Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

- Welcome to Las Vegas,

our home for the third night of qualifying

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for being with us.

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

Matt, this season's off to a flying start.

We've seen record-breaking speeds.

And the women made history last week with three buzzers.

- Absolutely, big man.

And we've got another fun course ready for tonight.

For a preview, let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Yeah, guys, and we have three more of our iconic obstacles

making their season debut tonight.

Ninjas will need to be agile for the second obstacle,

Lunatic Ledges.

When we introduced this in season 11,

it knocked out 25 athletes in one night.

- Oh, no! - Oh, rejected.

- In at number four is Crank It Up,

a grinding upper-body test that knocked out 34 ninjas

in Kansas City qualifying.

- Oh! - Oh!

- They will need precision moves

as they go up and down the fifth obstacle, V Formation.

This took out 80% of the competitors

who faced it in 2021.

- Oh! - No!

- If ninjas hit the buzzer in under 1:10...

[air horn blares]

They can try the 18-1/2-foot Mega Wall.

Conquer that, and they'll win 10 grand,

courtesy of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.

The Active Cash Credit Card

earns 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Terms apply.

- Thanks, Zuri.

All season long,

we're reliving great Ninja moments from the past.

- And you're gonna love what we've got for you tonight.

This is crazy, I'm scared of these folks right here.

- Let's see it. - Whoa!

- It's our greatest hits.

We're counting down the best moments from me and Matt.

Oh! - Oh!

- This is gonna be embarrassing.

We're gonna start tonight with something big.

This is Big Em, Emily Gardiner.

- Let's go!

Whoo!

- This New York teenager always brings big energy,

whether she's on the course or on the sidelines.

This 17-year-old is one of the liveliest competitors we have.

- Whoo!

The energy is not an act. Like, this is all real.

[cheering]

Let's go!

Whoo!

[screams]

- Ooh, she got a little fire in her.

- I just get so excited when I see the obstacles.

Oh, yeah! Let's go!

Tonight I am going to be so hyped.

[cheering]

- As always, she's got her equally energetic parents

among a big group on the sidelines.

Akbar, she's an entrepreneur as well.

Has a jewelry business. I got my bracelet on.

I don't know if you can see it. It says "ANW."

- "ANW." - That's nice.

We're twinning right now. - Yeah, we're twinning.

It may not look like it, but we're twinning.

[countdown clock beeping]

- The top five women from tonight

will move on to the semifinals.

Akbar, we've seen so much success from the women.

We've had four of them hit a buzzer already this year.

We're featuring iconic Ninja obstacles this season.

And here's one we haven't seen in a few years, Lunatic Ledges.

Got to build up swing and leap over to the second ledge.

We'll see what Big Em can do at 5'2", 115.

- Big move. Nice.

- Now, you have to move quickly and dismount right away.

There it is. - Nice.

[cheering] There's that energy.

- Whoo!

- Next up is Log Runner.

This knocked out a lot of good ninjas last week.

But she is through. [cheering]

And here's another memorable obstacle

making its first appearance this season, Crank It Up.

- This one is a grind.

Even if you get through it,

it can wear you out for the next one.

You got to ratchet up

and swing across two sets of handles.

- And she is fighting it on Crank It Up.

And this takes a lot of energy.

- That is so cool.

You know, she's starting to think about college.

But here's the crazy thing and how impactful

Ninja has been in her life.

She's deciding which school she wants to go to

based on it being close to a Ninja gym.

So she wants to go to school down in Tampa.

- Look at Emily Gardiner here.

- Go!

- Come on, Emily! Go, babe!

[shouting]

- You got it!

- Nicely done. - What?

- Akbar, Crank It Up is not easy.

Dances atop that board at the end.

And here she is at the fifth obstacle.

This is matching her best performance ever.

Now another iconic obstacle making its season debut--

V Formation.

Got to slide that triangle up to the top,

then make your descent.

- Nice. - Look at that.

- Matt, her performance--

and she's got so much confidence.

We didn't see this type of confidence

out of her last year.

- And what we had back there is just what we saw in Crank It Up.

She's doing a great job of using her hips, her full body.

- All right, this is, what, it's a 6-inch ledge right there.

So that could be a little tricky.

But these handles, these V handles move.

- And the key on these transfers--

get your hands settled and even.

- And when your weight comes into that next one--

Oh! - Oh!

- That's so hard.

- We love you!

- Emily Gardiner comes up just short,

but a great start to the night.

[cheering]

- Well, as always, Big Em brought big energy

and matched her best run ever,

making it to the fifth obstacle,

but she couldn't make the grab on V Formation.

- We'll wait and see.

That could be good enough to get her into the semifinals.

- Good job. [cheering]

- We're bringing back fan favorites this season,

and our next is Ninja royalty.

- Hear ye, hear ye. [horn blows]

Here comes the King of Obstacles.

- All hail the king!

[horns blow off-key]

- And the heralds come, scattering the rose petals

for His Royal Highness, the King of All Obstacles.

Mack Roesch, the king,

doth grace us with his presence.

- For those who remember not,

Mack's a fun-loving Florida construction worker

who adopted the king persona almost a decade ago.

- When I was in season eight of "American Ninja Warrior,"

I took the course by storm, if not the whole world.

- The King! Oh, the King! - Aah!

- The King is here? - Yeah!

How could you not have fun when you're wearing a crown?

crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- And there's a new king in "American Ninja Warrior."

- I got it! [chuckles]

I'm a whole new machine.

The King of Obstacles is bigger, faster, and stronger,

and I don't even know how that's possible.

[cell phone ringing] Oh, that was my phone.

Hold on. Let me put that on silent.

[ringing continues]

My royal subjects, your beloved king has returned.

* *

- Well, this guy is a showman,

and he gets some of that from his dad,

who was a professional wrestler.

- Oh, hey, Dad.

- You got this. Come on.

- And he's got some loyal subjects on the sideline.

- Everyone's getting a kick out of Mack.

crowd: [chanting] King! King! King! King!

King! King! King! King! [countdown clock beeping]

- All right, here we go, Matt.

Nice. Look at the big fella--

- Oh! - Oh, my goodness.

Down goes the King.

- Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

The King of All Obstacles, out on the very first one.

- That was unexpected.

- He's over 200 pounds,

but tried to one-step through this first obstacle.

He wasn't ready for that.

[horns blowing off-key]

Mine is broken.

- As you can see, we like to have fun in the booth.

[razor buzzing]

And tonight we're counting down

the best moments for Akbar and me.

Akbar caught it.

- I don't mess around! - Yeah!

- We've been doing this for 13 years.

There's a lot to choose from.

I'm rich.

- We start the countdown at number five--

our tribute to Death Metal Ninja, Josh Wagg.

- Let's go!

- Josh likes to rock out, and so do we.

[screaming]

And we do it every year he competes.

[screaming]

- How are you able to do that?

- I rock.

And we're gonna rock out all night.

We've got a lineup of top competitors...

like Josiah Pippel...

- All right, get it done. [buzzer blares]

- And our reigning women's champ, Addy Herman.

- She is doing it big.

- Plus, Philip Scott and Ethan Gardulski,

two ninjas who battled crippling anxiety

but found a bond when they battled it together.

- We lift each other up, and we're brothers.

- And Spencer Johnson,

a ninja who's dedicated his life

to giving others a second chance.

- I feel like I get more out of it than these guys do.

And their whole lives change.

- His remarkable story and more,

all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to qualifying in Vegas.

Minutes ago, things got official

when referee Wendy Frantz hit the course.

[whistle blows]

- I wouldn't mess with her, Matt.

- Frantz has worked as a lacrosse referee

in her native Minnesota for 20 years.

[whistle toots]

The 54-year-old is our oldest woman tonight,

and she had lots of support on the sidelines

and back at home.

- That's a bunch of refs and ref fans.

- Even though she's faced lunatic fans for years,

she couldn't handle Lunatic Ledges.

Ooh! [air horn blares]

- I'm out of here.

[whistle blows]

- Well, we could use a ref at the start line,

'cause a rugby match has broken out,

and we've got a scrum.

And in the middle of it is our next athlete, Nick Hanson.

The 26-year-old Iowa farm boy has moved to Austin

and is pursuing his Olympic dreams.

He is the Rugby Ninja. [whistle blows]

[person shouts]

- I love rugby.

Rugby is like football with no pads.

So imagine running down the rugby pitch

and a 200-pound beefy guy just slams right into you.

- Ooh! - It's primal. It's physical.

You're running. You're kicking. You're hitting people.

- Go, Nick!

- If I can battle my way through 15 players

on the rugby field, I can handle 6 obstacles.

[cheers and applause, whistle blows]

- Nick's got some of his teammates

watching back in Austin.

[all cheering]

And more friends and some of his old Iowa training partners

are cheering from the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

Stud athlete, has goals of trying to make it

to the 2028 Olympics.

- You know, rugby is growing in popularity.

And as Nick just said, it's like football without pads.

Let me tell you, you got to be tough to play rugby.

- Hanson played football in college at Bethel University.

all: [chanting] Ninja Nick! Ninja Nick! Ninja Nick!

Ninja Nick! Ninja Nick!

- 6'2", 200, Akbar-- that's a big frame

to carry through this course.

He's really gonna need to be efficient--

ooh, takes a blow there.

- His teammates have seen that before.

He's used to taking that type of impact.

Ooh! - Oh!

- He's used to taking that, too.

Wow. [groaning and shouting]

- Nick Hanson tackled on Log Runner.

Go back four years ago,

he made it across Log Runner no problem.

But tonight, watch his feet.

He came up short on the third log.

And not even a rugby player can survive that.

[dramatic music]

[cheering]

- Well, you may have seen our next athlete many times

on "Ninja Warrior,"

even though it's his first time running the course.

This is Connecticut teenager Christian Hart,

the ultimate Ninja superfan now getting his chance to compete.

- I may be 16 years old, but this is my 8th season.

- And she does it!

- If you look carefully, I guarantee you'll see me

every time you watch the show.

- Oh, oh. oh. - Oh.

- Hey, there's me, right back there.

There's me holding a sign. Nice.

Yeah, right in the front right there.

Right in the back, if you squint.

I think I've got more airtime than any of the Ninjas.

- Moravsky! - He ain't messing around.

- I've been on 13 sidelines.

You can see me in front of the sidelines,

the back of the sidelines. [crowd chanting]

Oh, yeah, that's a funny sideline.

You can even see me jumping

over the stands onto the sidelines.

all: Beast! - The Beast is back.

- It's so crazy, 'cause I've been on so many sidelines

of all of these top Ninjas, but I've never seen the view

from the top of the Warped Wall.

So that's gonna change tonight.

- Many of the ninjas he's been on the sidelines for

are on his sideline tonight, including Joe Moravsky,

who he trains with, along with Christian's mom.

- This is crazy.

Look!

- And even more supporters watching

from back in Connecticut.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, here's a great picture, Akbar.

Here's when he first met you.

He was 4'1" and 70 pounds. - Wow.

I remember seeing him out when we were in Miami,

walking around.

It's so cool to see him in his very first year competing.

I can only imagine the nerves

going through his body right now.

He's so excited to be competing.

- Ooh! Wow! - Ooh, he came in hot.

Yeah, he came in hot, but he's got to make that transfer.

There we go. [cheering]

- Looking a little nervous before the Log Runner.

He's seen plenty of ninjas fall on this one over the years.

- Come on, come on, come on, come on.

Nice! - Right through it.

- Matt, he is determined.

He said, training with Joe-- he says, to be the best,

you have to train with the best.

- And look at this, right through Crank It Up.

This kid is all heart.

- He's hard core and "heart core."

- Big transfer to the second handles.

Got it. - Nice.

- Well, he's coming up bigger than Kevin Hart.

That's for sure.

- Matt, Kevin Hart might be in every movie,

but this kid, Christian Hart,

has been on almost every sideline.

They both get a lot of screen time.

- And he's reached the fifth obstacle...

[cheering]

Staring down V Formation.

This is brutal.

You need so much power, first just getting this triangle up

through those four ratchets.

- Well, the big advantage is, he's 116 pounds.

He's 16 years old.

He doesn't have a lot of weight to carry up.

It's gonna come down to technique.

- Now on the descent,

the key is keeping your weight balanced,

which is easier said than done

as you're making transfers at angles.

- That's a lightweight flex,

to do a one-handed shake-off right there.

I see you.

- Looks like he wants to skip the second handle

and go straight to the third.

- Nice. Nice throw.

This is weird because you do have to come in under control,

or that V will spin.

Nice!

- And you have to touch this final V here.

This is the one handle you must touch.

- His hands-- his hands aren't big enough.

- No! - No!

- I've got heart palpitations looking at that one.

- Oh! - A heartbreaking finish.

- Oh.

- Christian Hart's foot touched the water.

Was so close to facing that Warped Wall.

- You can tell he was getting tired.

He was shaking out those arms.

So when he went to the final move,

he didn't get a good swing and came up just short.

- Coming up, she's a history-making ninja.

- The Queen! The Queen! [buzzer blares]

- But now has to overcome very different obstacles as a mom.

- She's faced more adversity

than I feel like I've faced in my life.

- Michelle Warnky Buurma and baby Grace

are next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Akbar and I have had some great moments.

And tonight we're counting them down.

- Man, you look good. I like your hair.

- We've had a lot a crazy things happen up in the booth.

Whoo! - Yeah, baby!

- And number four on our list is the night I turned "evil,"

as in Evel Knievel.

When the legendary daredevil's grandson Cody McCloud

ran the course, I had to dress to impress.

- What is this, leather? - It's legit.

And though McCloud had an epic crash...

At least I got to wear this suit.

- Yes, you did, Matt.

That's number four on our countdown.

And we had more fun minutes ago,

when Ninja Tatsumi Yanaba, who runs a peanut-butter company,

brought us PB&J sandwiches.

Cheers. - Cheers.

All right, here we go.

- Tats, a former Peace Corps worker,

makes the peanut butter in Mozambique,

where his wife and friends were watching his run.

- Let's go!

- To all those in Mozambique, good morning.

- But Tatsu's run was anything but smooth on Lunatic Ledges.

He lost momentum and couldn't get it back.

- What is he doing? - Let's go!

- Matt, he is stuck to that board like peanut butter.

Come on, now.

At some point, you got to commit to the jelly

and just go for it.

- Finally, after more than two minutes--

- Just commit. Go. Just go.

- Oh. Ugh.

You may not have done great on the course,

but you hit a home run with this peanut butter.

Barry Boyd made it to the National Finals

the past two seasons.

And he's now even stronger,

after adding 30 pounds of muscle.

- Now he's built like a NFL running back.

Oh. Oh. Oh!

[cheering]

- The stay-at-home dad muscled his way through Crank It Up.

- Flex on 'em. [cheering]

- He was only a few moves away from finishing V Formation.

- Coming in tight.

Oh!

- But that could be good enough to advance

to the semifinals.

Well, he looks a little different now,

but our next athlete made quite an impression

when he first competed three years ago.

This is Michigan teenager Ethan Gardulski,

who's battled anxiety issues his entire life.

But things changed when he met another ninja

with the same issues, Philip Scott.

- I just remember the first time I came into the gym.

Your voice was like...

[high-pitched voice] Yeah, you want to do

some challenges, Phil?

I met this little kid at the gym

who would follow me around.

He really took a liking to me.

And I had never coached anybody before.

And he kind of made me a coach.

Pull up. There you go.

- Because of our shared experiences in life,

I think that's what really made me gravitate towards him

and make him the coach for me.

- Go get it! Go get it!

- Everyone in this crowd elated for this kid,

watching him fight through his anxiety.

Yes! - Nice!

What?

- I have very bad chronic anxiety.

And I was only an hour ago thinking about not running.

[crying] And I did it. - Way to go.

- I did it.

- He pushed through all his challenges

to get to where he was.

It showed me that I can do it, too.

- Line yourself back up.

Nice.

- They bond because they are very similar to each other.

A lot of people call him, like, a mini Phil.

And definitely the anxiety they have,

yes, they're very much alike.

- Whew. Whew. - Let's go.

- When he hit the course as a rookie,

I was watching at home.

He hit a buzzer, and I was just so proud of him.

[screams]

- I don't think I'd be the person I am today

without Phil.

Yeah!

He means so much to me.

And he's a really good friend, coach, training partner.

He's a great guy.

- Ethan Gardulski absolutely changed my life,

and he's helped me grow in so many ways.

I don't think that I would have gotten back

into competing on the show

if it wasn't for, you know,

you helping me get back into shape.

- Yeah. Yeah, dude, like that.

- He's coached me just as much as I've coached him.

We lift each other up, and we're brothers.

[soft music]

[cheering]

- Philip will run the course later,

but right now he's supporting his friend,

along with Ethan's mom,

who's with a big group cheering him on.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Ethan's got a new look. He cut off all his long hair.

Looking like a stud.

- He's also added 30 pounds.

He and Philip have been training hard

to get ready for this season.

Akbar, we talked about it.

"Ninja Warrior's" a home for so many.

This is such a welcoming community.

He's moving quickly onto Log Runner.

And look at this bounce.

Gardulski making short work on the course, Akbar.

- Come on.

- 6', 135.

He's long. He's lean. He's powerful.

And he is confident.

- Well, that confidence comes from the last couple of years.

We've really seen him grow.

- Six years ago, his mom took him to a Ninja gym

for his birthday.

He said that was the day his life started to change.

- And since then, we've just seen him get better and better.

- Well, he's completed both qualifying courses he's faced.

Skips two kickstands and another two.

Gardulski showing such power.

Now he's eyeing that third V.

Look at that confidence.

Big move from the first to the third handle and the fourth.

- And look at him. - He's got it.

Ethan Gardulski!

- Oh! - That's all right.

- That's all right, he's still getting used to that body.

Ethan Gardulski is our first finisher tonight.

[buzzer blares]

[upbeat music]

- Let's go!

* *

Ethan, my man.

- What's up, man? 6' tall, look at you, huh?

- 6'1" on a good day.

- Oh, 6'1" on a good day. Excuse me. [laughs]

- You started watching this show.

You see Philip Scott. You connect with him.

You guys are pals.

Now he's down here watching you get

your third-straight qualifying buzzer.

What's it like, Ethan?

- It's a lot of emotions. It feels so good.

- You look good, man--

6'1" on a good day, 135 pounds.

Show me them muscles, though.

Show me them muscles. - There it is.

- Okay. - Ethan, congratulations.

Go celebrate with your crew.

[cheering]

We'll see Phil run later,

but what a start for these two tonight.

- Still to come,

we've got our reigning women's champ, Addy Herman.

And who wants 10 grand?

All you have to do is take down that 18-1/2-foot Mega Wall.

We'll see if anyone gets this tonight.

* *

- Welcome back to Vegas,

where three more ninjas took on our qualifying course.

Connecticut fitness model James Atheneos

looked like a Greek god at the start.

- This ain't Greek mythology. This is Ninja.

- He wanted to compete on "Ninja" for years,

even included it in his high school yearbook.

But his lifelong dream died on the third obstacle.

- Oh, no! [air horn blares]

- I didn't make it.

- 16-year-old Kenzie Hughes looked strong early

in her "Ninja" debut...

- I'm a big fan of Kenzie Hughes, Matt.

- Until she, too, was tripped up by Log Runner.

- Stay on top. Stay on top. Oh, oh, hold on.

Hold on. Matt, she's 5'8".

You see those long legs? Use them.

Nice! Just like that!

- It looked like she might save it.

- No!

- But she became another victim

of this balance obstacle.

- Then it was seven-time veteran Casey Rothschild,

a top competitor and former college track athlete.

- Hot feet, hot feet, hot feet, hot feet!

Ooh, head first.

- And she became the third-straight ninja

cut down by this obstacle.

- There's a logjam at the Log Runner tonight!

- Well, always a thrill when this woman comes to the course.

In a season looking back, it wouldn't be complete

without Michelle Warnky Buurma.

She's been a Ninja trailblazer, has competed 11 seasons,

and been to the National Finals six times.

But now 40 and a mom, she's facing a new obstacle

with her daughter, Grace.

- We're gonna walk, and we're gonna pick some kale.

- This is for smoothie.

- Yeah, we love making our smoothies.

Life was pretty intense for Grace in the beginning.

She came three months early.

Here's little Gracie.

Grace's prematurity has led to several problems.

She had to wear a helmet.

She also had to get shots a lot more often

to boost her immune system.

You got it. Whoa. - I got a big one.

- There, that's a good one. Thank you.

- Grace was recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Her left side has just always developed slower.

Also, when she's running, her foot tends to drag.

And so she can trip a lot more than normal kids would.

Do you want your socks off, too?

- Yeah.

- So Grace now wears a boot,

which she wears about eight hours a day.

And to put the boot on,

I have to literally force her foot back.

Whoa.

As a mother, it does hurt my heart seeing Grace

go through all these challenges.

But at the same time, I also know

it will build strength and character.

Grace is a beast.

I mean, she's been through so much in her tiny life.

How she's fought through it is really inspiring to me.

Gracie, do you know how much I love you?

- Yeah.

[cheers and applause]

- I love you guys.

- Grace is here to watch Mom.

You can see the brace on her foot.

She's with Michelle's husband and parents.

And look at all the other supporters.

Many of them train at Michelle's gym in Ohio.

[countdown clock beeping]

Back in season six, she became the second woman

ever to make it up the Warped Wall.

Season 11, she became the second woman

ever to complete an extended City Finals course.

But her earliest exit ever on "ANW"

came on this obstacle, Lunatic Ledges.

- Ah!

- All right, this is a rematch on Lunatic Ledges.

You remember five years ago, it took her out in season 12.

- It's so easy on this transfer to the second ledge

and the dismount... - Come on.

- If your momentum isn't perfect...

- Nice.

- You get in real trouble if you're not quick right here.

Got it. - Nice.

She learned. She learned.

You see her, she's pointing, like, I'm done with you.

I never want to see you again.

- And Grace says, bye-bye, Lunatic Ledges.

But now it's Log Runner,

which has knocked out the last three athletes.

- The last time we saw her, she fell on a balance obstacle.

- No! - No, she can save it.

She can save it. Hang on!

Okay, she's wrapping it.

- 5'4", 135, and, Akbar, we've seen it.

The shorter you are, the harder this save is.

But Michelle Warnky Buurma, she's a climber.

She's got tremendous upper-body strength.

She needs to throw her legs on the log behind her

before she can move forward.

- Oh, come on, fight for it.

- So you can see the challenge is,

you almost have to extend the upper body.

- Whoo! Okay, okay.

- Get those toes back by pushing backwards

from the upper body, but this is such a core--

- She just doesn't have enough reach, though.

- Oh, my goodness. - You can see,

even though she's 5'4", she's, like, just by the toes.

Oh, boy, like, you can see, it's just not enough

to kind of really stabilize herself.

- Well, she's gonna have to do

a kind of downward dog move here.

- Downward dog, yeah, namaste, all that stuff.

- Now this is gonna be it, Akbar.

She's gonna have to put it together, one big effort.

- Oh, boy.

- What concentration!

And her core is firing.

This is not a rest position right now.

- And just when you think there's no way, you find a way.

[all shouting]

Here we go.

- No! - No!

[air horn blares]

- You know, it may not have worked out,

but still one of the best efforts

we've seen on that obstacle.

Absolutely loved it.

- Matt, I love the fight in Michelle Warnky Buurma.

She got tripped up on the second log

and grabbed onto the third, tried everything to save it,

but in the end, became another victim

of this balance obstacle.

- And here comes another Ninja favorite.

It's Michigan's Philip Scott.

We saw him cheering for his protégé, Ethan Gardulski,

just a few minutes ago.

Now Philip, the 28-year-old graphic designer,

will get his shot.

He'll have his parents on the sideline, along with Ethan.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, here we go.

He gave us such a great run

back in season 11 in Cincinnati.

Never planned on being a coach.

But Ethan kept following him around,

and Philip related so much to Ethan,

and they have pushed each other to such heights.

- And, Matt, that's what it's all about, really,

is just that community,

to bring the best out of each other.

- Got to go here.

- Got to be wary of Log Runner.

It's knocked out the last four ninjas.

- Oh, yes. - Okay.

- Look how fast he's moving.

- Well, he said Ethan helped him when his confidence waned.

Good power, Akbar. Look at this.

- I like that. This is it.

- Don't scare me like that. Let's go.

- 6'2", 160--he's long, and he's got some power.

- Well, he's on it like he want it.

[cheering]

When he was 13 years old, couldn't even do a pull-up.

And now at 28, he's just crushing

this qualifying course.

- I'm back. - I see you, baby.

Let's go. That's it.

- He's reached the fifth obstacle.

And he's got this crowd going.

crowd: [chanting] Ninja Phil! Ninja Phil!

- Akbar, think back to season 11.

What a changed man we see in front of us.

- I mean, the personality, the smile.

- The confidence. I love it.

- That's what Ninja does for you.

- Oh, the crowd is loving it.

crowd: [chanting] Ninja Phil!

- How great would it be, Akbar, if he could join Ethan

and get a buzzer himself?

- He's eyeing that third one.

Will he go for it?

Yes!

Now just has to get over to the final V.

crowd: [chanting] Ninja Phil! Ninja Phil!

- Got it! - That's it.

- Come on.

Get this dismount.

crowd: [chanting] Ninja Phil! Ninja Phil!

- Philip Scott! - That's it.

- And Ethan is already in tears, so happy for his buddy.

[cheering]

crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall!

- Look at that smile.

crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- That's what it's all about right there.

- Yes! - Yes!

- Philip Scott... [buzzer blares]

Delivers in season 17!

- Whoo!

- Yeah!

[cheering]

[upbeat music]

* *

Philip, we were talking about season 11

back in Cincinnati before your very first run.

And everything you went through

just to get back to that start line and even start.

To go from there to here,

to you and Ethan both hitting buzzers, my man,

what has that journey been like for you?

- It's been a long dream back.

I wouldn't have been able to do it without Ethan.

I always said I was, like, retired.

But I was lying. I was a little too anxious.

Ethan pushed me to get that buzzer.

- Well, Philip, I got three words for you--

"you are back."

- I'm back! [cheering]

- [laughs] - Whoo!

- Come on. - Wow.

- What a night

for Ethan Gardulski and Philip Scott.

- Wow.

- It's not always about who goes the fastest.

Sometimes you just witness a great run,

and you know it's special.

* *

- Still to come, Jack LaLanne was a legend

and the original fitness influencer.

- I want to show you that you can do it.

- This ninja wrote the book on him.

And now at 63, Greg Justice is gonna try

to be like Jack on our course.

He's just ahead on "American Ninja Warrior."

- She's one of Ninja's smallest competitors

and got one of the biggest receptions minutes ago.

It's 4'11" Taylor Johnson.

- Let's go!

Come on, let's go!

- Teej, as she's known, is a huge crowd favorite

and has made it to the National Finals

the last two seasons,

which made the seven-time veteran's run

all the more shocking.

- Go for it. Oh. - No!

[air horn blares]

- I'm in total shock right now.

- We're bringing back

memorable ninjas from the past.

And up next is another.

This is special-ed teacher Desmond Odom.

He first competed more than a decade ago

and has given us some memorable moments

on the course,

including a wild wipeout

on the Spinning Wheel in season six.

Bet he's glad we didn't bring that back.

- Let's go!

- He's getting his family fired up.

They're cheering from back in Jersey.

[countdown clock beeping]

Wow, Desmond at one point weighed 324 pounds.

Amazing when you look at him-- 185 pounds now.

[cheering]

- He credits Ninja for helping him keep the weight off.

- Now has to carry his frame across Lunatic Ledges.

Well, he's never made it past the third obstacle.

Couple extra swings here on Lunatic Ledges.

- Whoa!

- Now get up quickly here, Des.

- Get off now. Nice! - Got it!

- Okay, here we go.

- And so now here he is.

- This is it. This is it!

- This is it. You hear him--this is it.

- Another showdown with balance.

12 years ago, he fell on the third obstacle, Domino Hill.

And then a decade later, in season 15,

it was Domino Effect.

- No! - Oh!

Tore his Achilles a few years ago

training for "Ninja Warrior,"

trained hard to get back.

Wouldn't this be a great moment, an exclamation point?

- Just go. Go, go.

- No! - No!

[air horn blares]

- So the third time wasn't the charm.

Desmond Odom, the sixth victim of Log Runner tonight.

His foot missed the top of the second log.

That sent it spinning.

And there was no way he could save it.

Again!

[cheers and applause]

- Our next athlete is using Ninja

to do good things in his community.

This is Iowa gym owner Spencer Johnson.

Working with his dad, Spencer started a program

called Change Course,

which is giving folks a second chance at life.

- You got it, baby! You got it!

- All right, this is it. You got to want it.

Okay. All right. [cheering]

[bright music]

Come on, Matt!

Well, Change Course is a nonprofit.

And it serves people that maybe have been incarcerated

or homeless...

Wow, Pam!

Yes!

Or just stuck in drug addiction,

people that are stuck in life

and can't figure out how to move ahead.

You got it! Come on!

This is an opportunity for them to get out,

to break the mold,

and to be somebody that they thought they could never be.

You got it. Go for it.

I'll be here.

Ooh.

- We all need to be heard, seen, and loved.

And...

- Yeah!

- That's what this group does.

- I'm going fall. - That's okay.

Yeah! Yes!

Traditionally speaking, it's gonna be like this.

Every group comes in, and they say,

I'm not gonna be able to do that.

But when they do overcome these obstacles, and they do--

Come on! [slapping mat]

Keep going!

That gives them hope. and that hope is like a spark,

and it just spreads like a brushfire.

Are you kidding me? [cheering]

At the end, we talk about, what's your obstacle in life?

And how can we get over it?

Because we just walked towards this one that you said

you could never do, and you overcame it.

Don't hang on too long 'cause then you're just losing power.

- The Change Course program literally has saved my life.

- Reach up and go.

Oh!

- I'm just super, super grateful for the Johnsons.

- Beat that wall.

Yeah! [cheering]

[laughing] Yeah!

I feel like I get more out of it than these guys do.

And their whole lives change.

It has just been absolutely amazing.

all: Change Course!

[cheers and applause]

- And Spencer's got some of the folks

who are part of that program watching back in Iowa.

His dad, wife, and kids all on the sidelines.

And Spencer's got all those rowdy ninjas from Iowa

cheering for him, too.

[countdown clock beeping]

Last saw him in season nine, where, as a rookie,

he made it to Vegas and came close

but did not get a buzzer.

[cheering]

Spencer's dad went to prison.

When he got out, he and Spencer started

the Change Course program in 2022...

- Right here, right here.

- All about giving second chances.

I think everyone in life could use a second chance.

- Well, you're right about that.

- Spencer Johnson's looking good so far.

And he's through two.

[cheering] - Let's go. Let's go.

- Taking a moment before Log Runner,

which has been tripping up ninjas all night.

- All right, keep your feet hot.

Keep your feet hot. Nice!

[cheering]

- His first season, season nine,

he faced this obstacle, Crank It Up.

He worked his way to the end

but then missed as he went to the final bar.

Oh, no! [air horn blares]

That's got to be in the back of his mind right now.

Let's see what he remembers from eight seasons ago.

- Matt, Spencer does not want that same fate

that happened his very first time.

You know he's learned from his mistake.

- Well, he was an elite gymnast for 17 years,

narrowly missed out on the Olympic team,

so he knows how to perform.

- The best athletes adjust, and they're not repeat offenders.

- And look at this.

He apparently remembered what he learned.

But this is where he fell before.

Can he get it this time?

Yes! - Nice!

Fight on! Got it!

[cheering]

- On now to V Formation.

And Spencer making the most of his second chance

in this special season 17.

- All right, here we go, Matt.

- Good power. Wow. - Oh, he came ready.

To step away from this at his age and to get back into it,

that's pretty cool.

[crowd shouting]

Grew up in a small town.

Look, there are currently more people here in the audience

than there are in his entire town.

- And look at this, Akbar.

- He's thinking about skipping the third one

and going down to number four.

He's got to make a clear decision here.

Come on.

- Oh! - Oh!

- He missed it.

[all groan]

But after eight years away from Ninja,

an impressive run by this 37-year-old dad.

[cheers and applause]

- He couldn't decide if he wanted to skip

to the final one or go back to the third.

He finally went back to number three,

but his fingers slipped right off.

- Spencer, awesome job out here tonight.

- Thank you.

- Now, it's been eight years

since you were last on the course.

Great to see you out here. How did it feel to be back?

- Oh, man, it was kind of surreal, you know?

It was a long wait, but it was worth it, for sure.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

- And it was so great to see you out here.

Now, you have a special program that you run back home in Iowa.

What message are you trying to get across tonight by running?

- That it's just never over,

that it doesn't matter where you're at

or what you're struggling with.

It's just hiding behind one obstacle.

So if you can just do one obstacle at a time,

dreams can really come true.

- Absolutely. So well said.

Well, we'll know soon enough if what you gave tonight

was enough to get you into the next round, okay?

- Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much.

- Awesome job out here. Guys, back to you.

- Coming up...

His dad's got a buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

His brother's got one, too.

[buzzer blares]

Now it's 4'11" Jason Behrends' turn.

And good things come in small packages,

next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're about halfway through the night here in Vegas,

where our ninjas are battling

our six-obstacle qualifying course.

- And we've seen some struggles in the last few minutes.

Former national finalist Maggi Thorne

was back for her eighth time on the "Ninja" course.

- Yeah, Mom!

- The 43-year-old mother of three is a former track star.

And she bounded through the Quad Steps.

But Lunatic Ledges was more than she could handle.

- No! [air horn blares]

- Taylor Amann is another college track star

who's made it to the National Finals.

- Three-time Big Ten pole vault champ.

- The Wisconsin native vaulted past Lunatic Ledges

and raced across Log Runner,

but ran out of steam on Crank It Up.

- Oh, no way! - Oh, no!

- My arm just gave out. [chuckles]

- Social-media star Johnny Brown made it

to the National Finals two years ago.

The 28-year-old from Georgia has millions of views

for his parkour videos.

Tonight he had a quick run to V Formation.

Then things went sideways.

- Oh!

- Right on his back.

- Our next ninja's gonna blow you away.

He's the shortest, the lightest,

and probably the loudest athlete we'll see tonight.

- Let's go!

- It's 15-year-old Jason Behrends,

the latest competitor from that hyped-up Iowa Ninja family.

- Big Boy Benny.

Home run, first try.

I'm Jason Behrends...

Boom!

The latest Behrends to come out and conquer

"American Ninja Warrior."

So I kind of naturally followed

my brother and dad's footsteps.

Been doing Ninja for about seven years now.

- Hold it. - Yes.

- Yeah, nice. - That a boy.

- My dad, Scott, was the first Behrends to compete.

- His first buzzer, with his family looking on.

- My brother Ben-- he just started

competing a couple years ago.

- He might be little, but he's Big Ben tonight.

- I got to go out and maintain the Behrends family legacy.

- My glasses, glasses, glasses!

All right, now. [laughter]

I'm a little undersized, but I don't let that bother me.

I go out and do my thing.

- I got to name you after one of my best rappers, man.

You're small, but you play big.

Great job, Biggie Smalls.

- Ninja is the family business.

My dad's hit buzzers. My brother's hit buzzers.

And now it's my turn.

[cheers and applause]

- Big brother Ben will compete later this season.

He's leading the hype crew on the sidelines.

- This is pretty cool.

They all got Jason's glasses swag going on.

- Let's go, guys!

- And there's even more watching back in Iowa.

I think the whole state's cheering him on.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, everyone loves an underdog.

And Jason is definitely that, 4'11" and only 95 pounds.

- He might look like he's 12,

but how could you not root for this kid?

- We saw Jason on "Ninja Junior."

And, Akbar, he designed that logo on his shirt,

the glasses and the hat.

- That is pretty cool. He looks cool, man.

I like it. He's got that Ninja swag.

All right, come on, now.

Matt, he's 95 pounds, so he might be able to afford

to hold on a little longer.

I'm not sure that his grip strength

is gonna wear out at 95 pounds.

- [screams] Let's go!

[all cheering wildly]

- But now at 4'11", going to need long strides

here on Log Runner.

- He's got to really open up. Nice. Nice!

- Wow!

And he is pumped.

[cheering]

- Man, I love this.

I mean, I get so pumped. - [laughs]

He is so fun to watch.

You can't believe he can do these things at his size.

One of the smallest in his class

at Cedar Falls High School,

but he's going to be a big man on campus after this run.

- He's crushing it right now.

- He's got a big move here to the second handles.

- Let's go, yeah!

- And he lands it!

Jason Behrends just keeps going.

Big Papa right through Crank It Up.

Look at the power on this diminutive ninja,

who is just showing how much heart he has.

- Come on!

Nice!

- Got it! - Let's go!

- If you're watching at home... - Come on!

- Look at this! - Come on, Jason.

- I see you!

- He's got this whole crowd on its feet.

4'11", 95 pounds-- not a lot of mass,

but he's going to have to have some power.

But I ain't betting against Jason Behrends.

- He's got to put his back into it, literally.

Nice.

You seen it? And he's going one kickstand at a time.

Maybe he doesn't have the power to skip multiple ones,

but that's all right. - That's all right.

He's just like-- he's leaning back.

- But here's the thing--

his hand size might be of concern here on these Vs.

- Well, it's going to take accuracy.

- Come on! Yeah, you got it! Go!

- That's a big move. Look at this!

He's--uh-oh.

- I think he's going across now.

- He's going to go across.

- I don't mind it, Akbar. - I don't mind it either.

- Line check.

Give yourself time to get your hands fixed.

- Whoa! - Whoa!

Jason Behrends! - Okay, Jason!

- He'll be the shortest athlete ever

up the Warped Wall.

- This is literally three times his height.

- Jason Behrends!

[buzzer blares] - Let's go!

Let's go!

[all cheering wildly]

[upbeat music]

* *

- Yeah! - Okay!

- Let's go!

- Jason Behrends!

Man, you've been on the sidelines.

You've watched your dad, your brother.

You just got a buzzer.

But let me tell you how special it was, man.

You're only 4'11".

You are the shortest athlete ever to get that buzzer.

- Let's go! - You made history.

- You made history.

And show everyone what the back of your shirt says.

You're small, but you play big.

You remember that? - Oh, yeah.

- All right, man, and guess what?

Tonight, you played big, because you are big time,

prime time, showtime, all time, good time.

Well done. - Thank you.

- Go celebrate with your crew.

What a night for the Behrends family.

I got to say, Akbar, I'm expecting

big things the whole season from Biggie Smalls.

- Absolutely.

[cheers and applause]

- Still to come,

it's the reigning queen of Ninja, Addy Herman,

and a ninja who could be king,

Josiah Pippel.

Plus, Akbar and I have had some crazy moments.

- Ball!

- What are you, blind? [overlapping arguing]

More of our countdown is coming up.

- Moments ago,

Iowa's Peyton Coffin danced to the start line

for her Ninja debut.

The personal trainer was a college track athlete

and looked strong on Lunatic Ledges.

But the rookie made a rookie mistake.

- Oh, oh, yeah, oh, she had to do it right there.

- And it cost her.

- Oh, my goodness! [air horn blares]

- New York City stuntman Ramcis Valdez stumbled early.

- Ooh, check yourself before you wreck yourself.

- But the three-time Ninja veteran from the Bronx

bounced back

and bombed his way through the final obstacles.

- King Ramcis Valdez.

Go get your throne.

- And he became the night's fourth finisher.

- You went and got your throne, didn't you?

- Our next ninja is a fitness fanatic,

even though he's 63 years old.

- Rocking the old-school workout coils.

What's next, a ThighMaster?

- Greg Justice is our oldest competitor tonight,

and he gets his inspiration from an exercise legend.

- I am here on a mission.

Jack LaLanne is the godfather of fitness.

- I'm here for one reason and one reason only,

to show you how to feel better and look better

so you can live longer.

- In the late '70s, early '80s, Jack was the man.

He invented or had something to do

with virtually every piece of equipment

that you see in a modern fitness facility today.

His mission was to help people help themselves.

And he told me before he passed in 2011,

whatever you have learned from me,

all I want is for you to pass it on.

So I wrote the book

"Pride & Discipline: the Legacy of Jack LaLanne"

with his widow, Elaine LaLanne.

I started American Ninja Warrior

at what you might call an advanced age,

just before my 60th birthday,

but I want everyone out there my age and older

to know that it's never too late to be a ninja.

Jack LaLanne's mission was to inspire people to stay fit,

and I'm doing the same.

[cheers and applause] - And who's that?

That's Elaine LaLanne, Jack LaLanne's widow.

- Anything in life is possible, and you can make it happen.

You're going to do it.

- How cool is that? She's 98 years old.

- So I see you, Greg--

the winner!

Greg Justice!

- What a pep talk from Elaine LaLanne!

[countdown clock beeping]

There's actually a movie in the works based on Greg's book,

with star Mark Wahlberg as Jack LaLanne.

- I think Jack would be proud of Greg

coming out here to try Ninja for the first time

at 63 years old, come on!

- Through the Quad Steps.

Those are Greg's two sons. Also has two grandkids.

- You see it on his shirt-- "Old Dog, New Trick Ninja."

Man, 63 years old, and trying Ninja for the first time.

- Here he is on Lunatic Ledges.

- Come on, more power, push! - Take it! Take it!

- This is not an easy obstacle at any age.

Knocked out five ninjas so far tonight,

and he's 63 years old.

- He is holding on.

- Nice! - Good move!

Whoa!

What 63-year-old do you know can do that?

- Got it! - Oh, and his glasses came off!

- Life in the fast LaLanne for Greg Justice.

- Let's go, Greg! - Let's go!

- Some of his Ninja friends, Daniel Gil and Ben Behrends,

offering encouragement.

If he gets through this obstacle,

he will be the oldest ninja ever

to have completed three obstacles.

Back in season 13,

Glenn Davis made it through the third obstacle at age 58.

Can Greg Justice do it at 63?

- Come on, Greg! Light feet!

- Trying to go through the Log Runner

for a piece of history.

Fitness is ageless, Akbar.

- It's all about placement,

so you don't have to worry about a hip replacement.

Here we go, come on.

Ooh! Oh, my! - Oh, no!

[air horn blares]

- Good job, Greg.

- Greg Justice juiced by the Log Runner.

- Big props to Greg Justice.

He got through two obstacles at 63 years old.

But on Log Runner, came up short on the second log,

and that sent him spinning into the third.

- Greg, good to see you.

- Zuri, I'm so happy to be here with you.

- It is my honor. First of all, great job.

It was awesome to see you out here.

You had quite the inspirational message

you received at the start.

Did that pump you up? How did it make you feel?

- It absolutely did, from my mentor's wife.

- Yeah. - And it just--

yeah, did my heart good.

- Yeah, well, it moved the needle.

You were moving through this course.

And you were one of our oldest competitors

to make it this far in the history of Ninja.

How does that make you feel, and, also, what's the secret?

- Well, your health account and your bank account are the same.

- Okay.

- The more you put in, the more you can take out.

And I just took out a withdrawal right here,

and it was so much fun. - I love it.

Well, it was so much fun for us to watch.

Thank you for gracing us with your presence

on the course tonight.

Great job. - Thank you so much, Zuri.

- Absolutely. Guys, back to you.

- And fitness played a part in one of our best moments.

Coming in at number three, our pull-up challenge.

Ninja Mike Eckert set a record

by doing 58 pull-ups in one minute.

That inspired Akbar to see how many he could do.

Two, three...

They said he's too fat. That's what they just said.

Two years later, he challenged me.

- All right, two pull-ups, and I'll give you $100.

[cash register bell dings]

One...

two...

Oh.

Three!

Oh!

Oh!

I apologize!

- It felt good to win.

- You did five.

You truly are an American Ninja Warrior!

- And it's number three on our countdown.

And now it's our youngest competitor of the night,

15-year-old Ohio teenager Dylan Yee.

You can see why he calls himself the Happy Ninja--

so much energy.

He's the brother of Sydney Yee,

who made it to the National Finals last year.

And both are running tonight.

[bright music]

- I'm really excited that I get to compete

with my sister on my first season.

She's a really good older sister.

- [claps hands] - Whoo.

- We spend a lot of time together.

We do essentially the same things.

We do Ninja together.

* *

And then we're in the same Scout troop,

which is really awesome.

- When we first started watching the show

as little kids, I remember looking at the screen

and looking at Dylan and being like,

we're going to be on that show one day.

And today is the day

where we're both going to be competing

on the same course together.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, Sydney will run in just a bit.

She's with their parents, and there's a whole army

of smiley-faced friends on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

Just like his sister, Dylan's been an overachiever--

joined Mensa in the third grade

after scoring 141 on an IQ test.

Only a sophomore, but taking senior-level math.

- He does it all. [cheers and applause]

Well, let's see how he handles the Lunatic Ledges.

5', 125--

really going to have to launch himself onto this second ledge

to get some momentum, get that second ledge swinging, Akbar.

- And for Dylan, it's probably all math.

Nice. Whoa.

Miscalculated that one. - And transfer.

And you got to push quickly.

Nicely done.

[cheers and applause]

Dylan calculating his path across Log Runner.

- The distance between these logs, 4 1/2 feet.

- He is a track athlete. - Running up hill! Oh!

[air horn blares]

- The Happy Ninja turned upside down.

- Another ninja cut down by Log Runner.

Dylan definitely had the best cheering section tonight.

He conquered Lunatic Ledges.

But at only 5 feet tall, he just missed on that final log.

But the Happy Ninja is still smiling.

- Are your glasses intact? - Yeah.

- And his sister will run next.

Coming up,

they've gone from fresh-faced rookies to grizzled veterans.

Have they still got what it takes to conquer the course?

- [screaming]

- Ryan Stratis and James "The Beast" McGrath

are next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Dylan Yee got his shot at the course earlier,

and minutes ago, it was his sister Sydney's turn.

The Ohio teenager was making

her second appearance on "Ninja."

- She's got this. She's got this, Matt!

- Sydney made it to the National Finals last year,

but tonight, just like her brother...

- It's about the drive phase and then keeping--

oh!

- She stumbled on Log Runner.

She tried to save it, but at just 5' tall,

she couldn't pull it off.

- Oh!

[air horn blares]

- Hawaii's Kane Casillas

brought some aloha spirit for his run.

He had his wife and parents on the sideline

and more than 26 family members watching from Hawaii.

Casillas, whose nickname is Hurricane,

barely made landfall on Lunatic Ledges.

- Let's go! [all cheering wildly]

- Then, the former track star took on Log Runner.

- All right, hurry, Kane!

Ooh! [air horn blares]

- And we had to say aloha.

- It's tough.

- Let's go--

- Well, you can't celebrate Ninja's history

without including our next athlete, Ryan Stratis.

The 14-time veteran is going to start his run

with a nod to the past.

Over his many seasons of "Ninja,"

Stratis has often started his run with a back slap.

It's a custom that started in Japan, where Ninja originated,

and Stratis does it to show his respect.

So of course he's going to do it again tonight

with the help of Ninja veteran Mike Bernardo.

[both shout]

[cheers and applause]

[both shouting in Japanese]

- Those two have been doing that for a lot of years.

- Jamie Rahn, Michelle Warnky Buurma,

and many other Ninja veterans are on the sideline.

Everyone loves Strat.

Competed in season one of "ANW."

Now here he is in season 17.

[countdown clock beeping]

When he started, he was a clean-shaven member

of the Army National Guard in his 20s.

- Now he's a bearded 41-year-old.

- Now he's done it all in Ninja, 23 career buzzers,

eight times to the National Finals.

He's even been to Japan to compete.

- You've gotta think he's probably faced

all of these old-school obstacles.

[cheering]

- Got to get through Lunatic Ledges.

Good footwork out of Stratis. Regroups.

Great job on the balance.

- Well, Matt, I think this course

really plays to his strengths.

We've seen Ryan Stratis do this for 14 seasons.

- 5'10", 140, so strong.

That surgically repaired shoulder, going to be tested.

Look at this!

Oh, he was going for a big move, Akbar.

Couldn't quite finish it.

- Well, we're loving this. This is his resurgence.

- Well, Stratis--

Ninja Warrior has become his life.

He is actually Matt and Akbar.

He's an announcer at Ninja competitions

across the country.

- We've had him in the booth before.

- And just one of the all-time great guys in Ninja Warrior.

- Matt, you can see him struggling up there right now.

He's really fighting.

It's not like Ryan Stratis to struggle on this one.

- Well, technique--

Yeah, you're right, Akbar. He is in trouble.

Wow.

[crowd shouting]

Look, I think even Ryan's surprised.

Big test for the shoulder. - That's a 3-foot jump.

You see him trying to focus in.

- How did he get that, Akbar? - Wow.

- I am amazed!

- He used up a lot of strength on that one.

- Oh, golly.

- I'm not sure it was the most efficient run

through the first four obstacles.

Wow.

- Well, Stratis had a decent pace,

but really got hung up on Crank It Up, Akbar.

What will he have left for this fifth obstacle?

- He's got the big movement on that back move.

Utilizing the back swing.

- Well, Stratis, known for his strength,

but it looks like his power is waning, Akbar.

He's in trouble. Arms extended.

- Oh, man, Matt.

41 years old.

He is fighting with every fiber of muscle in his body.

And-- [crowd groans]

- You could see it coming.

Gave it everything he had, and he is exhausted.

- Strat had a fast run going until it got to Crank It Up.

You can see it on his face!

It took a lot out of him.

He had nothing left to finish V Formation.

And that is a long way down.

- But that may be good enough to get him into the semis.

- Appreciate it, everybody.

[screaming]

- And that's worthy of his trademark Stratis scream.

[cheers and applause]

James McGrath has been around the sport

almost as long as Stratis,

and The Beast is walking up to start his 13th season.

The 37-year-old from Massachusetts

debuted back in season two.

And he remembers it well.

- The first time I competed on "Ninja Warrior,"

gosh, it was season two.

I remember borrowing my aunt's minivan.

I got my cooler full of food, and here's the bedroom.

I slept in the van in Venice Beach

for, like, four or five days, just waiting for a shot.

It's much cheaper than a hotel.

I don't think it should affect my performance at all.

Even then, I felt like I had what it took

to make it through the course.

- This is an unbelievable performance.

- From there, Ninja's just kind of became my life.

- James McGrath continues his remarkable story.

- I've competed 13 times now.

- James "The Beast" McGrath

is going back to Mount Midoriyama.

- And I've made it as far as stage 3.

- And he's done it! [buzzer blares]

- I've trained on all these obstacles

at one point or another.

- The Beast is back!

- Come on!

I hope that gives me an advantage, but we'll find out.

- Leading the cheers for The Beast

is his fiancée, Allyssa Beird,

who will compete later this season.

[countdown clock beeping]

The Beast is tied for fourth all time for Ninja buzzers with 23.

Other than his rookie season,

he's hit qualifying buzzers every year he's competed.

- Wow, that's an impressive streak.

- He's had major shoulder injuries

that kept him out for three years,

but he has come back with a vengeance.

- You know, The Beast has really studied

the sport's future stars.

He's really tried to make adjustments to his game.

He says when he came into the game 15 years ago,

it was about not falling, not speed.

- Ooh. - Ooh, he fell there, though.

[cheers and applause]

- 6'2", 160, good power.

Let's see how that surgically repaired shoulder holds up.

- But he brings up a really good point.

There has been an evolution. - Wow.

- And we're honoring the evolution of Ninja.

And his game has continued to evolve.

- Look at the power out of The Beast!

Two moves. - Nice. All right.

This is going to test that shoulder.

Nice. - And right off.

Wow.

He's 37, but not showing it.

Well, here it goes.

This is going to be a power test, Akbar.

- This might be the fastest version

of The Beast we've ever seen.

- Well, with this pace, he's already secured

his spot in the semifinals.

But The Beast not done.

- He's not. You can see it.

And this is where the experience starts to kick in.

You can see he just went ahead and skipped

from the first to the third V.

crowd: [chanting] Beast! Beast! Beast! Beast!

- And The Beast... - I love it.

- Is going to finish another qualifying course.

[cheers and applause]

[buzzer blares] And this is buzzer number 24.

- That's how you do it!

crowd: [chanting] Beast! Beast! Beast! Beast!

Beast! Beast! Beast!

- McGrath, man, you started on this show when I did,

back in season two.

On this season, we're looking back.

You've been through so much.

You've seen "Ninja Warrior" grow.

What's it like still being here,

still hitting buzzers in season 17?

- I was thinking about this earlier today,

and, man, I've just been so privileged

to live a dream for so long.

I'm just a guy living a dream.

- Take a look-- enjoy the view, buddy,

because you're going on to the semis.

Hit that buzzer! Go celebrate with your friends.

- Whoo! [buzzer blares]

- Well, The Beast still got it. - Yeah, he does.

[cheers and applause]

- Akbar and I are like a tag team.

You gonna win it all? - Oh, of course. Absolutely.

- There it is. There's your prediction.

Money in the bank.

And some of our best moments involve pro wrestlers.

We've always had a blast when they visited our ring.

And number two on our countdown...

It's on. [bell ringing]

Is the fun we've had with one of them--Sem Garay.

- Oh! - Oh, gets body-slammed!

- That's it. Come on!

Huh! Flex on him!

Flex on him! [screams]

- Sem's competed four seasons,

and we've made them all feel like a main event.

Akbar going down on the course!

This is not planned for, but what you're watching is real.

- One! Two! Three!

And you're out! [bell rings]

- All the good times we've had with Sem Garay...

Can he get up the Warped Wall? - Oh, my goodness!

[buzzer blares]

[bell ringing]

And we have a new "Ninja Warrior" "champeen"!

Coming in at number two on our countdown.

Coming up, he's a "Ninja Junior" champ.

And Jackson does it!

But the years that followed were often dark.

Now Jackson Erdos is back with a message.

- Ninja was what helped me get away from that stuff.

- He runs next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- It was date night

for one of Ninja's newest couples minutes ago.

Illinois college student Maggie Owen

is in a long-distance relationship

with Florida college student Jay "Lache" Lewis.

- It's so cute. And look at that.

- Five-time Ninja veteran has made it to the National Finals

twice in her career.

But the Log Runner's been a Ninja killer tonight.

- Whoa. Oh, my.

- And it ended her season early.

Then it was Jay's turn,

and he was able to get past Log Runner.

- Jay "Lache"--one of the coolest nicknames in Ninja.

- The 20-year-old, who's a four-time national finalist,

turned on the jets

and cruised through the final obstacles

with the fastest time of the night so far.

- Go, go, go! Go, go, go!

Nice!

- And with less than a second to spare,

he earned a shot at the Mega Wall.

At only 5'4", he made his run.

Though he came up short,

he's still moving on to the semifinals.

Well, it's been a couple years

since we've seen our last competitor.

- Let's go!

- This is Jackson Erdos.

- I am so excited for this course!

- The former "Ninja Junior" champion took some time away

to work on his mental health,

and he wants others who are struggling to know you matter.

- Come on, Jack!

[soft dramatic music]

- I had a lot of changes in my life

throughout these past two years.

I struggled with depression and anxiety.

* *

- * Every now and then, I try *

* To clear out my mind *

- I couldn't really get away from the fact

that no matter what I did, I just felt sad.

I didn't have any hope.

Thank you guys for coming.

Thanks for devoting your time and your money,

going to a great cause.

It really means a lot to me that you guys are here.

I spent over a year and a half in different therapy programs,

talking to my therapist,

group therapy, meeting new people,

and all of that combined

is what turned me into this new person.

- * Oh, well *

- Yeah!

- * As I look around *

* We've got each other now *

* Oh, yeah, we're safe and sound *

- The back of my shirt

has two really important messages to me.

The first one is 988, the crisis-prevention hotline.

And the other one is "you matter."

Being able to understand that you make a difference,

that's important to the people around you,

and that should be important to yourself.

[cheering]

If you remember anything about my run,

I want you to remember 988.

- * Oh, yeah, we're safe and sound *

- Through it all, Jackson's had the support of his family.

He's got his mom, dad, and aunt on the sidelines,

as well as some of the ninjas he trains with.

[countdown clock beeping]

Erdos followed in the footsteps

of our two-time champion Vance Walker

by winning "Ninja Junior,"

then competed one season here on "ANW"

before taking time off.

- He told us he's back 100%.

He's ready to be a top contender again,

and you better believe he's going to go fast.

[cheers and applause]

- Already to Log Runner.

- Come on, come on, run for it! Nice.

- Flying right into Crank It Up.

He's a high-school senior at Chestnut Hill Academy,

and he's going to school on this course.

- Yeah, he ain't lost a step.

- Well, Erdos is back with a vengeance, big man.

- He ain't messing around.

- [laughs] Oh, my.

He is crushing this course, Akbar.

If he keeps it up, he's got a chance to beat out Jay Lewis

for the fastest time and could get the Mega Wall.

Needs to be under 1:10.

And he's got a shot here at the Mega Wall.

- Matt, if he can get off here in 2 seconds, 2 to 3 seconds,

he'll have a chance.

- Erdos! - Okay, go! Go for it!

- Go, baby, go, baby, go, baby, go!

[buzzer blares] - Oh!

- Let's go!

- Jackson Erdos--

fastest time of the night!

- Wow!

- And after all he's been through,

you can see just how much it means

to be back on top of the wall.

- Yes!

- Oh, my God.

- Jackson, man, it's been a long road for you, man.

Tell me what you're feeling.

- [crying] I'm just overcome with emotion right now.

I didn't think I'd even be in this position

to get another buzzer in my entire life.

And I'm just so, so happy to be where I am right now.

I mean, I'm here, I'm doing "American Ninja Warrior"

just to show people that there is hope

and you will be okay

and there is a way to find happiness.

- You said it so beautifully, Jackson.

You said, I climbed a mountain,

and it didn't take me 30 seconds.

It took me two years.

And you did it, and you are standing atop that mountain.

But here's the other thing.

You did go fast. - Yes, sir.

- In fact, you went so fast, you're under 1:10.

You get a shot at $10,000! - Let's go!

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go, Jackson!

- What a moment, Akbar.

crowd: [chanting] Mega Wall! Mega Wall!

- Took a shot at the Mega Wall three years ago,

but came up short.

- No one's conquered it yet this season.

- Given all he's been through,

just getting to the start line was a victory.

This would be frosting

on a delicious cake for Jackson Erdos.

- I want him to get this so badly.

Go get it. Go get it, Jackson!

Oh! - Oh!

No 10K, but more importantly,

he spread that message of 988 that's on his shirt.

[indistinct chatter, cheering]

Coming up,

she was dominant in winning our women's championship.

She's going to do it! She's going to win!

Now Addy Herman kicks off her season,

next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- A couple of hoopsters hit the course

and scored minutes ago.

Caleb Vaughn is the night's tallest competitor at 6'6".

- He's got those long arms.

- Vaughn played three years of pro basketball

and now is a coach and chemistry teacher

at his high-school alma mater in Crab Orchard, Illinois.

He had many of his students and family cheering him on

as he made it all the way to the fifth obstacle.

But the long arms couldn't help on V Formation.

- No!

- But it earned him a spot in the semifinals.

Tate Becker is a different kind of hoop star.

He's part of the Acrodunk team that entertains the crowd

at Boston Celtics games.

- You can dunk, and he's got nice feet!

- The 19-year-old showed his athleticism

as he took down obstacle after obstacle.

- Get up there! Go dunk on 'em! Go dunk on 'em!

- And he became our eighth finisher.

[buzzer blares] - Yeah!

- Okay, Tate!

- Let's go!

- Up next is another Massachusetts native.

And Zuri's going to get her started.

- Guys, she won our women's championship

as a teenager last year,

but Addy Herman has not been resting on her laurels.

She's been putting in the work and ready to build

on last year's success.

- It still feels weird

to say that I'm the reigning women's champion

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- Here we go. Look at that technique out of Addy Herman!

- In the last Cat Grab race, I was completely exhausted,

and the only thing I remembered was my training.

- Oh, my!

Addy Herman does it! [buzzer blares]

- Winning the women's championship

and getting experience on all those obstacles

definitely gives me confidence coming into this season.

- She is doing it big.

- But in my four seasons of competing,

I have never hit a qualifying buzzer,

and it's driving me crazy.

My goal is to hit that buzzer,

and I'm so prepared to make it happen this year.

- Her cheering section tonight

includes her boyfriend, Noah Meunier,

who will run later this season,

and her mom, Stacy--

the rest of the family cheering her on

from back in Massachusetts.

- Come on, Addy, let's go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, we've seen some success from women,

especially last week, when Katie Bone, Megan Rowe,

and Anabella Heinrichs all hit buzzers.

No woman's hit one tonight. Could Addy break through?

Got her first buzzer last season in that semifinals race

against Brittney Durant

and capped off her breakout season

by winning that women's championship.

- Nice. - Good power.

Moving that second ledge, Akbar.

[cheers and applause]

Needs to be wary of Log Runner.

This has already knocked out 11 ninjas tonight.

She's through!

- [screaming]

- Mom's happy to have that one behind her.

But now Addy's got to grind her way through Crank It Up.

Only one other woman has gotten past this obstacle tonight.

Addy had a bad ankle injury in the offseason

that set back her training, but she's looking strong.

- Matt, with that ankle injury,

she's really spent a lot of time working on her upper body

while she was rehabbing.

And now we're seeing that. Look at this.

- Well, she said it was a blessing

for her Ninja career, Akbar-- you're right.

Ninjas sometimes don't like to work their weaknesses,

and not that her upper body is weak,

but she says now it's among the strongest parts

of her game.

[indistinct shouting] - Whoa!

- And she's reached the fifth obstacle.

Only the second woman tonight to reach this point--

Emily Gardiner the other to do it.

all: [chanting] Addy! Addy! Addy! Addy!

- She's already secured a spot in the semifinals.

The top five women move on.

But she doesn't want to settle for that.

- It's going to be interesting here on V-Formation.

It's all upper-body power here.

- Well, no woman has ever made it past this obstacle.

Could Addy Herman be the first?

- 5'5", 130 pounds-- an incredible athlete.

Every single season,

it seems that she gets better and better.

- Look at this, Akbar.

She's closing in on her first qualifying buzzer.

- There's nothing like hitting the buzzer.

She's got to picture in her head, see it.

Oh! - Oh!

[air horn blares]

Had a strong run going,

but comes up just short on V-Formation.

The good news-- Addy Herman's moving on.

- She looked solid all the way through her run,

but seemed to hesitate like she wasn't sure

which V to jump to.

Finally went to the third,

but her fingers slipped right off.

- I'm so proud of you!

- And we'll see Addy back for the semifinals in a few weeks.

- That was so good, honey. So proud.

- Coming up,

he's among the favorites to win it all.

Josiah Pippel runs next.

Plus, what's the number one moment for me and Akbar?

- Get your popcorn ready. - I knew it!

That's coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- All night long,

we've been reliving some of our most memorable moments.

[screaming]

- What is this, leather?

Oh!

Two! Three! And you're out!

- Number one on the list has to be our adventures

with entomologist Eric Middleton.

Over the years, the Bug Ninja has served us tarantulas...

- [groaning]

- Scorpions...

- Aah! Oh.

- Hornworms...

You know what? This is not bad.

- You a damn liar, man. This is horrible!

- Spider sushi...

- What kind of spider is this?

- Guys, remember, hold the head, eat the body.

- Oh, I ate the whole thing last time.

- Now you tell us!

And though he turned our stomachs,

he turned up as number one on our list.

And one honorable mention has to be

when we had the lizards of Josiah Pippel up in the booth.

- Hold on, hold on. Hold still. Hold still real quick.

Is that real? - Yeah, it's real.

- Oh, no-- - Aah!

- Josiah was a reptile-loving 15-year-old rookie that year.

And he still loves lizards.

He's got one on his shirt as he comes out

to kick off another season.

He's not just a veteran now.

He's one of the favorites to win it all,

and the New Jersey teenager's been getting ready

for this year with a special training partner,

fellow ninja Jojo Grubesic.

- I first got to know her a bit at filming of season 16.

Over the next few months, seeing each other

at Ninja competitions and talking,

we eventually started dating.

We try and visit each other once or twice a month.

When we're together, we love to go to the mall.

We've gone to the beach, which I've learned to enjoy.

And I build obstacles, and she'll test them with me.

We have all kinds of fun. [laughter]

This season is a little more special for me,

because I not only get to compete for myself,

but I get to compete alongside of Jojo.

And I don't care where we are, what we're doing.

As long as we're hanging out together, I enjoy it.

[cheers and applause]

- Jojo there beside Josiah's dad.

She'll be running in a few weeks.

The rest of Josiah's family, watching back home in Jersey.

[cheering]

[countdown clock beeping]

Josiah's hit qualifying buzzers every year he's competing.

And look at him bounding through--6'1", 160.

- He's not playing around.

He's put on 15 pounds of muscle since last year.

He really wants to take his game to the next level.

- He's grown up so much since we met him on "Ninja Junior,"

but even back then, he liked to go fast.

And, Akbar, this season lines up well

for someone like Josiah.

But you got to make it to the finals.

Oh, my! Two moves! - Wow.

Whoa, whoa. - Talk about power.

- One, two. - And he did it!

Look at him swaying those moves front and back.

- Yeah, he's going for it.

- Needs to beat a 1:10 for the Mega Wall,

and 1:07 for the top time.

- Whoa! - Oh, my!

- Whoa! Oh, he's just flying now.

- The power on Pippel is perplexingly strong!

- Yeah, he's just stunting now.

He's just showing you his Ninja skill

and a shot at getting up that Mega Wall.

- Well, here we go.

Josiah Pippel, right into it!

[buzzer blares]

Man, come on!

It's going to be all racing in the National Finals,

so watch out for this guy.

[cheers and applause]

Whoo! Whoo!

Josiah, you are flying, man.

Have you been working on speed in particular?

- Yeah, I mean, knowing the new format

of not just the Mega Wall but the sport,

speed is becoming more and more important, so...

- Yeah, and you put on 15 pounds of muscle.

How'd you do that?

You've been in the weight room squatting and bench-pressing?

How much you bench?

- You don't want to know that. [laughter]

- Well, listen, I know this--

fastest time of the night!

You went fast enough, buddy. You're going for $10,000.

- Well, he's done it before.

- Three years ago, in season 14,

he scaled the Mega Wall when it was 18 feet.

- He's done it!

But now the wall is 6 inches taller,

and no one's made it up this year.

- And just because you've done an obstacle before

doesn't mean you can do it again.

Every year is different.

crowd: [chanting] Mega Wall! Mega Wall!

- Let's go!

- $10,000 on the line.

- You get one shot at it.

Come on, you got this!

Ooh!

- Josiah just misses out!

But does get the fastest time

just ahead of his training partner Jackson Erdos,

who's giving him a hug.

And then, of course, he's got one for Jojo.

So Josiah and Jackson are at the top of our leaderboard.

Among the others hitting buzzers was Ethan Gardulski.

He'll join his buddy Philip Scott in the semis.

4'11" Jason Behrends rounds out our finishers.

Among the non-finishers moving on

are teenager Christian Hart

and our reigning women's champ, Addy Herman.

We'll see all 20 athletes back here in a few weeks.

Well, that wraps up our third night of qualifying.

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

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