!

On the second attempt, up the Warped Wall.

She is one incredible woman.

Josh O'Sullivan is absolutely pumped for his girlfriend.

Just relax.

This is all you.

You've gotta think, if she gets through this next obstacle,

she has got an amazing chance of reaching the Grand Finals.

First you need to conquer the Salmon Ladder, Betsy Burnett.

We're all behind you here on Ninja Island.

Do it for everybody, Betsy.

Three rungs to go.

My word, she is one fit athlete.

Deep breath - come on.

One.

Oh, this is amazing.

This is absolutely amazing to watch.

Oh, she's done it.

She's done all three!

The Salmon Ladder has taken out some of our best male athletes

and Betsy Burnett is just carving up this course.

And now those little legs hook around the Paper Clips.

Take a big breath here.

And her hands are ruined.

So, that's why she's using her forearms and her elbows and her knees

and her thighs and her ankles, every part of her.

But now she's back onto those exhausted arms.

She's got no choice.

She's got to make the transfer.

She's got the swing going. Can she reach?

No! Oh, Betsy.

She just ran out of gas but that was an absolute joy to be a part of.

Wow, Betsy Burnett, you little Ninja hero, you.

Every time Betsy competes, she brings more and more to this course.

Look at the save on the Spinball.

She's probably the only ninja on the island who could've pulled that off.

No wonder she had nothing left in the tank on the Paper Clips.

I'm sorry I didn't make it up the chimney.

Betsy Burnett, that was incredible.

Top of the Warped Wall again and beyond.

How do you do it?

Belief, passion and a whole lot of training.

It is furthest fastest.

You've still got a chance of reaching the Grand Finals.

What would that mean to you, Betsy?

It would mean the world to me.

Wow, Betsy is currently sitting in fourth position.

Eight go through to tomorrow's Grand Final

but there's still a long way to go tonight.

We've been wowed by Betsy

but, still to come, the heats' fastest woman, India Henry.

I'm not competing against anyone else other than myself

and tonight I'm gonna finish that course.

But next, the quiet achiever who stormed through his heat,

international gymnast Jordan Papandrea.

Welcome to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Now he's ready to steal the semi-final spotlight.

See you guys soon. See ya, buddy.

Yeah, Jordy. Jordan.

The competitors on Australian Ninja Warrior

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

But it's the ninja who goes furthest and fastest

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

Thanks to Berocca.

Welcome back to Ninja Island

where the Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip is causing plenty of pain.

Over the break, organic grocer James Doney looked fresh early...

Needs to get up there quick. He's running out of energy.

..but wilted on the second Paper Clip.

His arms were absolutely gassed.

Paul Ranger came dressed as a Dalmatian...

Do not give up, Paul Ranger!

..but couldn't spot his landing.

Oh, Paul!

And warehouse picker Emmett Swindells couldn't handle the load.

Oh! Oh, no!

It's the fourth and last of our semi-finals

and our next ninja says he's been training for many years to get here.

An international gymnast who's also studying to be a pharmacist,

Jordan Papandrea hit the buzzer in his heat,

carving up the course in only 1:45.

Now he's confident he can go even faster tonight.

Jordan Papandrea.

Being a gymnast and training 20 hours a week for the past 15 years,

in a way I've been training for this moment my whole life.

My first competition

when I was around about five years old was definitely not an easy one.

I had to have my grandma come and get me out of the car

'cause I was just too scared.

But now nerves are just a sign that you're excited

and keen to get on the course.

And just look at him - one to the next and a couple more to go.

I really do believe he's got the ability to get through.

If he doesn't, it's because the course is impossible.

Jordan Papandrea from New South Wales.

Made it up the Warped Wall first time in the heats.

Just killed the course.

One of our emerging heroes.

To be fair, not the worst looking either, is he, Jordan?

Fair call, Freddie.

Dad Len would say, "Like father, like son," I'm sure.

He's on the sideline tonight with Jordan's brother-in-law.

Come on, mate. You can do it, buddy.

Have a look at this bloke.

It looks like he's been chiselled out of granite.

Well, the way he glided through the Quadruple Steps there,

he's certainly agile.

Now onto the Log Grip.

And you've got a choice, you can see there, of two different hand grips.

This is only the second time

he's been on the Ninja Warrior course but no problem.

Jordan Papandrea.

So focused and so pumped.

Look at that face.

Let's watch the steps. Nice.

Close but he's OK.

Now the second half.

Easy part, easy part.

And, ooh, lucky.

A foot came off but he saved it.

Great work. Go, mate.

You'd imagine now the Spinball Wizard would be right up his street

being a gymnast.

Plenty of upper body strength,

plenty of rhythm, plenty of movement.

Now he's gotta make this transition.

It's all about the strength.

Hold onto it. Jordan, yes, he does.

This is beautiful to watch.

Everyone's loving every moment.

Jordan Papandrea.

Take your time. Onto the Floating Stairs now.

Straight up.

Oh, no mucking about here onto the Floating Stairs.

Just positioning himself nicely.

Hang on a minute. Three at a time.

Oh, that's 15 years of gymnastics training for you.

Easy, bro. Take your time. Down to the upside now.

This is the toughest part of this obstacle.

He's not slowing down, though, Bec, not one single bit, and he's off.

At the Warped Wall now.

His time is good.

Four seconds faster than Zed Colback to here.

Just look at the confidence.

Straight up the wall.

He's there. Over the top.

And I've gotta say, he's looking stronger

than most other ninjas we've seen tonight, Freddie.

Here he is now, entering the second part of the course.

First with the Salmon Ladder.

OK, on the tramp. Oh, look at that.

He just stops his momentum just like that.

Deceleration, I think the gymnasts call it.

And now the explosion - one, two... oh!

Oh, he's missed a rung.

Corrects it. Yes, yes.

And the third. Incredible chest to bar power.

And now these Paper Clips in front of him.

And he can use his legs to give his arms a rest.

But Jordy says, "Nah, you know what? My arms are feeling fine."

Swing, mate.

Come on, bro.

Look at that - wow.

Jordan Papandrea.

I hope he's got enough left in the tank.

Come on, mate.

Oh, Jordy.

He's alright.

Unbelievable form on the Paper Clips.

That was incredible.

Come on, Jordy, be sure.

Yeah, I'll tell you what I'm sure of, Bec,

I'm sure this 22-year-old pharmacy student is gonna go all the way.

I love him.

I've claimed him.

I've jumped on the bandwagon.

Don't think you're the only one.

He just gave us a look up here in the commentary box.

We are cheering for you, Jordy.

Good, bro.

This is the tricky one, though. Timing it right on the tramp.

Gonna drop and bounce.

Yes! He does it!

He makes the Cargo Net.

Jordan Papandrea.

You better remember that name

because, if he can just sustain himself on this net,

yes, he gets the feet over the edge.

And now...

Jordan Papandrea,

he is very quickly becoming one of the absolute favourites

here on Ninja Island.

Look at the clock.

He's 20 seconds quicker to the Chimney than Zed Colback.

Come on, Jordy.

Jordan Papandrea in the Chimney.

Look how quickly he's going. He's at the 4-metre mark.

He's smiling. He is so tough.

He's tougher than woodpecker teeth, this bloke.

Oh, wow. Jordan Papandrea.

When you think someone's gonna have nothing left in the tank,

this bloke says, "No, I've got plenty more to go."

This is incredible.

That strength and determination would see this man go all the way!

And he's on fire, Jordan Papandrea!

Jordy, Jordy, Jordy!

What about the smile on this bloke!

That was ten out of ten.

So happy. So excited.

Jordan Papandrea - great technique

and look at the explosive chest and shoulder strength

on that Salmon Ladder.

And it felt like, the longer he went on, the stronger he got.

Jordan, get in here, son.

See them first.

Hey, bro.

Jordan, come in here, mate. That was so impressive.

You're a gymnast.

You're as fit, you say, as you've ever been.

Was it ever in doubt you was gonna get to the top of that Chimney?

Like I said, confidence is half the competition

but, honestly, just come out here, have the best time, have some fun.

I knew that, if I did all those things right, that I'd be up there.

And, Len, dad on the sidelines beaming with proud.

How good is this young man?

He's great, he's a legend in my mind

and, yeah, he's there to show everyone

that he's got the ability to do this.

Top man. Ladies and gentlemen, Jordan Papandrea.

Amazing. Well done, man. Incredible.

Two ninjas already up the Chimney tonight,

joining only six others to have got that far in the semis.

Let's have a look at the leaderboard.

Jordy is on top, 40 seconds faster than Zed Colback.

The rest of the top eight

all ended their runs at the Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip,

including Betsy Burnett,

but, because she's the slowest, she's in dangerous territory,

eighth place, barely holding on to her Grand Final hopes.

And here's one of the great ironies of Ninja Warrior.

Her boyfriend, Josh O'Sullivan, is coming up next.

If he goes well, he'll knock Betsy out.

Also ahead, Sam Goodall.

He's been training on his own Mt Midoriyama,

so the course might not stop him,

but now an illness could bring an end to his Ninja Warrior campaign.

I still feel like I've got a chance

but I may have to try and get through before I gas out.

And forget Mt Midoriyama.

It's time for Mt Bronson.

Tonight, I'm going up that wall, I'm gonna give Freddie a big high five

and I'm gonna clear all of the obstacles.

Welcome back to Ninja Island.

Earlier, we saw an amazing run from Betsy Burnett,

all the way to obstacle seven, the Salmon Ladder to Paper Clip.

Come on, Josh!

She's sideline now for boyfriend Josh O'Sullivan

and there are mixed emotions.

Josh is on course and up the Warped Wall.

Yes!

His time would be pretty strong at this point.

He's going much faster than Betsy did,

so, unless something unexpected happens,

Josh is likely to knock Betsy, who's in eighth place,

out of Grand Final contention.

Come on.

You wouldn't know she's disappointed.

That's why we love Betsy Burnett.

So much support between the ninjas

and they're taking on the course, not each other, in many ways.

He's on to the nemesis obstacle.

Slowing the swing right down.

Now he calls for the power.

Driving right up from his knees.

One. One rung.

Two. Oh, I am so nervous for this guy.

He's so determined to get to the Grand Final.

Good technique, taking the strain off the arms.

Transferring them onto his legs and back.

Shaking them fingers out.

We've seen so many ninjas do that tonight on this obstacle.

He'd be burning, his shoulders'd be burning, his fingers'd be hurting.

The forearms, oh, they'd be throbbing.

I just don't know how they hang in the air like that.

I've watched them time and time again

but it still is mind-boggling to watch.

Look at him holding on whilst wiping his hands dry

just to make sure that he's not gonna slip off that Paper Clip.

Oh, and with that landing,

Betsy is now out of the running for the Grand Final but look at her.

She's still cheering him on. Come on.

So, at this point,

Josh is 30 seconds slower than Jordan Papandrea.

In the back of his mind will be last season's semi

where he completed the course but his time was too slow

and he missed out on a spot in the Grand Final.

And Josh O'Sullivan, gripping onto the Hourglass,

scooting his way down.

Now he'll drop onto the trampoline.

Look at it, look at it!

X marks the spot.

Go for it, Josh. X marks the spot.

X propels him onto the Cargo Net.

Josh O'Sullivan coming to the end of the penultimate obstacle.

You can do it.

And he's now within striking distance of a Grand Final spot.

He slipped and fell and turned it into a forward roll.

Even when he stuffs up, he's successful.

That was... No wonder Betsy fell in love.

Fair enough - here he goes. Two metres.

Four metres.

Onto the rope now. It's all arms from here.

What's he got left?

Pulling himself up the rope to the Chimney.

He's at the six, he's at the seven!

Come on, Josh.

Almost through the hole.

Wants to slam that arm down on the buzzer.

Josh O'Sullivan!

And one half of a Ninja Island power couple marks his spot

at the top of the Chimney and says, "Here I come, Mt Midoriyama!"

Josh is one of our best-prepared ninjas, a master of technique.

Look at this perfect launch to the Cargo Net.

Get ready, Australia.

Modern Mowgli wants to be the main man.

Sorry, bub. Sorry.

Oh, no, I don't want to interrupt you two.

It's a beautiful thing. Get in the middle there.

Get next to Betsy.

Josh, you missed out on the final last year by two spots.

How much did it mean getting to the top of the Chimney tonight?

Yeah, look, after the semi-final last year,

it was on my mind, it was all I was thinking about.

A lot of training,

a lot of competitions went into this, so stoked to be here.

And, Betsy, you was bouncing

up and down on the sidelines all the way through.

How proud are you of him? Oh, my god.

It's just amazing to see him achieve what I know he can achieve

and, yeah, just so proud to be here and share the moment with him.

And how far can he go, Betsy? All the way.

Ladies and gentlemen, Josh O'Sullivan.

Well done, mate.

Modern Mowgli in the Grand Finals.

Bad luck to Betsy.

She's given us so much.

We'll miss her competing tomorrow night.

But, on the flipside, Josh is a great chance of making

the Grand Final where the mighty Mt Midoriyama casts a formidable shadow.

As does this man.

Weighing in at 120 kilos, our next ninja is this season's heaviest.

In his heat, Bronson Norrish missed on the Double Tilt Ladder

but sent a clear signal to the rest of the field

this bull means business.

Welcome to the starting gate, Bronson Norrish.

Ninjas come in all different shapes and sizes.

None come bigger than the Western Australian Bronson Norrish.

120kg.

That's double the weight of some of our competitors.

Look at the size of him.

Olivia Vivian and Ben Polson sideline.

It's a full house.

No-one wants to miss this.

Brace yourself, Ninja Island.

Here he comes again, Bronson Norrish.

Lucky that he's not crushing those Quadruple Steps

as he makes his way through obstacle number one.

And now the Log Grip.

Ben, in the same way being little caused problems for Betsy,

being big is gonna have its challenges for Bronson.

Needs to get that 120kg bulk onto the Log Grip.

Oh, he's not letting go of that, is he?

He's squeezing the life out of the Log Grip.

Now the Broken Pipes.

And, yes, you might need some help here, big fella.

Your weight is gonna get these pipes spinning.

Ooh.

He's done halfway.

He gets himself up on that mushroom.

And a big leap.

He's OK. Oh, Bronson. Big Bronson.

Here he is now at the Spinball Wizard.

This is gonna be a big test for him, Ben.

He needs to bounce up and make the catch.

And imagine holding the entire body weight

on these things, these handlebars.

He'll want to get this obstacle done and dusted as soon as possible.

Oh...

Imagine catching yourself here on this next one.

Let's watch him. Oh, he does it.

His weight actually helped him there

because it gave him the momentum to lashay so quickly.

Never mind Bronson getting tired.

I reckon this course is getting tired.

Now scooting up to the first of the Floating Steps.

Come on, Bronson.

Look at him - he looks controlled.

He might be heavy but he's strong.

Look at how strong he is.

So, so strong, Freddie.

Look at those bent arms.

He's still really in control as he makes his way up these stairs.

And you know what's coming next, Bec.

The Warped Wall as he finishes off the stairs

and now two Goliaths go head to head.

The wall and Bronson. My money's on Bronson.

The crowd want him to go up.

Come on, Bronson.

Yes, he does it. No problem.

Big Bronson goes up the Warped Wall.

You little beauty.

Can you believe it?

And get this, Ben.

Based on time, he is into the top eight.

Our heaviest ever competitor.

He could finish this whole course.

Bronson Norrish defying logic, defying physics.

Will he have enough steam to get him through?

He's got three rungs to go up here but he's gotta lift 120kg.

Can he do it?

Yes. One.

And again. Two.

Yes.

And one more! Three!

Bronson Norrish does it.

He's now on the Paper Clips.

This beggars belief.

How about it, Freddie?

I mean, we just saw the tiny Betsy Burnett fight so hard

on these Paper Clips and now this bloke won't quit in a hurry.

He's got the buzzer in his sights.

Now it's all about the transfer.

He'll be starting to feel it now in his fingers.

Turning his body round.

He's thought about this.

He's got tactics.

He's got strength.

He's got guts.

Yes, Bronson. Pull yourself.

Yes, go on, go on.

Yes, Bronson Norrish!

He doesn't know when to stop, this bloke.

He just keeps going and keeps giving and keeps digging.

Just needs to dismount now but he's backwards.

Bronson Norrish. Oh!

Bronson Norrish.

The grip gave out but what a legend.

Have you ever seen anything quite like this?

By sheer effort of will, Bronson Norrish

dragged his huge frame around this most difficult of courses.

Up the Warped Wall and almost across the Paper Clips

before his grip finally said 'enough'.

Mate, you might want your shoe back.

Mate, that is unbelievable.

You're 120kg.

You're double the weight of some of the competitors.

How on earth do you get as far as you do?

I'm not too sure, hey, but, by the end of it, my arms are gunned.

So, I'm ruined, absolutely ruined.

That was unbelievable.

Are we gonna see you again next time round? Please say yes.

Absolutely, sure am. I love it. Amazing.

Ladies and gentlemen, Bronson Norrish.

Amazing, mate. Top man.

A great run from Bronson

but will his time be good enough to make it into the Grand Final?

Let's have a look at the leaderboard.

Jordan Papandrea remains on top

but, with that run, Bronson has forced his way into fifth.

Bobby Taylor remains well in contention in sixth

but drift racer Loki Kuroi is close to the cut line in eighth.

Can she hang on?

Well, that's a question

our next ninja might ask himself on a rock face.

Up next, the last of the Blue Mountains climbers, Ben Cossey.

Maybe I think I was a bit relaxy going into the heat,

thinking, 'Oh, yeah, this looks jugs.'

And zoology student Luke Stahl.

He can handle snakes but can he handle ladders?

I got one chance to redeem myself

and now I can have another crack and show people what I can actually do.

Welcome back to the last semi-final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Just eight ninjas will go through to the Grand Finals

and, earlier tonight,

we saw Blue Mountains rock climber Lee Cossey bow out.

Oh!

Oh, what? Lee Cossey's gone.

Now it's time for his brother, Ben, to step up.

He was lucky to make it through the heats

but, on sheer ability, he's as good as anyone on Ninja Island.

Can he redeem family pride?

Watch this, Ninja Island.

Ben Cossey.

Ben Cossey.

The final hope from the Blue Mountains climbers

to get Ninja Warrior glory in the Grand Finals.

It's gonna be very interesting

to see how Ben Cossey handles this course tonight.

He was a shock exit in the heat on the Swing to Cargo

but his time was good enough to make it in the semis.

He's gonna be a bit wary of this course.

Does the Log Grip and now the Broken Pipes.

His brother fell here so he'll be a little nervous.

Not pretty.

But safe to the mushroom and oh!

Oh, that's a big fall from Ben Cossey.

Might've hurt himself a bit there.

It was a very awkward landing. Ben's not slowing down, though.

Straight up onto the Spinball Wizard.

Yeah, he's not a huge fan of the swing.

He fell in the heats, as you mentioned, Bec.

He doesn't look comfortable on this one but he's made the transition,

that's the hardest part,

and now get that momentum happening again and get off.

Here's the swing.

He's just going sideways here.

It's not looking good for Ben Cossey.

Needs to get them bars facing forward.

Yes, he's recovered.

Oh, see that, how about that for athleticism?

Straight up.

A leap, a swing and, thank you very much, he's on the Floating Stairs.

The amazing ability of Ben Cossey here on display.

This is one of the obstacles

the climbers just lap up and enjoy every moment.

He's like two different athletes,

comparing how he handles the swing to the stairs.

Loves those stairs.

What about the wall, though?

Just two breaths and he marches straight up that wall.

Ben Cossey from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

Time is good to here.

In fact, he is the fastest of the night

but he's really starting to blow.

Look at his face.

Those first six obstacles

are catching up on him now and the three hardest stand in his way.

Yeah, that might be on his mind.

He seems to be a bit tormented at the moment.

Onto the Salmon Ladder.

Not many ninjas making it to the top of the Chimney tonight.

He's got plenty of time to play with.

Just make sure you make it to the top, Ben Cossey.

OK, he's done with that.

That was gonna be the trickiest spot for him.

What's he doing here? Straight on with the legs.

Looks a little awkward. Turning around then.

He's really in his element here, isn't he?

He and Zed Colback look right at home on this obstacle.

Do you think? He's got a very unique style.

And now the transfer.

The rock climber says no problem.

They're so agile in the air, the rock climbers, aren't they?

Wrapping his legs around.

Got great finger strength. Oh, what?

But now he's got to swing again for the dismount.

Come on, Ben.

Off the Paper Clip this time.

Lands it.

Just enjoy it, man.

Now Ben Cossey.

First with the Hourglass to Tramp to Cargo Net.

Taking deep breaths, he's blowing here.

This is taking its toll.

He's starting to tire.

He'd have spent hours on rock faces,

climbing mountains but nothing compares to this.

Oh, this bit makes me nervous every single time, this tramp.

Oh, no!

Oh, he's missed the Cargo Net.

Ben Cossey splashes out in a big way.

Ben Cossey doesn't love swings and now he doesn't love trampolines.

Have a look.

The drop is good but he's thrown way too far forward off the tramp.

He didn't expect to get the kick that he did and he missed out on that net.

Ben, it was looking so good.

I get the impression you had one eye on the clock tonight.

I don't know, I didn't really feel like I was going that fast

until I realised I can't really breathe.

There still is a chance of going through to the finals.

It is furthest fastest.

How much would that mean to you, to get into the finals?

I'd be pretty psyched to get into the finals.

Yeah, I was a bit devo'd after the heats.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Cossey.

Great effort, mate.

It's too early to say if we'll see Ben tomorrow night.

He's fourth with five runners still to come,

including India Henry.

Can she join her friend and inspiration Olivia Vivian

as the only women in the Grand Final?

I got up the wall in my first attempt in the heats

and tonight I'm gonna get up the wall again

and I'm gonna finish that course.

And zoology student Luke Stahl

crashed out in his heats and lucky to make it into the semis.

I was not scared of the heats but now I'm nervous.

Welcome back to Ninja Island

where, over the break, aspiring Winter Olympian Mel Armstrong

took her shot but was frozen out on the Broken Pipes.

Can she beat it?

No, she can't.

And Brian Sobel is an acrobat and kid's entertainer.

Not sure if he's encountered a Salmon Ladder before.

Yet again, the ladder too hard to climb.

Ooh.

Now on course, 20-year-old zoology student Luke Stahl.

He's stunning us all.

He scraped into the semis,

finishing 19th in his heat, but now fastest to the Salmon Ladder.

4:30 the time to beat.

He looks really strong and ready to take this course on.

Many a strong ninja coming off at this point

but Luke Stahl means business.

Go on, son. Get up to them Paper Clips.

Yeah, Lukey!

Righto, he's on the Paper Clips.

Your wish is his command, Freddie.

He looks confident, though.

He looks cool. He looks strong.

Come on, Luke.

Good lad. Go on, Luke.

Everyone backing him.

Doing this with such great style.

Every other ninja except Jordan Papandrea

has used their legs at this point because their arms were shot.

Luke Stahl is in great company.

And he's also got that maturity, the timing.

He was gonna swing a bit earlier then

and he thought, 'No, go to the end of the Paper Clip and then dismount.'

And now he's at the Hourglass to Tramp to Cargo

and he's getting faster.

He was five seconds ahead of Jordan Papandrea.

Have a look at the clock, though.

He's now 15 seconds ahead.

Now he's gotta keep his cool here.

This guy is a freak.

Get across the Hourglass to that diabolical tramp drop.

He has to land on the tramp.

X marks the spot, Luke.

X marks the spot. There he goes - go on.

Yes, Lukey Stahl.

Imagine, only got to obstacle two in the heats.

Oh, he's just taking this course on tonight.

He's from Waurn Ponds, just out of Geelong.

He's definitely gonna be on the front page

of the 'Geelong Advertiser', I can guarantee you that.

Luke Stahl.

Say hello to the Chimney to Rope Climb.

20 seconds ahead of the fastest time tonight.

Luke Stahl - looking a certainty for the Grand Final at this stage.

To the 2-metre mark. Great technique.

Using all of those muscles in his legs and his arms.

Looks so confident, doesn't he?

Four metres.

Five metres.

Now up the rope.

How much gas has he got left in the tank?

Heaps. He's got heaps. Had a little bit of a slip.

Bec reckons he can go all the way. I reckon he can.

What do you reckon, Australia?

Is Luke Stahl going up the Chimney or what?

His feet are up on top and now Luke Stahl is there as well.

A man who did not finish the heat makes it to the Chimney

in the semi-final and into to the Grand Final.

I'm knackered.

No wonder you're knackered.

A guy who fell at the second obstacle in his heat

has sailed through the course this time.

The fastest run of the night by 24 seconds and into the Grand Final.

OK, looking at the leaderboard, Luke the underdog

is ahead of more fancied names in Jordan Papandrea and Josh O'Sullivan.

Bronson Norrish has slipped to eighth

and, with two ninjas left,

is in danger of missing out on the Grand Final.

Already slipping out of contention, Bobby Taylor and Loki Kuroi.

Alright, here we go, Ninja Island.

In the heats, six women smashed the Warped Wall

and the buzzer and our next ninja was the fastest of them all.

This unassuming barista came out of nowhere

and we have our hopes high and fingers crossed

that she can make it into tomorrow's Grand Final.

It is time to find out.

Stand and shout for India Henry.

The Basket Toss.

Yes, oh, she's got power.

What's basically inspiring me to be on the show

is to show that women can do this sort of stuff.

Pump those arms, pump those legs, Indy.

You are up on the Warped Wall.

It is an amazing feeling to be part of,

like, just one of the six women to get up the Warped Wall in the heats.

Sensational stuff.

I have learnt through all of my years of gymnastics training

not to be intimidated by anybody else

because I am out there for myself.

I just need to keep calm and collected, just not overthink things

and it is definitely doable to make the Grand Final.

It'd be whether I can do it fast enough.

Big crowd favourite, this girl, India Henry.

She's come from nowhere.

Not only has she taken this competition by storm

but also by surprise.

(AUDIENCE CHANTS 'INDIA')

Wouldn't it be wonderful

to see India Henry at the top of the Chimney tonight?

She was a fantastic competitor in her heat.

Oh, she was, and, best of all, she's quick

and, with only the eight furthest fastest going through,

she needs to be rapid tonight.

Grabbing on to the Log Grip.

Wraps her legs around.

Starts getting bumpy now, India. Hang on, kid.

Yes, she's through.

She spent ten years as a competitive gymnast,

so they spend plenty of time on the bars.

I reckon the Broken Pipe will be something she'll be able to handle.

Ooh.

She's halfway there, Bec.

She'll get through this really quickly.

Two steps.

Scrambles onto the mat. Well done, Indy.

Come on, Indy.

India Henry doing it for the girls,

inspired by Olivia Vivian who's in the crowd tonight.

Now it's her turn.

She's inspiring girls everywhere.

Of course, WA's Olivia Vivian is in tomorrow night's Grand Final.

Can another Perth girl join her? Come on, Indy!

Now, that's a swing. Oh, wow.

That is a textbook swing from a gymnast.

India Henry now going up the poles to the Floating Step.

Well, Freddie, I'll give you the equation.

To make it into the top eight, India needs to beat

Bronson Norrish's time to the Salmon Ladder or make it to the Hourglass.

And she's doing this quickly.

This is a really good time.

Yeah, it is a really good time and this is super form.

She's come from nowhere. She's a barista. She makes coffee.

Now she's making mince meat of the Ninja Warrior semi-final course.

And here she comes.

Her old friend, the Warped Wall.

Come on, Indy. And here comes Indy.

You can do it again. Of course you can do it again.

Oh, she's fallen short. Breathe.

India Henry has fallen short.

Olivia Vivian's in the crowd, giving her encouragement.

The girls want her up the top. Can she get there?

Yes, she does! Yes!

Will Olivia Vivian have some female company in the Grand Final?

She had to really dig deep there

to get up the Warped Wall on the second occasion.

She didn't want to let herself down there.

This is all yours.

Now, has she taken enough of a rest before taking on the Salmon Ladder?

She's got the front and back grip going on.

She's got three rungs in front of her.

Here's the first shot. Ooh, one side's up.

And, that grip, I'm not sure about that grip.

Now she switches.

No, she's just changed it back again.

She doesn't look comfortable.

Trying to work out the best way to manoeuvre this.

Yes! There's one.

Ooh, she got it up to the second one but she just couldn't hold on.

That is a tremendous effort from India Henry from Perth.

Should be proud of that.

Showing what a champion she is.

Flying through the course with that trademark pace.

Finally struggling with the grip on the Salmon Ladder

but the good news for her -

she's quicker than Bronson Norrish and moves into eighth position.

India, that was incredible.

How does it feel now that you're inspiring girls

to take on the Ninja Warrior course?

It's absolutely amazing.

Honestly, like, girls can be just as good as the guys

and that's what we wanted to prove.

Ladies and gentlemen, India Henry. Great effort.

Wow.

Can India join Olivia Vivian in the Grand Final tomorrow night?

We love you, India!

Sitting in eighth qualifying spot,

India and her fate will be sealed by the night's very last ninja to run.

And what a ninja - tradie Sam Goodall.

But, battling illness,

he'll need the performance of a lifetime to make the Grand Final.

My run tonight might not be very fast

but what you will see is a guy desperately working hard.

I really want to get to the finals

and I really want to get to Mt Midoriyama.

Welcome back to Ninja Island as we build to a crescendo

in this huge second season of Australian Ninja Warrior.

We had 8,000 applicants.

300 made it through to compete in the heats.

Now there's just one to go in our last semi-final.

After making the Grand Final last year,

he went home and built his own Mt Midoriyama.

But recently he caught Ross River Fever and has struggled to get here.

Let's support him all the way, Sam Goodall.

When I got up onto the starting line in my heat run,

I thought, 'They've really upped it this time.

'This is getting harder, it's getting tougher.'

Towards the end of the run, I made a mistake on the Basket Toss.

Come on, Sam. Come on, Sam. Just do it.

Oh! Oh!

Going into semis tonight, I am really worried

about my endurance and getting through each obstacle.

Cuddle? Ready?

I caught Ross River Virus

and that's made it really hard, especially after a day's work,

my hands just go really stiff and really sore

and my legs start aching.

Say bye-bye, Mum.

Bye. Bye.

He was really sick at about 3:00 every day.

He just couldn't really do anything.

He'd have to come back from work and just go to sleep.

My run tonight might not be pretty, it's probably not gonna be very fast

but what you will see is a guy desperately working hard.

That's my aim is just to push through,

punch through, get to finals.

It's been really tough but ninjas are a different breed

so I'm hoping to really give it a good crack.

I really want to get hands on the red Mt Midoriyama rope.

Yeah, he did get the all clear by our medicos

before taking to the course tonight.

We were worried that he wouldn't be up to it but try stopping this bloke.

A body sapped of energy, hammered with aches and pains,

but our Tradie Ninja is tough, very, very tough.

He's seen his brother-in-law Zed get to the top of the chimney.

He'll desperately want to join him.

Wife Rachel, little Abby there and Zed for support

and plenty of fluoro in the stands too.

Here we go.

Ripping into the Quadruple Steps.

Moving fast.

And he has to if he wants to make the top eight

but you've gotta wonder, with depleted energy,

how can he keep this up?

Log Grip time.

Holding on tight.

Very solid through the drops.

Wasting no time.

Getting onto the Broken Pipes. Halfway.

You got this, Sam. You got this, babe.

He's up and he's going again, Sam Goodall.

Solid across the second part

and now around the corner and into the Spinball Wizard.

Really pushing himself this time round.

Is he on the Spinball Wizard handlebars?

I think this next time, got good momentum.

Getting good distance, gonna swing.

Makes the transition onto the second set of handlebars

and now he won't be up there too long.

He's done enough to get him down but he'll go one more swing.

Safe.

Remember, Sam Goodall, he's perfect for this competition.

He's built a Mt Midoriyama in his backyard.

Come on, Sam.

Just getting a hint of fatigue now.

That's understandable but he's up, he's onto the Floating Stairs.

These aren't a problem, though, either.

Look at this.

Look at how fast he's going.

And now on the way back up the stairs.

Looking for a dismount.

There we go.

Almost as if he wants to show Zed on the sidelines how it's done.

Flying through the course.

He's fastest of the night to here, Freddie, but look at his face.

I reckon you can start to see the strain

but he's off, up the Warped Wall.

First attempt - no doubt about it.

This guy is all ticker.

Never been any doubt about that, Bec.

But look at him now coming down the other side.

He's breathing hard.

Deep breaths, Sam. You got this.

And taking just a little bit of a rest.

Deep breaths - come on.

But here's the problem, Ben.

The obstacles just get tougher.

First up, the Salmon Ladder.

It's daunting enough for a fully fit ninja.

He'd have been up so many like this in his time as a tradie

but this Salmon Ladder's, well, slightly different.

Is he gonna have the energy?

There we go - look at him.

Oh, he's making mince meat of the Salmon Ladders.

One, two, three - what about that?

And the bloke's got Ross River Virus.

And now he's on the Paper Clips.

Going the leg option as well.

We've seen other ninjas do that tonight.

He really is well and truly having a break at every opportunity

and that's an upside-down break.

Come on!

Let's do it!

And this'll give him a chance

to have a look at the second phase of this obstacle.

You look at that camera angle that's capturing

his facial expressions there and he's not doing this easily, is he?

Come on. Easy, easy!

Be smart. You've got it.

Finding this one tough.

Turning around, trying to get comfortable on this obstacle but...

You know what, though, Bec?

This guy is so tough.

He is so tough.

He's a tradie.

He's a builder.

He's a bloke who built his own Ninja obstacle course on his property.

And, even though his hands are spent,

he's using his inner forearms and his elbows to do it.

He's just using everything he's got available to grab on.

Oh, I can't believe this. Oh, this is amazing to watch.

Where one part of his body fails, he calls on another part.

He is stinging.

That took everything deep, deep inside to get him off that obstacle.

His brother-in-law on the sidelines, Zed Colback,

saying, "Come on, mate."

He's having trouble even just getting up on top of that pad.

Come on.

Shake it out, Sam, come on.

You've got this, bro.

He's really hurting, Bec.

You can see it on his face at the moment.

Oh, this is almost excruciating to watch,

somebody who's been really sick with a terrible virus

coming onto this course and now being on the second-last obstacle.

I'm just in awe.

You've summed it up perfectly.

I think everyone watching would be in awe of Sam Goodall.

He just gets himself into the right spot.

Can he do it? Up to the tramp.

Oh! Oh!

Just missed out on the net.

He hit the net but he just couldn't hold it.

Is he OK? He is OK.

There's his face.

He's smiling.

And so he should be, Bec.

Despite the Ross River Fever,

he's just earned himself a place in the Grand Final tomorrow night.

Good on you, Sam.

What a warrior this man is.

The further he went the harder he had to fight

and he fought like few we've seen before.

It all came to an end on the tramp.

Have a look here.

It's a good drop from Sam

but then his knees collapse too much, launching him forward,

and, as we saw with Ben Cossey, it's tough to grab onto the net

when momentum is firing you out instead of up.

Sammy, it was looking so good.

I know that your training's been interrupted this time round.

You've had Ross River Virus. How has it affected ya?

Yeah, it's been knocking me flat pretty bad after work each night,

yeah, but, hey, look, there's...

It's an amazing course.

Definitely the heat's been turned up this year.

Which was the toughest out of the obstacles tonight?

Probably my brother-in-law.

Really fun course.

Awesome crowd. Thanks, guys.

No, thank you, Sam Goodall. What a legend.

And there's good news on the leaderboard for our Tradie Ninja.

While Luke Stahl, Jordan Papandrea and Josh O'Sullivan

finish as the top three,

it's a great night for the brothers-in-law.

Zed Colback coming fourth

and Sam just two places behind in a very, very tight top eight.

But celebrations for one, commiserations for another.

India Henry misses out on the Grand Final by just one spot.

Bronson Norrish rounds out the top ten.

While zoology student Luke Stahl was fastest,

our Performance of the Night belongs to Sam Goodall.

This is a tradie whose foundations

are built on pure guts and determination.

So many amazing athletes

and, overnight, this course will be opened up for our Ninja Grand Final.

23 obstacles to conquer before a chance at Mt Midoriyama.

We can't wait for the action and we'll see you tomorrow night.

Goodbye. Goodnight.

12 months of blood, sweat and tears have led to this, the Grand Final.

To be in a Grand Final, it's huge.

You know you're amongst the best of the best in the country.

It's almost like there's a little voice in my head being like,

"So, you really think you're as good as these guys?"

Over two massive nights,

our ninjas' dreams could come true or come crashing down...

I'm not scared of a single thing.

..starting tomorrow night with the ultimate elimination.

Nine new obstacles and just 3:30 on the clock.

Having to race the clock is just terrifying.

I'm just gonna go hell for leather.

Then, for those ninjas who make it through,

on night two, they'll face the final brutal test

when the entire unforgiving course is unleashed -

14 obstacles back to back to back.

I definitely think that the course can be beaten

and I just want to be that one person that does it.

But, even if you complete them all,

one more remains - the monstrous Mt Midoriyama.

It's gonna be a matter of push hard, push fast, get to the top.

Can anyone reach the summit

and become Australia's first Ninja Warrior?