All language subtitles for American.Ninja.Warrior.S17E03.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

[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."