All language subtitles for Spartan.Ultimate.Team.Challenge.S01E05.The.Comeback.WEBRip.NF.en[cc]

[narrator reading]

We rely on others to lift us up...

This was not a cage fight.
This was a life fight.

I couldn't think of a better human being
to have next to me when I was sick.

[narrator] ...to help us
reach new heights...

Help me!

I don't look like a typical
obstacle course racer.

[man] There you go, Julie.

[Julie] I'm not super lean and skinny.

I'm a normal girl just trying
to do some extraordinary things.

And I'm really excited
for the opportunity.

[narrator] ...to guide us
toward the light.

I love you guys, man.

I had to check myself
into a homeless shelter.

And I looked around and thought,
I... I don't want to do this anymore.

You never give up on family.

I live here with my wonderful family.

[narrator] On Spartan...

We're coming, baby. We're coming.

[narrator] ...there's only one way to win.

[man] Let's finish this off, you guys.

[narrator] Together.

[woman] Everything in life
you have to fight for.

Let's go!

[narrator] This is
the Ultimate Team Challenge.

[Jones] We are in the hills
of North Georgia

for the supreme test of toughness,
determination, and teamwork.

Kyle, say it with me.

[both] This is Spartan.

Hello, everyone. I'm Dhani Jones,

alongside former professional
soccer player Kyle Martino.

And welcome to
Spartan: the Ultimate Team Challenge.

Four teams have already earned
spots in our championship.

Tonight, one more will join them.

[Martino] Dhani, the past four weeks
have been pretty epic.

It's been truly inspiring to watch people
from so many different age groups

and backgrounds
exceed even their own expectations

and achieve greatness
on this brutal course.

Tonight, six teams
will compete head-to-head

on a mile-long obstacle course.

Only one of them will advance
to the championship two weeks from now.

In the end, the winner
will go home with $250,000.

[Jones] We are ready to start
our featured race,

and the three teams
are on the starting line.

[Martino] The winner of this race
is guaranteed a spot in tonight's final.

In red is Family Jules.

-[Jones] Excuse me?
-[Martino] It's not what you think.

Jules is Julie Fults,
a 28-year-old from Chicago.

And Julie's teammates
are boyfriend Fabian,

her trainer Joel,
and her best friend Candace,

are her family. Family Jules.

Julie surrounded herself
with strong athletes

to help her overcome her fear
that she is the team's weakest link.

[Julie] I am a financial
management consultant,

and that requires me to live
out of hotels four days a week.

I just struggle with competing priorities

of trying to advance my career
versus advancing my training.

So I don't look like a typical
obs course racer.

I'm not super lean and skinny.

The elite women who are,
like, Amelia Boone

and Rose Wetzel, they're ripped.

It just really kind of plays
mind games with you.

Like, you think, to be good at this,

I need to look like them,
and that's not necessarily true.

I can guarantee there's some
elite women that I can beat,

because I am built to be strong.

It doesn't matter what you look like.
It matters what you can do.

And she brings more to the table
than most people I've met in my life.

She will just keep pushing
and pushing and pushing,

which is a great thing to have
in a teammate.

I'm a normal girl just trying
to do some extraordinary things.

And I'm really excited
for the opportunity.

[man] Believe in yourself.
Believe in yourself.

[Jones] On Spartan, everyday people
get pushed to do extraordinary things.

Let's see how Julie does.

[Martino] The team in blue
is the Cornhuskers, out of Nebraska.

And that's their team captain:
41-year-old Matt "Bear" Novakovich

is the number-one ranked
Spartan in the world in his age group.

He lives and trains in
extreme conditions in Alaska.

It's minus-10 degrees.
I'm in Anchorage, Alaska.

[Martino] And got his nickname
when he shot and killed

a 500-pound grizzly bear that attacked him
on a hiking expedition.

[all] Take it off! Take it off!

[Jones] Kyle, what are they chanting?

-[Martino] They're saying "take it off."
-They're not talking to us.

They're talking about Bear's teammate,
"Shirtless Bob."

Fifty-six year old Robert Borer,
a firefighter from Lincoln, Nebraska.

-[all cheer]
-[Jones] Wow. Look at that.

[Martino] Look at that, 56 is the new 26.

That guy is in phenomenal shape.
And if I looked like that,

I'd take my shirt off
everywhere I went too.

I've had fellow racers tell me,

"Oh, you're the guy
that everybody else's wife

wants their picture taken with."

And then I have people
who razz me because...

I don't know. Maybe they're jealous.

[Bonnie] Shirtless Bob is a legend.

He runs every race without a shirt,
and I've seen him in a million races.

You can't miss him.
Everybody knows about Shirtless Bob.

Let's do this, dude. Have a blast.

[Jones] The Cornhuskers have a ton
of obstacle course racing experience.

[Martino] Now the same can't be said
for the team in yellow, Love & Basketball,

who have never entered a race
like this in their lives.

They'll be relying on their athleticism.

Girlfriends Linda and Melissa
have played hoops overseas.

Next to Melissa is her brother Jared.
Played college football.

And that's Linda's
training partner Brendan,

who is a competitive soccer player.

[Jones] Tonight, these athletes
will face the one-mile loop,

full of the obstacles
they've never seen before,

including the Log Swing...

-[woman] Go!
-[man] I missed it.

[Jones] Army Crawl.

[man] Come on, team! Move fast!

[Jones] And, of course,
the dreaded Slip Wall.

You got to hold on!

And here we go, Kyle.

It's Julie Fults and Family Jules in red.

[man] Let's go, baby!

[Jones] Shirtless Bob,
who's technically not wearing

any colors, but his teammates
are wearing blue.

Linda and Melissa's team,
Love & Basketball, in yellow.

-[woman] Let's do it, guys.
-[man] Blow that horn!

[air horn blows]

[Jones] The athletes of Love & Basketball
sprint out to an early lead.

[Martino] Dhani, we're going to keep
an eye on Julie in the early going.

She's worried about holding her team back.

[Fabian] There you go, Julie.
Keep this up.

[Joel] All right, big, deep breaths.
Nice and relaxed.

[Jones] You can hear team captain
"Bear" Novakovich

of the Cornhuskers.

Expect him to be vocal
throughout the entire race.

[man] In the middle, in the middle.

[Martino] Love & Basketball
are the first to the walls,

and Melissa and Linda
are up and over with ease.

No surprise that these two are so in sync.

Linda and I have been together
for seven years.

I met Linda when I flew over to Denmark
and played professional basketball.

And she was on my team.

It was the best two years of my life.

We were obviously playing together
every day, every night, every weekend.

And it really made us stronger together.

Linda is one of the most
humble people I've ever met.

It's been kind of like a fairy tale,
our relationship.

Somehow we figured out how to
come back to the United States,

and we have found a way to
make it work and stay together.

[Linda] Arms up. Arms up high.

[Martino] Love & Basketball are the first
to arrive at the Log Swing.

Melissa mounts first.

[woman] Walk forward.

[Martino] And Cornhuskers right behind.

[Jones] You can't miss Shirtless Bob.

[woman] Tell me when you're on.

-[man] I'm on.
-[man 2] He's on. Go.

-[woman] Nice!
-[man] Get out of the way quick.

[Martino] And look at that.

[Jones] In basketball,
they call that hops.

[woman] Get back, Krista. Go, Krista.

Yes!

[Jones] Another one across
for Love & Basketball.

Now Melissa's girlfriend, Linda.

Love & Basketball,
perfect three for three.

Wow, now four for four.

[Martino] Shirtless Bob
trying to stay dry.

[Jones] Ooh!

[Martino] Now it's Julie's turn.
Family Jules needs to pick up the pace.

They're the last team still on the log.
Oh! Face-plant.

Julie has to stay
in that freezing cold water

until all her teammates are off the log.

[man] All right, go for it.

[Jones] Now Julie's best friend, Candace.

[man] Come on, Candace. You got to go.
Now!

[Martino] She shorts it too.

-[woman] Go! Go!
-[Jones] Love & Basketball with

a very slight lead over the Cornhuskers,

as both teams try to maintain
their balance

on those wobbly 5x5 rafts.

Go, Melissa. Harder.

[Martino] Linda Larsen pushing Melissa.
Just like in basketball,

they want to establish
the tempo and take control.

[Ryan] Dude, we're gaining.

We are gaining.

[Jones] That's team captain Ryan Kent.

[Martino] He's won over 14 events,

and is now the fifth ranked
Spartan in the world.

[man] Look at them.
We're getting them! Let's go!

[Martino] And look at this.

The Cornhuskers have drawn
dead even with the Hoopsters.

-But the rafts are all tangled up.
-[man] Come on, red!

[Jones] And Family Jules
is closing in fast.

We smell blood!

[Jones] Welcome back to Spartan.

[Martino] Before we get back
to our featured race,

let's take a look at what happened earlier
in heat number one.

The Comeback Kids,
close friends from Texas,

connected by their struggles in life...

[all shouting]

...flew through the course
and secured a spot

in tonight's final.

Second place went to Team K.O.,

a group of mixed
martial artists from Virginia.

[woman] Let's go! Come on!

[Martino] Now we'll have to wait and see

if their time is faster than the runner-up
in our second heat.

The fastest runner-up
earns the wild card spot

in tonight's final.

[Jones] As we return to the action,

the Cornhuskers are the first
to enter the Army Crawl.

The Spartans have to get
on their hands and knees

and trudge through that thick,
wet, heavy mud

that gets into their shoes, hair, clothes,
and worst yet, their eyes.

[Matt] Be aggressive.
Let's take these guys out right now.

[Martino] Team captain "Bear" Novakovich

pushing his team
to try and extend their lead,

but as you can see, Love & Basketball

-only steps behind.
-[Linda] You guys got this!

[Jones] That's Linda Larsen.

She played professional basketball
in Denmark for five years.

Keep going!

[Martino] Bob maybe second-guessing
going shirtless right now.

There's also a swarm of yellow
just inches behind him.

[man] We're almost there!

[Jones] And here come Family Jules.
Still plenty of time to catch up.

[Ryan] Right there!

We stay this course, we catch up.

[Martino] Captain Ryan Kent driving
his team to close the gap.

Bob, big breaths, let's go.

[Jones] The Cornhuskers now carrying
their 150-pound shield.

They've got to lug that thing
300 yards into the arena.

Everyone take a deep breath.

Tell yourself we're winning.
We're winning this heat.

We have a 20-second lead right now.

[Martino] Shirtless Bob
looking a little gassed.

But this Lincoln, Nebraska, fire captain
is a fitness fanatic.

[Bob] I train hard physically
and mentally.

My co-workers think I'm pretty crazy.

You guys want to join me?

[laughter]

[Bob] At home or at the station,

I do 400 burpees a day.

[dispatcher speaking
indistinctly over P.A.]

[Bob] But I do it for a reason:

because I have job
that involves taking risks

and saving lives.

And I want to be at my best
at those moments.

All right, guys.
I'm cranked up, ready to go.

I think citizens deserve that type of care
and response when we're called upon.

You take that side
and I'll take this side.

[Martino] Bob and the Cornhuskers
answering the call so far here.

They're the first to the Spear Throw.

[Jones] Love & Basketball
are coming to court right behind them.

Start pulling back.

[Martino] The Spear Throw
can be a game changer.

That target starts 60 feet away.

But pulling that rope,
the Cornhuskers can bring it

20 feet closer for the captain.

[Jones] And Bear nails it.

Two more, and the Nebraskans can move on.

[Martino] 31-year-old Brendan Rabadi.

This could be where Love & Basketball's
inexperience with Spartan racing

really hurts them, Dhani.

[Jones] Shirtless Bob.

No shirt, no service.

Upstairs, Jared.

And the football player.
Kyle, check that out.

It's the basketballers on the board.

[Martino] Let's check in
with our red team,

Family Jules,
as they head toward the arena.

We should have held our non-throwing hand.

Yeah.

[Martino] Ryan Kent has a point there.

That bouncing 150-pound
shield puts a lot of strain

on your arms right before the Spear Throw.

[Jones] Still just one apiece
for the Cornhuskers

and Love & Basketball.

And Family Jules has a chance
to make a move.

Julie's personal trainer, Joel,
is up first.

The Spear Throw is my least favorite.
I hate that thing. It's my nemesis.

I've tried everything.
Nothing seems to work great.

[Martino] I think Joel may be psyching
himself out on the Spear Throw.

[grunts]

[Jones] The door's wide open

-for Family Jules.
-Hold it.

[man] Yeah. Come on, Ryan.

[Jones] And, boom.

Ryan Kent takes it down.
Three-way tie for the lead.

We did say it was a game-changer.

[Martino] Now Melissa Manzer
for Love & Basketball.

Four misses in a row.

This ain't no free throw line.

[Jones] It's Julie's turn.

Big time shot!

[Martino] She moves
the team into the lead.

[woman] Come on, guys.

[Jones] And just like that,
Shirtless Bob ties things up.

[man] Go. Throw the spear.
Throw the spear.

[Jones] It's contagious!

Linda connects as the pace picks up
at the Spear Throw.

Team captain Ryan Kent
with a second attempt.

Unbelievable!

Let's go!

[Jones] Family Jules has gone from

well over a minute behind,
in last place to first.

[man] Middle one. Red, red.

On the Totem Clock, all five team members
must be on the rope and out of the water

before the flag
is passed up and clipped in.

And you send your strongest
climber up first,

and that's team captain Ryan Kent.

[Jones] Back at the spear throw,
it's still two to two.

Bear brings it home for the Cornhuskers.

Family Jules will have company
on the Totem.

[Matt] Let's go!

They're tired. We're not.

[Jones] Cornhuskers send Bear up first.

Looks like Shirtless Bob will be second.

[Martino] What about Bob?

The 56-year-old firefighter
still going strong.

-Joel, you need to go up.
-[Joel] I know.

[Martino] Family Jules struggling
on the Totem Climb.

Julie needs to get higher.

[Julie] I couldn't do a rope climb
at the beginning of the year.

So I've been working and training.

I'm going to make sure
that I bring my A game.

You know, you don't want
to let people down.

[grunts]

[Martino] Love & Basketball is on the way.

[Jones] Julie needs to get her
feet up and out of that water.

[man] There we go. There we go.

[woman] Jared, grab the flag.

[man] Come on, come on, come on,
Candace. We got to go. Now.

[Martino] Wow.
Now this is a Spartan first.

Candace climbs onto Julie's feet
and they send their flag up.

[Jones] That'll work.

[woman] Flag coming up.

[Martino] And the Cornhuskers
also passing their flag up.

[Jones] Uh, Kyle,
what do you call that move?

[Martino] I'm not sure. Downward Dallas?

All that matters is his feet
are out of the water.

[man] Come on, Ryan. Get it.
To your left. To your left.

[Martino] Oh, no. Looks like Ryan
is trying to clip that into the rope.

It needs to go into the gold clip.

[man] To your left! We're hooked!
[Jones] That's the right clip.

Bear's got it, and the Cornhuskers
move back into the lead.

A spot in tonight's final is on the line.

It's anybody's race.

[Matt] Don't let up!

[Martino] Welcome back to Spartan.

Brought to you by TomTom,

official partner of Spartan:
Ultimate Team Challenge.

[man] Looking good. We got
to close this out right now.

[Martino] While we were away,
Shirtless Bob and the Cornhuskers

maintained a small lead.

[Matt] They're tired. Come on.
They're discouraged, we're not.

Come on.

[Martino] Just ahead of Family Jules,

who were pushing their
emotional leader, Julie Fults,

to stay motivated and focused.

[Jones] We pick up the action
with the Cornhuskers

at the second of the three Dunk Walls.

[man speaking]

[Martino] Bear and Dallas pulling
the 250-pound middle wall.

They've got to lift it just enough
so that each person can swim under it.

[Jones] And 56-year-old Shirtless Bob
still going strong.

[Martino] Family Jules is just
one wall behind.

Dive deep, dive far.
You should be behind the wall.

[Jones] Fabian giving instructions.

Reminding his team
how difficult this obstacle is.

There's only inches of space
under those thick walls.

It's scary down there.

[Martino] Oh, Julie froze up.

She's got to go.

[Fabian] Come on, Julie.

[Jones] Yes, she did it.

[Martino] This is a far cry from doing
pushups in your hotel room.

Let's check in with Love & Basketball.

Leading them out of the woods
and onto the Dunk Walls.

They're moving at a good clip, Dhani.

[Jones] And they'd better,
because the Cornhuskers

have reached the Slip Wall.

[Martino] Family Jules almost done
with the second wall,

but Love & Basketball are gaining fast.

Cornhuskers have team captain
"Bear" Novakovich

at the base of their human ladder

with Dallas on his shoulders.

And now the fireman begins his climb.

[Matt] Push in my legs, girls!
Girls, grab my legs!

[Jones] Bear's legs are giving out.
Great recovery.

[Martino] Shirtless Bob knows
a thing or two about ladders.

He climbed a 1,200-foot utility tower,

higher than the Empire State Building,
in the line of duty.

Look at that!

By his fingernails. What a grab.

[Jones] What an incredible pull.

Unbelievable. Serious grip strength.

Teams are closing in.

[Martino] And, Dhani, taking a look
at the "time to beat" clock.

There's only 30 seconds left
to beat the runners-up time

set by Team K.O. in heat one.

Never seen anyone conquer the Slip Wall
in that amount of time.

[Jones] The wild card appears
to be out of reach, Kyle.

The only way to make it
into tonight's final

is to win this race.

Family Jules wasting no time
at the Slip Wall.

They came with a plan and are executing.

You gotta go fast.

Come on.

[horn blares]

[Martino] Well, Dhani, it's not official.
Only one spot left for tonight's final.

[Jones] Second place means nothing.
This is now a race for first,

and the Cornhuskers
have two teammates at the top.

And now Fabian from Family Jules
is their first one up.

[Jones] And now his girlfriend Julie.

[Martino] Look at that intensity.

She wants this so bad.

Julie's making her way up,

but the Cornhuskers
have three to the top now.

[Jones] And a little slip by Jared
from Love & Basketball.

He's first to finish the Dunk Walls,
but his team needs to catch up.

And it's bananas on the Slip Wall.
They are neck and neck.

Ryan Kent holding his
entire team on his shoulders.

[Matt] Agh! Let's go!

[Martino] Julie Fults clinging
to her boyfriend

as she summits the Slip Wall.

-[Fabian] Very good.
-Very good.

[Jones] Just two men left
for Cornhuskers and Family Jules.

The winner is headed to tonight's final.
Love & Basketball have joined the fight.

[man] You gotta push, I don't have Fabian.

[Martino] Dallas clinging to Bob's leg,
looking for a way up.

And you can hear him, Dhani.
He doesn't know what to grab.

Maybe Shirtless Bob being shirtless

was not such a wise decision.

[Jones] Dallas needs to grab...

[Kyle & Dhani] Oh, no.

[Jones] Down goes Dallas,
and up goes Ryan Kent.

Family Jules has the edge.

[Martino] Fabian hanging on
with all his might.

[Jones] Ryan standing on Joel's feet.

Cornhuskers arrived at the Slip Wall
with more than a one-minute lead.

That lead has totally slipped away.

[Martino] Family Jules was in last place

for the entire first half of the race,
but they have all the momentum right now.

-[Jones] Pull him up!
-[Martino] Pull him up there!

[Jones] Dallas and Bear
look completely crushed.

They had a huge lead.

[Martino] The comeback is complete.

[Joel] Come on, come on. No stopping.

[Jones] What an incredible effort
by Family Jules.

[Jones] They just refused to give up.

[Martino] Julie Fults' extraordinary
dreams are about to come true.

And by digging deep
with the strong support

of an amazing team, she proved that
Family Jules is a diamond in the rough.

[yelling and cheering]

[all cheering]

Yes!

[man] Oh, my God.

[man] That's what happens
when you never give up.

You never give up!

[Jones] Led by never-say-die
team captain Ryan Kent.

We're coming, baby! We're coming!

[Jones] Family Jules helped their namesake
finish the toughest race of her life,

and pulled off a huge upset here today.

[Jones] Welcome back to Spartan,

where three teams are about
to give everything they've got

for a coveted spot in our
season-ending championship

and a chance
at a quarter of a million dollars.

[Martino] And it only
gets harder from here.

We've added two new obstacles
to our mile-long course,

the Herc Hoist and the Timber Drop.

Family Jules will need
to step up yet again.

The surprising heat two winners
pulled, pushed, and willed...

[Martino] ...their heart and soul,
Julie Fults, to the finish line.

We're a family.
I mean, we're the Family Jules.

[Jones] Team K.O. were
the fastest runners-up,

earning tonight's wild card.

Whoo!

[Jones] This powerful group
of mixed martial artists

from Virginia want to prove
that their skills

translate to the Spartan course.

[Andres] Fighting gives you that sense
of invincibility, that strength,

that you can do anything.

We want to show them
what we're made of on that course.

[Martino] Comeback Kids
were extremely impressive

in winning heat one.

5'3" Laura Messner
hit two of their three spears.

Just a few years ago,
this 25-year-old singer and dancer

could never have imagined
she'd be a Spartan warrior.

[Laura] Before my discovery
of Spartan race,

I was a solo artist.

I wanted to be like
the next Britney Spears.

It was fun, but...

I wanted everybody to see me
as perfect, right?

Because everybody wants
everybody to be perfect.

You know, it kind of brings you down.

I had severe depression.
I also had an eating disorder.

I was going home and crying every day.

But now, all of a sudden, this door opens.

And now Spartan's changed my life.

It brings out that strong
person inside of me.

That's why we're called the Comeback Kids,

because whether it be
a divorce, or drug addiction,

or alcoholism,
or eating disorder, depression,

Spartan really brought us
all out of our dark spaces.

My message to young girls
is that you can do anything you want,

and anybody that says differently,
forget about them.

[all] One, two, three. The Comeback Kids!

Whoo!

[Jones] Comeback Kids,
complete with their war paint,

ready to hit the front lines.

Kyle, it's time for these
three teams to Spartan up.

So who can conquer this tougher course
and move on to the championship?

I love you guys, man.

[Jones] This is it. One team will advance.
Two will go home.

Blow that horn!

[horn blares]

Team K.O. in black,
Comeback Kids in purple,

and Family Jules in red
as they charge up the hill.

[Martino] And look at Family Jules'
team captain Ryan Kent.

He's sprinting full speed
towards those walls.

[Jones] Fabian's got his hand
on Julie's back,

pushing his girlfriend up the hill.

Ryan Kent first to the walls.

Comeback Kid's team captain
Ian Deyerle joins him.

-[Ian] Let's go.
-[Martino] They're going to stay up top

then help pull their teammates over.

[Jones] Pop singer Laura Messner
up and over.

[Martino] Julie getting a little help
from her boyfriend Fabian

and her trainer Joel.

-Come on, Beni.
-Come on, guys.

[Martino] Comeback Kids ready to attack
that 10-foot wall. Ian up first again.

These guys clearly arrived
with a game plan.

[Jones] The Family Jules and Team K.O.
are not far behind.

[Martino] That's Bethany Marshall.
She was one of the first women to compete

on the mixed martial arts
competition series,

The Ultimate Fighter.

[Ian] Beni, grab my wrist.

[Jones] Some strong teamwork
there by Bethany and Team K.O.

[Martino] They've fallen
a little behind Comeback Kids,

but don't expect these guys to give up.

[Jess] All of my teammates
are heroes to me

because not only are they
fighters in the ring,

they're fighters in real life.

I was diagnosed with cancer in 2011.

It's not something you expect at 28,

when you're in the best
shape of your life.

This was not a cage fight.
This was a life fight.

So I had to win.

[Bethany] Watching him fight this
really gave me

a whole new sense of appreciation
and respect for him,

both as a fighter and as a person.

[Zac] I couldn't think
of a better human being

to have next to me when I was sick.
I mean, how big is the universe?

That's how much I love her.

This race means quite a bit.

I'm here to prove that I can win,

to prove to myself
that I'm better than I was

before I ever had cancer.

[Martino] It's great to see
Zac out here competing again.

-[Julie] We're almost there, guys.
-[Ryan] Keep it up, team.

[Martino] And there they are approaching
the Log Swing

where the leaders, the Comeback Kids,

already have two team members
safely across.

[Jones] And software analyst
Lynnae Kettler gets soaked.

She'll have to stay
in that 55-degree water

until all of her teammates
are off the log.

[Martino] And each team better hurry up,

because both Family Jules
and K.O. have their first

two team members up on their logs.

[Jones] Three of
the Comeback Kids got wet,

and the other two teams have to hope

that being cold and wet
slows down the leaders.

[Ryan] Joel, give it to them, baby.
Give it to them.

[Jones] Ryan Kent makes me want
to get out there on that course.

-Go!
-[Martino] Now Candace.

[Jones] Well, at least
she plugged her nose.

Oh!

[Martino] Crash landing for Jess Carter.
Team captain Kadie York dives

to help keep her teammate from
falling back into the water.

[Laura] Deep breath.

[Jones] Let's check in with our leaders,

the Comeback Kids
who are nearly across the lake.

These guys are so efficient, Kyle.

But don't let their cool
and calm demeanor fool you.

They're as intense as any team we've seen.

Every race is always a challenge.

You're always try and, you know,
push yourself to the max.

One of the most powerful points
in a race for me

is the moment when you need
to become this animal.

Like, this beast.

[Jones] Family Jules and Team K.O.
are neck and neck.

Thirty seconds behind
the Comeback Kids in first.

[Andres] We're good. Go.

[Jones] Team K.O.'s Andres Encinales
is one tough dude.

He's an ammunition
supervisor in the U.S. Navy,

after spending his childhood
living in dire poverty in Colombia.

Jess and I on the other side.

It was a rough time.
Sometimes I had to go and knock

on the neighbor's door with an empty jug
for some water so my mom could cook.

All we would have
is just rice and ketchup.

My biggest hero is my mom.

We survived because of her.

No matter how hard things got,
she never gave up.

She gave us our strength.

[Martino] What a tremendous life story.
Just overcoming the odds.

[Matt] Go, go, go.

[Jones] Comeback Kids, the Log Lift.

5'5" Matt Campione at the front.

[man] Ready?

[Martino] And Matt's right at home here.
Here's a furniture mover for a living.

So, Matt, just pretend it's a couch.

[Jones] And Family Jules and Team K.O.
are on their way.

[Martino] Things are definitely
tightening up.

[man] On the other side.

[Jones] A spot in the championship

and a shot at a quarter
of a million dollars is on the line.

[Martino] Welcome back to Spartan.

While we were away,
the Comeback Kids found their groove,

crushing the Log Lift
and the Log Traverse.

And then maintain their momentum
by powering through

the punishing muck and mire
of the Army Crawl.

[woman] Good job, guys.

[Martino] With Navy veteran
Andres Encinales driving them forward...

[man] Almost there! Almost there!

[Martino] ...Team K.O. bobbed
and weaved into second place.

-[man] Drop!
-[Martino] And relentlessly

slithered through mud and razor wire

with big plans for a comeback
of their own.

[man] Good job, guys. Keep crawling.

[Martino] Meanwhile,
Julie got pinned by the log.

[Julie] Aah! It's crushing my calf.

[Martino] And Family Jules
fell way behind.

[man] Come on, guys, we got
to put an effort in right now.

[Jones] As we pick up the action,

Family Jules are making
their way out of the Army Crawl.

[man] Come on, Julie. One more.

[Martino] They need to
dig deep here, Dhani,

because they are so behind right now.

Let's go.

Come on, they might not
even make their spear.

-[Martino] You heard Ryan Kent.
-[man] Come on, Ryan!

[Martino] Spear Throw is where they made
their big move in their last race,

hitting three spears
in lightning-fast speed

and vaulting into the lead.

[Ryan] All right, we got to run.
We're not out of it.

Just stay the course.

[Jones] Family Jules
are more than a minute

behind the leaders, the Comeback Kids.

Come on, guys!

Whoo!

[Martino] You can hear Beni Gifford
having a blast,

ignoring the pain.

Beni credits Spartan racing
with helping him come out of his shell.

So in high school, I was coming from
a not-so-social background.

Very quiet, extremely skinny.
No athletics, any of that kind of stuff.

And obstacle racing
has really allowed me to

identify what the huge ball
of passion is that I have and release it.

Ooh, knocked out!

Spartan race really helped me realize
I can be a lot more than this.

I want people to know that
the finish line is your comeback.

It's you being successful and overcoming

these things
that you were struggling with.

Just get the pulley! Pulley!

[Martino] Well, Beni and the Comeback Kids
have definitely

set their hearts and their sights
on a win here today.

[Jones] Singer Laura Messner
will be first to throw.

[Martino] She stuck two
out of three spears in heat one.

-All right, go.
-[Martino] Ooh, a little off pitch.

[Ian] Stay focused, guys. We got it.

[Martino] Beni Gifford.
This guy was an unpopular

long-haired goth in high school.

He's a big man on campus now.
Two more, and they move on.

[Jones] And here comes Team K.O.

[Martino] Plenty of time to catch up.

The Comeback Kids just stuck
their second spear.

[Jones] Zac is up first for Team K.O.

[Martino] Three months of chemo
eight hours a day.

What a warrior.

The moving man, 5'5" Matt Campione.

[woman] Yes!

[Jones] And the moving man is moving on.

The Comeback Kids
are headed to the Herc Hoist.

[man] One, two, three, pull!

[Martino] Comeback Kids working together.

[Jones] These guys are always
working together.

[Martino] Incredibly efficient.

Five bodies working as one to lift
that 350-pound box 18 feet in the air.

[Jones] Andres' turn for Team K.O.

-Ah, off the mark.
-[Martino] Now Zac again.

That's two. He's keeping them close.

Comeback Kids are crushing
the Herc Hoist right now.

-[bell dings]
-[woman] Yes.

[Jones] And they're headed
to the Timber Drop.

[Martino] Back at the Spear Throw,
Zac's girlfriend,

Bethany, is up for Team K.O.

[all cheering]

[Martino] Bethany and Zac
with the one-two punch.

They're headed to the Herc Hoist.

[Jones] Just as Family Jules arrives.

Don't count them out, Kyle.
This is their obstacle.

Team captain Ryan Kent.
His Instagram handle is Drop The Hammer.

And guess what? He does just that.

[Martino] Let's check in with
course reporter Evan Dollard.

Thanks, guys. The Comeback Kids
are here now at the Timber Drop.

That is a 650-pound log

that they have to hoist, working in unison
in order to get it to that tipping point,

so it falls to the platform below.

Pull! Pull!

[Jones] And you can see
team captain Ian Deyerle

at the base, together with Beni Gifford.

Great technique here,
shouting "pull" as the guys push.

[all] Pull! Pull!

[Ian] You're good.

[Evan] That is as fast as I've seen
any team do this obstacle.

Now the tough part.
They're muddy, they're slick,

and they have to shimmy up this post.
But nothing seems to faze these guys.

[Jones] Thanks, Evan.
Tons of action here in the arena.

[bell dings] Team K.O. is making
short work of the Herc Hoist.

[man] Got her, got her!

[Jones] And Family Jules
is right on their heels. They don't quit.

[Martino] Comeback Kids working
their way up the pole.

Software analyst Lynnae Kettler
told us before the race

that Spartan makes her feel like a badass.

She looks like one right now.

[indistinct chatter]

Good job.

[woman] Good job. We got this.

[Jones] Look at Andres Encinales,
making his mom proud,

lifting that log all by himself.

Beni Gifford.

The last to clear for the Comeback Kids.

And he's over.

These guys are just flawless.

[all] Pull!

But anything can happen
at the Slip Wall, Dhani.

We've seen giant leads disappear there.

[Jones] It happened last heat,

to Cornhuskers and Family Jules.

-[all] Pull!
-[man] One, two, three...

-[all] Pull!
-[Ryan] One, two, three...

-[all] Pull!
-[bell dings]

[Martino] Speaking of Family Jules,
They just finished the Herc Hoist

in a record 14 seconds.

[Jones] They're not going to win
any style points, Kyle.

But they represent what
this sport is really all about.

Teamwork and resilience.
Don't count them out.

[man] Baby, help me.

-[woman] Kadie, stay upright.
-Oh, my God.

[Martino] And Team K.O. has hit
a roadblock here at the Timber Drop.

[Jones] That's their team captain,
36-year-old nurse Kadie York.

As you can see, she's slipping

and unable to use her thighs
to latch on to the timber.

[Martino] She's not even moving, Dhani.

The Family Jules
are breathing down their necks.

[woman] Go! Go! Go, Fabian!

[Martino] Ryan Kent headed up
first for Family Jules.

And look at Family Jules go.

[Martino] As long as they're close
when they get to the Slip Wall,

team captain Ryan Kent
likes their chances.

[Ryan] The Slip Wall is the game changer.

You'd better have a good plan
going into that last obstacle,

or you're going to lose.

Melissa, help.

[Jones] Family Jules trying
to move past Team K.O. into second place.

[man] Use your leg, girl.

[Jones] Up ahead, Comeback Kids
are working their way up the Peg Climb.

Oh! Beni face-plants.
Their pace has slowed down a bit.

Holy [bleep].

[Jones] And we've got a log jam now

-at the Timber Drop.
-[Fabian] I'm here for you.

[Jones] Julie asking her
boyfriend Fabian for help.

High drama here on Spartan.

[man] We're killing it! Never give up!

Oh, God.

[Jones] A spot in the championship

-goes to the winner.
-Keep sliding.

-I am! I need your...
-[man] You're good.

[Jones] We'll be right back.

[Jones] Welcome back to Spartan.

While we were away, Family Jules...

-[Fabian] Keep moving.
-[Julie] I am.

-[Jones] ...and Team K.O...
-Holy [bleep].

continue to push hard at the Timber Drop,
finishing the obstacle at a virtual tie.

[man] Let's go!

And Spartan etiquette
got thrown out the window.

[Ryan] Coming by on your left, guys

[Zac] I don't think so.

[Martino] As we rejoin the action,

Team K.O. has a slight edge
of Family Jules.

[Ryan] This is ours. They can't keep up.

They can't keep up! They don't want none!

Whoo!

[woman] We want it!

[Jones] Well, these two teams
are in a real dog fight.

Front-running Comeback Kids
are putting up a great time so far,

with no signs of slowing down, Kyle.

[Martino] Team captain
Ian Deyerle out front.

We haven't spoken much
about their quiet captain,

but as a recovering alcoholic,
he's the perfect leader

for this group that has overcome so much.

Okay, go, let's go.

[all cheering]

[Martino] And there's his dad, David.
He came out here from California,

and he's got to be excited,
as the Comeback Kids

are the first to the Dunk Walls.

[Jones] And Family Jules
has pulled ahead of Team K.O.

But look out below.

I'm here. I'm here.

[Jones] Candace is in trouble
at the creek.

And just like that, Team K.O. catches up
and sends two over.

And Julie looks gassed.

[Jones] And look at this. Jess from
Team K.O. can't make the jump either.

Zac gives her a hand.

[Martino] Oh, no.

[Jones] And he gets yanked down as well.

[Martino] Family Jules in second place.
This team just keeps plodding along,

and if you make a mistake
in front of them, they pounce on it.

[Ian] Beni, Beni goes under first.

One, two, three.

[Jones] Ian and Beni of Comeback Kids

lifting up that 250-pound
second dunk wall.

[Martino] You can see how Ian's
wearing a TomTom watch,

which tracks your heart rate
and the amount of calories burned.

For the effort he's put in today,
I think he can order dessert after dinner.

[Jones] You got that right.

[Martino] And here comes Family Jules.

[Ryan] Everybody at home's watching us.

[Jones] Ryan pushing Julie up that hill.

[Ryan] You're inspiring
the [bleep] out of them.

[Jones] Everyone's watching Julie,
including Team K.O.,

who are right behind Family Jules.

[Martino] There's Fabian
taking Julie's hand.

They may be trailing, but remember

they were behind at the Slip Wall
in their last heat and came back to win.

[man] Get in there.

[Jones] And the Slip Wall
is where MJ Acosta

is standing by right now, as our leaders
make their way out of the water.

-MJ?
-[MJ] Thanks, guys.

The Comeback Kids,
first ones out of the Dunk Wall,

headed towards the Slip Wall right now.

They have had one of the fastest times
we've seen all season.

Masterful in these obstacles.

In the qualifiers they were able to get up
very quickly and efficiently.

They'll need to repeat
that performance here

if they want to hold off
Family Jules and Team K.O.

-Guys?
-[Martino] Thanks, MJ.

Not only are they trying
to secure a spot in the championship,

they've got a shot at the course record.

Ian Deyerle takes the base
for Comeback Kids,

while Beni Gifford,
the tallest teammate at 6'1",

stands on his shoulders.

[Jones] Beni's height helps his team-mates
climb to the top of the wall faster.

He's also light,
which means less weight and strain on Ian,

who's the base of their ladder.

[Martino] Family Jules and Team K.O.

making their way
under the second Dunk Wall.

Go!

They're neck and neck,
but second place is meaningless right now.

Only the winner of this race
goes to the championship.

[Ian] Okay, get up as quickly as possible.

[Jones] Listening to Ian telling his team
to get up quickly.

This helps to relieve the strain

of having three people
on his shoulders all at once.

[Martino] Laura Messner
using her nimble dancer's feet

to scurry to the top of the wall.

[Ian] Get that pressure off me.

[Martino] There he is again,
calling to relieve the pressure.

And as soon as Laura reaches the top,
Matt climbs down and offers up his legs

for Beni to grab.

[Jones] I got to admit,
I did not expect it.

My money is on Team K.O.
to win today's competition.

But I'm a believer now.

Put your feet out. Let's go.

[Jones] They still got to get
their team captain up.

-And now he's got it.
-[Jones] Nice job.

[woman] We're good.

[Martino] Got to hurry.
Only one minute left

if they want to beat that course record.

[Jones] You can hear Beni. "We won again."

[Martino] They crushed it.
[Jones] Look at that smile.

[man] Go, Beni, go. Come on, Beni.

[Jones] And look at this. Family Jules
and Team K.O. emerging from the water

just in time to see
Comeback Kids disappear over the wall.

Guys, not right now.

No time for gloating if you
want to beat that record.

You got to go!

There's Ian's dad David.

It was well worth the trip
from California.

We'll see him compete
two weeks from tonight

in the Spartan championship.

[crowd cheering]

[Martino] And, Dhani, the Comeback Kids
are going to set a Spartan course record.

What a race. What an effort.

Whoo!

Yeah!

[Jones] Ian gets a hug from Dad.
They've been through so much together.

[Martino] There was no comeback necessary
for these Comeback Kids.

Off the course, they battled their demons.
And today, they blew the competition away.

They've earned a spot in the championship,
and are one step closer to $250,000.

MJ's standing by
with the inspirational victors.

Comeback Kids,
a total domination out there.

You guys have had the fastest time
we've seen all season.

Flawless in every obstacle out there.

Can you tell me what this means for you?

Well, all of us have been
through something, you know,

very, very hard in our lives.

And so to overcome that and move forward,

and being able to compete at this level
with these guys has been amazing.

It's been quite a journey for me.

All right, well, hopefully you've got
one more comeback in you,

because we're going to see
you in the championship.

-[crowd cheers]
-Ian. Hand these out to your team.

The Comeback Kids, right here.

[Martino] So the Comeback Kids

become the fifth team to earn
a spot in the championship.

We'll see them again in just two weeks.

For Kyle Martino, Evan Dollard,
and MJ Acosta, I'm Dhani Jones.

We'll see you next week
on Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge.

[all] Comeback Kids!

Whoo!