American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 12, Episode 7 - Finals 1 - full transcript

- Dada has to go.

- Good-bye.

- I'm gonna
miss my family a lot.

- One more kiss for the road.

- Six weeks ago...
- Bye, guys.

- 150 brave athletes said
good-bye to their families...

- Bye.
- Where's Daddy going?

- To ninja.
- To ninja?

- And traveled to St. Louis

for a very special season
of "American Ninja Warrior."

- At the end of the day,
if we can just bring



some positivity to people...

- This season's gonna
be a success.

- An incredible run
by the Dream Chaser.

With their loved ones
watching from home...

- Whoo!

- They tackled
diabolical obstacles

with incredible spirit.

[cheers and applause]

- Are you kidding me?

- That's my heart right there.

- And now only 28 remain,

the best of the best,

competing on a brand-new course

with $100,000 on the line.



- You gotta get that hustle
to get that money!

- See if I can make some magic
happen out there

and just keep moving on.

- All these ninjas,
they've done nothing

but rise to the occasion.

- I know it's gonna be fire.

That's all I know.
I know it's gonna be fire.

- Let's go!

♪

- Welcome to St. Louis.

We're inside the massive Dome
at America's Center,

and tonight we start the finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for
being with us.

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

Matt, this has been
such a special season.

Not even a pandemic
can stop our ninjas.

Tonight is night one of
our two-night finals event.

We start with 28 athletes,
but only the top 8

will advance
and race head-to-head on

in our Power Tower playoff
to crown this year's winner.

But our ninjas will be facing
a much different course

than they saw last week
in the semifinals.

For more on that, let's go down
to Zuri Hall for a preview.

- Thanks, guys.
These ninjas have to survive

ten tough obstacles.
Two are brand-new,

and, on this one,
you really better get a grip.

On Falling Shelves, our athletes

have to leap and grab
onto those tiny ledges

as the Xs fall into position.

Beyond the Warped Wall
is another new one.

It's called Dragonback
for obvious reasons.

The ninjas will have
to jump the bar up

and then slide it down
the creature's back

and then do it a second time.

The course ends with
a 35-foot climb up

the Spider Trap to the buzzer.

[buzzer blaring]

All right, let's get this going.

Guys, back to you.

- We're gonna kick it off

with one of
our craziest characters.

Riding in on his scooter
with a stuffed cat,

this is the Feline Fanatic,
the 22-year-old from Iowa,

Jackson Twait.

He's got lots of personality
but also lots of talent,

and just before hitting
the start line,

he gave us one of his
typically offbeat moments.

- Could I get a burger delivered

to the top of the Spider Trap?

It's... it's obstacle ten
at the "Ninja Warrior" set.

Okay, perfect, thank you.

I gotta go.
Gotta go pick this up.

- Matt, I think Jackson Twait's

a little bananas,
but, you know what?

He can ninja. - Uh-oh!

Going for the Karate Kid kick.
Yeah!

Well, he puts on a show,
and his friends and family

back in Iowa love it.

He's got his ninjas down
on the sidelines,

including Da Cake Ninja,
David Wright,

who's holding up a picture of
Twait's beloved cat Hades.

[countdown clock beeping]

- All right, Jackson, let's go!
- Here we go.

The finals are underway.

Twait sails across
the Shrinking Steps,

heading for the second
obstacle, Spring Forward.

- Matt, don't let
the fun stuff fool you.

Jackson Twait is legit.

He made it to the Power Tower
last year as a rookie

and had one of the fastest
times back in qualifying.

- Yeah, Jackson!
- And now he'll give us

our first look at this new
obstacle, Falling Shelves.

Gotta jump and grab
these X-shaped shelves,

only small handles
to get your hands around.

- And this third one
is the toughest.

It's a blind grab.

You gotta reach under
to that other side.

Don't wanna fall on
Falling Shelves!

- Oh, no!

And the cat loses his claws,

bumped off the Flying Shelves.

- It's a little cold.
- Cats don't like

to get wet, Akbar.
- No, they don't.

Twait made the first
two grabs fine,

but on this third one he's gotta

bring his hands around the back,

and he reached too far,
struggled to get a grip,

and, when the shelf came down,
he peeled right off.

- I-I overshot it.

- Well, from the Cat Daddy
to the Big Dog,

up next is Houston's Jody Avila.

At 6'6" and over 200 pounds,

he stands out
from the other ninjas,

but Jody thinks he can make
his size work for him.

♪

Look at this long frame.

- Whoa!
- Oh!

- Wow, he can just literally
turn around

and just take the...
Look at this.

- People say I'm way too big
to be a ninja.

There's some disadvantages
and advantages.

- Can he use that wingspan
to get out of there fast?

Oh, skipping them.

- He was waiting for it.

- For my job, I'm actually

a commercial
air conditioning technician.

I'm constantly climbing up
and down ladders,

up onto roofs,
through roof hatches.

Being as big as I am, it's
pretty darn uncomfortable,

but, at this point,
I'm pretty used to it.

I hate being known as,
"Oh, yeah, like,

Jody's really good
for a big guy,"

because I'm not good
for a big guy.

I'm just good.

- Stay on top.

Stay on top, stay on top.

Oh, he good, he good.
- Let's go!

- Hey, who said big dogs
can't run fast?

- As a 6'6" guy, I feel like
I got a lot to prove.

A big man can win
this tournament,

and I'm gonna
win this tournament.

♪

[cheers and applause]
- Come on, Papi!

- And there's his wife, Pauline.

We saw her earlier this season.

She's a nurse
at a Houston hospital,

so she's wearing a mask at home

while watching their two sons.

- Let's go, Jody!
- On the sidelines,

two other ninjas
we'll see in the finals,

Flip Rodriguez and R.J. Roman.

[countdown clock beeping]

- He's our tallest ninja
in the finals at 6'6",

and he's been hot.

Big Boy was the fastest finisher

in our first qualifier.

- I'm gonna say this season,

35 years of age, Akbar,

he's added confidence and ease,

getting more efficient... ooh!

- Mm, yeah, he's got
those long arms,

so... so it just allows him

to kind of breeze
through Spring Forward.

Just like that. - Come on, babe!

- But this one's such
a challenge, Falling Shelves.

Those long limbs,
you gotta be so precise,

and Jody weighs 210 pounds.

Tough to hold that much weight
on your fingertips

on those tiny shelves.

This third one's the tricky one.

Jackson Twait just fell here.

- Yeah!
- But Avila gets it.

Locked it in.
- Come on, halfway!

- Avila's showing power
and control

and, most importantly,
efficiency,

but now another challenge
for the big man,

the balance obstacle,
Diamond Dash.

- Gotta stay center,
center, baby.

Let's ride this thing.
- Flip Rodriguez

telling him
to step in the center

of those diamonds;
that's what you gotta do.

[cheers and applause]

Nice, nice! - There it is!

- Ooh!
- But he survived,

the long frame.

- Man, that last dash board
right there saved him.

- Akbar, though, he's...
- He's limping!

He's limping badly!

He stepped on front of
that third diamond,

so it flew up
and hit his left knee,

and then he banged his right
knee on that last diamond.

- Still limping a bit.

- Gosh... oh, my gosh.

- Well, the Spin Hopper is next.

Won't need his legs
for this one.

- Will need his upper body.

Gotta jump up from handle
to handle, and they will spin.

- You got this, brother.
- Yeah, he's gotta

be able to throw
himself up... nice.

- Good, now gotta turn around
and go across the top.

Can use his wingspan here.

Now make this descent.

Ooh, skipped one.

- That's a bold move
by Jody Avila!

- Well, keeping your hands
out wide

gives you a little leverage,
a little more freedom.

This'll be a test of that leg,

and he's really favoring
that right leg, Akbar.

[cheering]

- Well, he's gotta get up
the Warped Wall,

but after that, it's mostly
upper body obstacles.

Ah, look, he's taking
off his shirt for this one.

- Look, he shouldn't have
any problems.

With no legs, this guy
could probably do it.

- Yeah, he can suck that pain.
- There it is.

- Yeah, there you go.

- Now heads to the back part
of this course,

the final four obstacles,
and they are brutal.

- Let's go, babe!
- Go, Papi!

- First up, the Salmon Ladder.

Big Dog's gotta grab the bar,

jump it up four rungs.

- No, the Big Dog Ninja,
he's pretty tough.

- Just let him eat.

Look at the power. He's got it.

Now moves on to this eighth
obstacle, Slam Dunk.

- Go, Papi!
- Come on, Papi!

- Gotta grab that basketball
and jump it over to the hoop.

Only small handles to hold onto.

- Nice.
- Gets the first one.

Now has to jump over
to that second ball.

- Grab! [horn blares]

Oh, he wasn't balling
on that one.

- Jody Avila, at 6'6",

can't handle Slam Dunk.

- It's tricky, man.

- In this loaded field,

that probably will not get him
into the top eight.

- You have to grab both sides
of the ball at the same time.

Watch Jody's hands.
His right hand gets a grip,

but he misses with the left,
and it was all over.

- Tonight...

Oh! - Oh, he did a 360!

- It's a fight to get
to the final eight.

- It's tough already, but it's
only gonna get tougher.

- As Flex Labreck...

- What an amazing run
right there.

- Najee Richardson...
- He is in a zone!

- Michael Torres...
- He's pumped now.

- And other top ninjas try
to keep their season alive.

♪

One of the greatest runs
we've ever seen!

The competition's
gonna be intense.

- Nice!
- Oh, no!

On "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior."

Many of our competitors believe

pets are a ninja's best friend,

and over the years
we've seen animals

of every shape and size
on our sidelines.

- Look at that thing.
Look at its eyes.

- Whether it's
their unconditional support

or their passion for training,

ninja pets impact our lives
in so many ways,

which is why our next
competitor's story

has resonated
with so many this season.

It's the 31-year-old stuntman
from Los Angeles,

Flip Rodriguez.

Flip has had a heavy heart

ever since he lost
his best friend,

a five-year-old yorkie
named Maui.

- My run in the semifinals

was the exact
one-year mark of losing Maui.

♪

I had to just bottle it up,

but as I'm running through
the course,

he's constantly in my mind.

I fought through Corkscrew.

I fought as hard
as I could through Dungeon,

and I just had
no more left in me.

♪

- Flip gave it his all.

- I did so well bottling up
the emotions

that when I hit that water,

all the
weight that I was holding,

it's like,
"Oh, I can let go now."

[sobbing]
I just miss my best friend.

♪

- And are you talking
about Maui?

- Yeah.

He should have been here
with me.

I just can't get over it.

- Flip Rodriguez,
we love you, man.

We support you.

- I know Maui wouldn't want
to be the crutch

that stopped me
from coming out on top,

so, coming into finals,
I have two choices.

Either I can dwell on it
to the point

where I don't even care
about the competition anymore,

or I can give it
everything I have.

Life continues,
and we can do this.

This year will
definitely be for Maui.

♪

- It's been an emotional
season for Flip,

but he has a ton of support.

Over on the screens, he's got
several of his good friends

and some of the kids
he's coached over the years,

and he's got the Big Dog,
Jody Avila, on his sideline.

- Let's go.

- Oh, a little flex,

cracking up his friend, Sli.

- Well, it's good to see
Flip laughing again.

- Come on, Flip, you got it.
[countdown clock beeping]

- He's taken the shirt off.
Maybe Flip's gonna go fast.

- 5'11", 158, this guy
used to be a speed demon,

can still go fast,
but the last few years

he's been
a little more cautious,

trying to avoid mistakes.

- Matt, when Flip Rodriguez

wants to turn it on,
he can turn it on.

He can go far,
and he can go fast.

- Bouncing his way through
Spring Forward,

Flip's a ten-year veteran.

He knows how to pace himself
on this longer course.

Smooth here.
Once again, ten obstacles.

Upper body is going to be
tested to its absolute limits.

- And I think this one,
Falling Shelves,

is gonna surprise a lot
of people as a third obstacle.

Those are small ledges
to grab onto.

- This is a tough one.

- Yeah, throwing that weight
into it

and then coming down like
that, coming down very hard.

- And now the blind grab,
the reverse grab here.

- Nice.
- Great job.

Gotta get it locked in.
There it is.

Now he can make that transfer.

Got it.

[cheering]

Watch it on the Diamond Dash.

You do not wanna be
on the front parts

of these diamonds.
- Yeah, and, Matt,

you can see they vary in height,

so that makes it very tricky
to find that rhythm.

- If you get on the front side
of the diamond,

it kicks up and trips you,
but not for Flip.

- Ooh! [cheering]

- Let's go!
- Gotta love how these kids

support Flip.

He's coached some of them
for years.

And now it's the fifth
obstacle tonight, Spin Hopper.

This requires precision.

Some of the handles rotate.
You'll see it.

- And you see how it shakes
and it jiggles like that?

It's jiggling, baby.

- He's taking his time,
being very precise,

but that's more time
wearing down those arms,

and this descent,

you just have to get
your hands on simultaneously.

Otherwise it spins,
and you drop.

- He just kicked that one
and it's crooked.

He's gonna hang there
for a little bit,

wait for it to straighten out.
Nice.

Now he gets it.

- Good patience right there
by Flip Rodriguez.

- You can see him, too,
staying focused.

He's got his eyes
just on the target, nice.

- And he's through.
- Okay.

- Now gonna face
the Warped Wall.

I gotta say, in the semis,
he was really running

with a heavy heart, Akbar.

He seems to be a different man
out here in the finals.

- Well, he's got the confidence.

- Yeah, buddy.
- Yeah.

- Pointing to us,

and there it is.

Let's see him
on the back side now.

- Come on, Flip.
Hey, turn up on the turn-up!

- You got it, Flip.

- And a point to the heavens
for Maui.

Just been a thrill
watching this young man,

exploded onto the scene
when he was 21,

has really grown up
on this show.

After a tough childhood
of his own,

he now speaks out on abuse.

- Come on, Flip!
- And those kids love him.

- But now the final obstacles,

starting with the Salmon Ladder.

And let's not forget this guy
is a big-time stuntman.

All the big movies, you might
see Flip getting blown up,

beat up every kind of way.

- And this course'll
beat you up too.

- But makes it through
the Salmon Ladder.

Now needs some touch
for this next one, Slam Dunk.

- I don't know
if Flip plays basketball,

but I think he does know
how to dunk.

Nice.

- Well, this was part of
our Obstacle Design Challenge

last year;
we saw it in Cincinnati.

First time Flip's faced it.
Took out his buddy,

the Big Dog,
Jody Avila, just minutes ago.

- All right, Flip, come on,
one more.

Yes, sir!

- Big transfers here,

really testing that grip.

- Nice.
- Nice, let's go.

- Flip Rodriguez, look at him.

And now he'll give us
our first look

at this devilish
new obstacle, Dragonback.

He's gotta jump the bar up
along the notches

in the dragon's back, then
slide down to the bungees.

- I don't like dragons.
I don't fools with dragons.

- He's going with
a switch grip, Akbar,

but that makes it
a little more difficult

to keep this bar even,
and if it gets uneven,

particularly on the slide,
you go down.

- He's gotta be mindful.
Okay, here we g... oh, no!

- There it is!
- He was just setting it!

- And Flip is the first ninja
slayed by the Dragonback.

He's gonna have to wait and see

if that keeps him
in the final eight.

- Flip handled the jumps up
the dragon's back,

but as he starts to slide down,

he gets uneven,
and the bar slides off,

but that's still a run his dog
Maui would be proud of.

- I do love you,
Maui, so if you're watching.

[kisses]

[sighs]

- Coming up,
you can't handle the truth...

- There is not proof beyond
a reasonable doubt.

- When JAG officer
Jeri D'Aurelio

attacks our course,

and you want her on that wall

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to the finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Over the years, we've been
honored to have men and women

from every branch of the armed
forces take on our course.

- He's an Air Force guy,
and he's flying right now.

- We even had a qualifying round

where every competitor
was a member of the military,

and here comes another one
of our proud military ninjas.

This is Army captain
Jeri D'Aurelio.

She's a JAG officer
and attorney,

and it's her duty to represent
her fellow soldiers in court.

- May it please the court.

As an attorney
in the Army JAG Corps,

I defend soldiers
that are going through

the criminal justice system
in the military.

Your Honor, this is a case
about rehabilitation.

My clients...
Their life is in my hands.

I have a lot of weight
on my shoulders

when I walk into the courtroom.

It's a very stressful job.

You saw the evidence.

There is not proof
beyond a reasonable doubt.

You know, ninja is kind of like
my second life.

- It's Army captain
Jeri D'Aurelio.

- And while it's hard to get
away, it is so worth it.

- I'm just taken with the joy
she's having on the course.

This is the spirit
of "Ninja Warrior."

- This is a little bit
of a vacation for me

from my responsibilities
at my job.

- Bound, bound, bound, yeah!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Be all that you can be!

- I can't put into words

how grateful I am
that I can be here today.

- And Jeri's got her own army
ready to cheer for her,

including her
drum-beating dad, Frank.

- Go, Jeri!

- Plus Jeri's sister

and fellow ninja,
Barclay Stockett.

- You got this, Jer!
- On the sidelines,

also wearing
those Team Jeri shirts,

it's Meagan Martin,

Mady Howard,

and Tiana Webberley.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Jeri came all the way
from Alaska,

representing Fort Richmond.

- Well, Jeri's not content
to sit behind a desk.

She just completed
airborne school

during the offseason, Akbar.

- Well, how fitting, Matt,
'cause she's gonna have to go

airborne on Spring Forward.
- Absolutely.

She's been training
up in Alaska.

It's been hard,
not many ninja obstacles,

but she has looked
very strong... and smiling.

The joy this woman has on the
course, it's just infectious.

- I think she's...
- She's laughing!

- Tell me ninja is not fun
for Jeri D'Aurelio.

It is so much fun.

- And she is through.
- Yeah!

- Nice!
- Yeah, DD!

- What a reminder
after all we've been through.

It's so great that these ninjas

can find these moments of joy.

- Falling Shelves doesn't look
so fun to me though.

- This is really a precision
challenge here, Akbar.

- Yeah, Matt, you gotta
go out and up,

and that can be
a little challenging,

especially that 1 1/2-foot...

- This... oh!

Jeri D'Aurelio was sailing along

but is cut down by this
very difficult third obstacle,

Falling Shelves.

She's still smiling, though.

- Awesome job, Jeri!
We love you!

- Can we just look at
how much fun she's having

on Spring Forward?

She had her game face on
for Falling Shelves,

and she got both hands
on the ledges,

but when the shelf dropped,

the impact just peeled
her fingers right off.

- Bummer, but, gosh,
I got to come and play.

- Well, it's one ninja star
after another in these finals,

and up next one of the favorites

to win it all this year,

one of those top Chicago
ninjas, Michael Torres.

And he's stopping to pray,
and why not?

This man has a lot
to be thankful for.

He's got a new wife,
a new house,

and a lot of love
from friends and family

all over the country.

Minutes ago,
he shared his appreciation.

- Guys, again, you all mean
so much to me.

Sarah, you're here
with me in spirit.

I'm never taking this ring off.
Baby, I love you.

Mom and Dad, brothers,
Ethan, guys, love you guys.

Thank you for being there
and supporting me.

- And there are
many of the folks

he was just talking about.

- Hey, guys.

- His new wife, Sarah,
with their dog, Hershey,

plus his family back
in New Jersey,

and his Chicago training
partner, Ethan Swanson.

- Yeah, Mike!
- Let's go!

- None of the ninjas
wanna miss this run.

He's got a big group
on the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

- You got this, Torres! Come on!

- Michael Torres on the course.

- And look how focused he is

in his blue jeans,
his red shirt.

He's ready to go to work.
- Finished the course

in qualifying and semifinals.

- Now all he needs
is just to get

that third buzzer, Matt.
- 5'9", 160. Ooh.

- Ooh.
- You can see how

Spring Forward disrupts
the momentum.

- Yeah, and you can kinda see
him kinda twisting in the air.

- Finding the rhythm here,
such an unnatural move

with these bars
bending diagonally.

- Nice. Get off of the thing.

- And he survives it.

- Come on, Mike.
- You got this.

- Now this new one,
Falling Shelves.

Just saw Jeri D'Aurelio
fall here minutes ago.

- Yeah, because you gotta
have vise grip.

There are no holds on
this one, the second handle.

- And just like
in the semifinals,

a methodical approach
out of Torres.

- Ooh, I almost missed!
- Matt, he said

he almost missed it.
Don't scare us like that.

- This blind grab, though,
such a challenge.

- Here we go.

Can't have sweaty palms
for this.

I don't care
how nervous you are.

Nice! - Locks it in.

- Let's go!

- Yoo!
- Got it.

[cheering]

- Torres says he was going
for technique

over speed in the semis,

seems to be doing
the same thing here,

but watch the Diamond Dash.

- You gotta run a tight line
with tight jeans!

- Oh, no! Torres!
- Oh!

♪

- Tripped up by that third
diamond and cut down.

- Ouch.
- Well, he says ouch,

may have banged his leg,
but wow, one of the favorites,

Michael Torres out on
just the fourth obstacle.

- You need to land in
the middle of these diamonds,

and Torres did it
on the first two,

but on the third
he's a little short,

so it pops up
and bangs his knee,

and he went tumbling after that.

- Darn it, I was looking forward

to the back half of that course.

[groans]

- No finishers yet,
but some top ninjas,

including the Phoenix,

Philadelphia's Najee Richardson,

are coming up,

and next week, we'll see
more of our finalists,

including Daniel Gill,
Jessie Graff,

Joe Moravsky,
and other superstars

in the season finale
of "American Ninja Warrior."

- This is yours!
You can do this!

- Watching your kid compete
on "American Ninja Warrior..."

- Yes! Whoo!

- Can be
an emotional experience.

- I'm so excited.
I am gonna pass out.

♪

- All right!
- Yeah!

- Mama going crazy!
Mama going crazy!

- We've had
some passionate parents

over the years. - Yeah!

- That's a proud mama
right there.

- This dismount
hasn't been guaranteed.

Got it! - Oh, he means business.

- And look at Mom,
about to faint,

she's so nervous.

And our next competitor

also has a very passionate
parent cheering for him.

This is Cam Baumgartner,
AKA Cam the Bomb.

He's a young premed student
from the Chicago area

who's already hit
two buzzers this season

and had plenty of support
along the way.

- [screaming]

- My mom is very loud
and enthusiastic.

- Go, Cameron, go!

- You can hear her across
the gym, across the field.

- Yeah, Cameron!

I'm very vocal, very loud.

I gotta admit, at some games,

I've been asked to quiet down
or go further back.

[laughs]

Hold him, Cameron!

Yeah, Cameron! Whoo!

- When my mom found out that
I had to have heart surgery,

she was definitely there
and by my side 24/7,

so it just gives her
even more joy

seeing me doing what I love.

- Cam the Bomb exploding
in his second season!

[buzzer blaring]

[cheering]

- If Cameron makes it through
the course, I'm gonna lose it.

I mean, you just won't be able
to keep me quiet.

- Everyone take
a few steps back,

because she's gonna be
screaming her head off.

[cheering]

- And there's his mom,
already making some noise,

along with his dad, brother,
and other family members.

Cam's also got his girlfriend
and her family watching,

plus his friend,
the Pizza Ninja,

Derrick Pavoni,
back in Illinois.

- Whoo!
- Come on, Cam! Let's go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Cam the Bomb, another one
of these star ninjas

from the Chicagoland area.

There's some of the other ones,

Chris DiGangi
and Michael Torres,

who ran minutes ago.

They're cheering him on,
along with Jamie Rahn.

- Go, Cam! Yoo!
- Just amazing too,

this young man suffers from

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome,

had to have heart surgery
at a young age,

was told he would never be
in competitive sports.

Look at him now.

- Well, he was top five
fastest in qualifying,

top three in semifinals.

And, let me tell you,
he's given his mom

a lot to cheer about lately.

[cheering]

- Well, if he can hit
another buzzer tonight

on this very difficult course,

he'll have a good chance
at moving on to next week's

Power Tower playoff.

- He needs to be careful here
on Falling Shelves.

Get up high, nice.

- This one has been a challenge

'cause it requires upper-body
strength and such precision.

- This is a tricky one. Come on.

- This blind grab,
but a big stumble.

- Big-boy stretch right here!

- He's got it.
- Cam I am!

- Get that dismount...

And he's through.

- Yes, come on!

- This guy has been the bomb
on our course.

Diamond Dash, easy to trip up.

Avoid the front
of those diamonds.

- Here we go.

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

Nice. - Right through it.

[cheering] - Look at mama.

Mama liked that one!

- My goodness,
these young athletes, Akbar,

the endurance of the young,
22 years old, 5'5", 140.

- All right, Spin Hopper,

you gotta be very, very careful.

- You've gotta get your hands
on simultaneously.

Out a little wider gives you
a little more control.

These spin,
and they will drop you.

It's just amazing, this kid
showing so much heart.

[cheering]

And now all these will spin
except that middle one.

This descent is so tough, Akbar.

- Yeah, you gotta breathe
through those drops.

- Oh.

What you're having to do too
is you have to control,

make sure you don't
over-grip early

so you have something
for the back half.

- Nice.
- Very cautious approach here.

- But he's starting to fatigue
a little bit though, Matt.

- A lot of upper-body challenges

facing these ninjas. - Yes.

- Come on, man.

- Getting so much encouragement,

and that's the beauty of this.

There are only eight spots,
but these ninjas,

they only feel like they're
competing against themselves.

Baumgartner has no problem
with the Warped Wall.

Now heads to the final
four obstacles.

[cheering]

- And how impressive is he,
going to med school

with all that schoolwork

and he still finds time
to train for ninja.

[cheering]

- Here we go
with the Salmon Ladder.

He's moving quickly.

Now gotta jump it up four rungs.

- Nice.
- Right up it.

[cheering] - Nice.

- Now the 5'5" Baumgartner
gonna try Slam Dunk.

- He's only 140 pounds, too.

That should help here.

- Locked it in.
- Good.

- These transfers from ball
to ball,

such a challenge.

- Get those hands
in there, nice.

Oh! - Just impressive.

One of the things
he had to give up,

couldn't play basketball
after his surgery.

- Get there!
- But he's still got

hoop dreams,
and he's living it out.

- And he's done it!
- Cam I am!

[cheering]

Taking the time to kinda say
hello to his virtual support.

- And now can he be the first
to slay the Dragonback?

- Nice.
- All right, here we go.

- And this one, you can see
how much that bar is moving.

It's so hard to control it.
- He's gotta see it,

and he's gotta even it out.
- He's rotating.

- Even it out.
- Watch it on this slide.

- Nice!
- Let's go!

- Flip didn't get far on this,

so Baumgartner basically
is the first to try it,

which is always tough.

Can he do it?

- Come on, Cam.
- All about precision

with the bar placement here,

particularly when you get
to the top of the slide.

- All right, come on, Cam.
- Let's go!

- Oh, the bar uneven.
- Hold on!

- This could be
a tough correction.

- Steady, Cam!

- Slides down,
just needs the dismount!

Oh, no! - Oh, my goodness!

- He didn't let go!

- Wow.

- He was right there!

Just needed
to let go of the bar.

♪

- Well, he's the first one
tonight to handle

that first slide
down the dragon's back,

but watch this second one.

He slides down,
and he's already over the wall

right there,
just needed to let go,

and then the bar hit him
in the face.

The rotating wall
pushed him back,

and he was done.

♪

- That bar actually
busted his lip.

A disappointing ending,

but Cam's still got a chance
to be in the top eight.

♪

- Welcome back to the finals
on "American Ninja Warrior."

Nothing can stop the flight
of the Phoenix.

Najee Richardson has already
hit two buzzers this season,

and that's a big comeback
from a disappointing 2019,

and it was
some very young ninjas

that got him on the right track.

- Najee Richardson,
truly one of the elites.

- Last season for me
was just a whirlwind

of things that just went wrong.

I missed the Mega Wall...

- Oh, my!
- Oh, oh!

- Not even close.

- Hit my head
on the Angry Birds...

both: No!

- I didn't hit a single buzzer,

so by the time I got to stage
one in Vegas last year...

- Oh, no! What the...

- I was just like,
"I just want this to be over."

Honestly, I just don't think
my head was there.

I've been a little spaced out
for the entire season.

I felt so filled
with pressure to do well,

and it kind of went from
"Just go out there,

do your best, have fun,"

to "If you don't perform,
it was all for nothing."

When those thoughts start
creeping into your mind,

it takes the fun away from it.

- Welcome back to

"American Ninja Warrior Junior."

- Make your feet really fast
and really light,

and you're gonna be just fine.

For me, it was working with

the American Ninja Warrior
Juniors

that got me out
of the depression.

- Our next competitors
are getting

some last-minute encouragement

from mentor Najee Richardson.

- Have fun, you guys.
Do your thing, all right?

You guys got this.
You're so talented.

They were there to have fun.

Oh, you got it.
Good job, dude, all right.

And I was like,
I used to be that way.

Like, why can't I be
that way again?

[cheering]

You got this... let's crush
some buzzers, right?

I have not felt
this great mentally

and spiritually
in my entire career,

and I think that's gonna be
the thing that takes me far,

because the more fun I have,
the better I do.

[cheering]

- You can bet all those
"Ninja Junior" competitors

are watching Najee tonight.

He's also got
a big group cheering him on

from the east coast,

including his mom
and grandparents.

And check out his sidelines:

Michael Torres, Joe Moravsky,
and Jessie Graff.

- Go, Naj!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Najee, of course, has asthma,

has become an ambassador for
the American Lung Association.

- That's right,
and he had to use

his inhaler
back in the semifinals.

He may need it again tonight.

It's another
ten-obstacle course.

- And he is smiling already.
What I love is the joy.

This guy,
he loves to fly, Akbar.

He can do it on this course.

- Najee Richardson
has definitely got

that ninja swag going, Matt.

- That makes him
a dangerous man,

but this obstacle is dangerous,

the Falling Shelves.

Already had two ninjas
end their season right here.

And this transition is
the toughest, this blind grab.

- Here we go.
Come on, swaggy ninja,

the swaggy Phoenix.

He's eyeballing. He's locked in.

- Building it up.
- Nice...

Oh, no! What? No, what?
- Whoa, what a save!

- That's the best
one-handed save I've ever seen!

- Najee Richardson, sometimes
you need a little luck.

- Rewind the tape.

Oh, my goodness, Matt,
he comes into this blind grab.

His left hand missed,

and then somehow manages
to hold on

using that vise grip
with his right hand.

Wow! That was too close for Mom.

- Now gotta regroup
for this balance obstacle.

His footwork is spectacular,
but watch the Diamond Dash.

- He's gotta anticipate the dip,

the trip, all of it.

- Boom, boom, there we go.
- Oh, no!

- Come on.
- Another...

- Save after save.
- Near-catastrophe.

- Man, he is gonna give
his poor mom a heart attack.

- Najee definitely living
on the edge,

but here's one you cannot
make mistakes on, Spin Hopper.

This requires precision as well.

His hands in a little close...

You want them on the outsides
of those handles

to give you the most leverage,
the most control.

- That's right, Matt, right on
those grey strips right there.

- And, Akbar, his heart
has to be racing.

- My heart is racing
after those two saves.

- Gotta love watching this kid
compete though.

- I told you,
he's ninja swagged out.

- 29 years old, seems to have
reached a new level,

and look at him here
on Spin Hopper,

just looking
so effortless and in control,

and he's gonna get through.

[cheering]

- Come on, bro.
- Najee.

- Man, if adrenaline's

not pumping
through his body right now.

- Oh, right into
the Warped Wall.

We talked about, with asthma,

does not want
to get himself worked up.

He's really being methodical
with his breathing,

trying to keep that heart rate
down, trying to calm himself.

- Have fun, dude. Have fun.

- Ready now
for the Salmon Ladder.

- Najee Richardson trying to
make it into that great eight.

- Well, it is gonna be
hotly contested.

Ninth obstacle might get
you in, but a finish?

You're almost assured
of making it.

- Now, I know Najee Richardson.

He can play some basketball.
He can hoop.

It's a different type
of dunking,

but a dunk is a dunk.

- All right,
you're almost there, babe.

You're almost there.

- Here we go.

Just a calm approach here.

I love it, like,
minimal movement, Akbar.

- And there's only
a couple of inches

on those handles to grab onto.

This is a little bit
of a steeper drop,

but he handles it well.

- And another transfer.

These transfers
from ball to ball...

- See it, see it... nice.
- So tough.

One more move.

- Nice.
- Ooh, got that bar

locked in,

and he's through.

- Whoo, he is ready.

- Doing it, babe. You can do it.

- But so far no one has
conquered the Dragonback.

- Yeah, pretty much use
everything you got left.

That wall is a piece of cake,
you know?

- Get it done, man.
- Create an obstacle.

- Getting some encouragement,

as he faces this ninth obstacle.

- The Phoenix rising,
he's got that fire too.

- Well, he's an expert
on the Salmon Ladder.

This guy can do incredible
tricks with a bar in his hand.

Look at him skipping.
That's power.

- If anybody can figure it
out, it is this man.

Uh-oh.
- He's going for a big move.

- Careful, careful. Nice.

- He just skipped the slide!
- He's just like,

"Forget that.
I ain't messing with it."

- Talk about an innovator!
- And now five steps up.

He just gave the blueprint
for the other ninjas to do it.

- The former gymnast
figuring it out,

and you can see these kips.

Will he go for the big move?

Yes! - Whoa, oh!

- Najee Richardson just
needs the dismount!

- Come on, get it!
- Look at the wall spinning!

- Whoo!
- Najee has done it!

- Okay, with the ninja swag!

- And goes right
into the Spider Trap.

- Let's go!

- Oh, Matt, he was spitting
that fire with fire!

- Doesn't even hesitate.

- Get them doors out the way,
and look at him!

He's got more energy left!

- Oh, he's drinking

in good gulps of air,
Najee getting stronger.

- Where did it come from?

- The Phoenix is rising here
in St. Louis!

- Literally he's rising.

He's continuing to get better!

- Continuing his perfect season!

[buzzer blaring] - Oh!

- Najee Richardson, the first

to hit a buzzer in the finals!

- Okay!
- Yeah!

- Yes!
- Atta boy!

♪

- ♪ Born to do this

[cheering]

- Good for Najee Richardson.

An incredible performance.

- Whoo!
- The first to best

this relentless gauntlet
of a finals course.

- Matt, that was so impressive.

He had a couple of close calls

on Falling Shelves
and Diamond Dash,

and then became the first
to slay the dragon,

skipping steps
and flying over the slides,

and then racing up
to the buzzer,

our first finisher tonight.

- ♪ I was born to do this

- You should be laid out, man.
You should be laid out.

Matt, that's what it looks like

to give it everything you have.

He emptied the tank
on this finals round.

All: Beat that wall!

- Coming up, she's a hero
to moms everywhere.

- Flex on them!
- There it is!

Now 44-year-old Sandy Zimmerman

is back for the finals,

plus Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn,

flies onto the course

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to St. Louis,
Missouri,

where we're inside the Dome
at America's Center.

It's the first night
of the finals

on "American Ninja Warrior,"

the start of
this two-week finals event.

We'll see most
of our finalists tonight

and the rest next week,

all of them trying
to get into the top eight,

who will then advance
to our Power Tower playoffs

to determine
this year's champion.

- He's got more energy left!

- We've only had one finisher
so far...

- [screams]
- Najee Richardson.

[buzzer blaring]

- Matt, that was so impressive.

- But we've got someone
on the course right now

who could be the second.

It's Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn,

now working his way
across Spin Hopper.

Rahn, as always, wearing
the superhero costume.

Always one of the most
recognized ninjas by the fans.

- And Jamie lives right here
in St. Louis.

- This descent
is so tough, Akbar.

- Yes.
- But Rahn looking

very controlled.
- Well, you can see him, too,

staying focused;
he's got his eyes

just on the target.

- Get out of there.
- Nice.

- The ten-time
ninja veteran heads

for the Warped Wall.

- Whoo!
- Rahn's wife, Kim,

is just across town
watching with their dogs,

Bear and Doogie.

- Crush it, baby! Crush it!

- His mom's on the east coast
with her dog

and a friend, everyone wearing
the green wigs.

- Keep it up.
- Yes, sir.

- Now heads up the wall.
No problem.

- Being here in his new hometown

has worked out well
for Jamie Rahn.

Here he is in the finals.

- And doing it
with that badly-injured thumb,

nearly cut it off
with a table saw

just before qualifying,

wasn't sure
if he'd even compete.

- He's gonna need that thumb
right now

on the Salmon Ladder.

- Jamie, you're doing great!

[cheering] - Whoo!

- And he's taking off the shirt.

It's okay though.

The superpowers
come from his hair.

- All right, let's go.

- He's up, on now
to the Salmon Ladder,

so good on the Salmon Ladder.
- Yeah, he is, Matt.

He can work magic. Look at that.

- Oh, my.
- Just flew through it

without a cape, nice.

- He doesn't need
his costume on.

- Serious, he's gonna crush it.

- Now gonna try Slam Dunk,

play a little basketball
here, Akbar.

That was your sport
before football.

- Yeah, a little basketball
skill required.

- Such a tough transfer. Got it.

- Nice.

Ooh, with authority
with the slam dunk.

That's a power dunk.

- Ooh!
- [shouting]

- You hear him screaming, Matt.

He feels the pump.

Can he make this last one? Boom.

- Jamie Rahn not letting that
thumb injury hold him back.

He's heading
for the ninth obstacle.

- Yeah! Let's go!

- Staring up at Dragonback.

- Ah!

- Matt, you hear him screaming,

huffing and puffing.

He's psyching himself up

to get through the Dragonback.

- Najee Richardson the only one

to conquer this so far.

The tests we are putting
on these ninjas...

- Ooh, oh!
- Jamie Rahn,

taken out by the dragon.

His superpowers no match
for a mythological creature.

- When he made his move,
he was looking over

at his injured left hand,

and he pushed it way out
in front of his right,

and once the bar got uneven,
it was all over.

- We'll have to wait and see
if that gets Jamie

into the top eight.

Well, up next is
another type of hero.

This is Illinois firefighter
Dan Polizzi.

It's his eighth season
competing on

"American Ninja Warrior."

Says he loves coming out

to represent
his fellow firefighters,

and that is especially
true this year.

[somber music]

- They're calling it the worst
year for wildfires in history.

- Being a firefighter,
you deal with lots

of high-stress situations.
- He's right on it.

- Your heart is pumping
in a matter of seconds.

You gotta go, go, go,
and deal with things

that people
don't normally deal with.

That's just what's been
happening out there

on the front lines,
and we're just there.

We gotta do our jobs.

You know, it's stressful,
but you just keep going.

Windows are getting hot.

- There's fires across the road.

- The things that
we're passionate about,

being firefighters
and working EMS,

we're doing
those things together.

It's kind of on the same level
of a family.

♪

Getting to
represent firefighters,

it's such an honor,

but I hope
to make everyone proud.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, we are proud of
all of our ninja firefighters,

and Dan's got a lot of support,

including his mom,
plus his girlfriend, Heather,

and his Towers of Power
partner, Brandon Mears.

He's also a firefighter and is
at the station right now.

- Let's go, buddy, let's go.

Go big.

- Hopefully Brandon won't get
a call during this run.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And we really appreciate
all the firefighters

out there battling wildfires
and dealing with COVID.

- Absolutely.

Polizzi ready
for Spring Forward.

- Well, you do have to get
some big air... nice.

- You can see on Spring Forward,

this is where that
upper-body gauntlet starts.

You can see just the muscles

flexing all that weight,

and that starts to build
on the forearms.

- Nice, Dan!

- It requires so much

to be able to do these
obstacles, Matt, I tell you.

- And that upper body is
gonna be tested again

here on the Falling Shelves.

- And look how wide his base is.

You can see how wide his arms
are on this one, Matt.

- Polizzi, at 185 pounds,

one of the heaviest
athletes in the finals,

and at 38, he's also

the oldest male left
in the competition.

- And here comes this very
tricky reverse catch

on this third shelf.

- He gets it.
- Ooh, yeah, baby!

- Now just needs the dismount,

and he's through.

But now, Diamond Dash.

Both the Towers of Power

have had their struggles
with balance obstacles.

You can see Brandon's a little
nervous about this one.

- And he's really
thinking it over.

He's worried.

- Come on, quick feet,
quick feet.

- And that is tough.
- Nice, oh, oh!

- On the diamonds, tripped up!
Both: No!

- Polizzi gets hosed down
on the Diamond Dash.

The Towers of Power just cursed
on balance obstacles.

- Well, I definitely know
how that goes.

It's all right.

- This is very similar to
Michael Torres earlier.

Polizzi comes up short
on the third diamond,

and it pops up and trips him,

and he couldn't quite save it.

- Coming up,
he took the Warped Wall

for a spin in the semifinals.

- Oh, oh, oh, he did a 360!

- What's the Classy Ninja
gonna do

for an encore in the finals?

Plus, we're going fishing
with Flex Labreck

to meet the other man
in her life.

- My dad is everything to me.

You got any tips for me?

- Yeah, like...

- Yeah? [laughs]

- When "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to St. Louis
and the first night

of the finals
on "American Ninja Warrior,"

and up next is one of the
sport's rising young stars,

22-year-old Lucas Reale.
- Let's go, Luke!

- You can see
that point to the sky.

That's for his dad,

who died before ever seeing
his son's ninja success.

- I lost my dad at 16 years old.

My grandparents,
they've been there for me

every step of the way
since my dad passed,

and being able to come out here
and, you know,

talk about my dad
has helped our whole family.

- And you can see him
pointing up to his dad.

- My grandparents love
seeing me out

on the course more than anybody.

- Wow.
- Nice!

- Look at that lache, two moves.

- Whoa, two moves? Come on!

- There's this picture of them

at Baltimore qualifying
last year,

and, honestly, I don't think

I've ever seen them more happy.

It's just such a great feeling
for me to know that, like,

doing this is bringing them joy.

- Lucas Reale, the real deal!

- Wow.

[buzzer blaring] - Yes!

I wish they could have
been out here,

but knowing that they're at home

dropping whatever they have
just to kinda see me

run the course,
it's an amazing feeling.

♪

- He'll have plenty
of support tonight.

There are his paternal
grandparents he talked about,

Rick and Gwen,
back in Connecticut.

Lucas also has his girlfriend,
Kyra,

and other family members
watching.

- All right, talk me through it
one more time, one more time.

- Down on the sidelines,

some ninjas from the northeast,

Allyssa Beird...

- This course is made for you,
Lucas.

- Go!
- Rookie Amir Malik,

and the only ninja to
finish this course so far,

Najee Richardson.

- Come on, man.
- Breathe, you can do it.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Lucas Reale
has been on a hot streak,

hit buzzers in qualifying
and semifinals,

and he was among
the fastest both times.

- Now ready for Spring Forward.

This course has been
brutal, Akbar.

It always requires endurance,
but we've seen such precision.

One misstep,
and your season can be over,

and it is a loaded field
tonight here in the finals.

- Doing great.
- Yeah, did you see that?

Reale's smiling like
he's got no worries.

- I love the joy he shows
on the course.

- Yeah, you got this.

- But he has been the real deal.

Past two seasons,
he's made it to the finals,

all the way to stage
three last year,

but this blind grip,
this has been a challenge.

- You got this.
- Yeah, you cannot

underestimate this obstacle.

- Nice, now just lock it in!
- But he's got it.

- Oh, perfect.
- There it is.

- Locked in.

- Yeah, that's the way
you do it.

- Nice.
- Yeah!

- I'm excited for this one.

- Oh, okay, says he's excited
for Diamond Dash.

- Right in the middle.
- Most people

fear the balance obstacle,

but he's never fallen on one.

- Whoo!
- Great footwork.

- It's like he floated.
- Whoo!

- He's levitating
across Diamond Dash.

- He's having
a good time out here.

Now goes straight into
Spin Hopper.

- Nice, very controlled.
- Nice, Lucas!

- Only Najee's completed
this course thus far.

Could very well be a race
to that ninth obstacle,

and Lucas Reale is moving.

- This is you!
- The real deal Reale.

- Now looking for that dismount.

- Nice!

[cheering]

- And he's still got that smile.

- Make sure that you get
all the air

into your... in your lungs.

Back half's just
a little bit bumpy.

- Uh-huh. Don't wait too long.

- And you hear
his fellow ninjas,

"Breathe,
but don't wait too long."

- Yeah, enjoy it.
Soak it up, man.

- Well, hurry, don't rush.

- Soak it up. Nice.

- Right up that Warped Wall.

- You got some more left in you?

- This is a sick back half.
- I know,

it's a sick back half.
- A sick back half.

These ninjas,
they love a challenge,

and we have established one here

on the back half
of this finals course.

- Precision.
- Yup.

- The rest of it
is just precision.

- Najee says it's precision
on these final obstacles,

starting with the Salmon Ladder.

- Here we go,
up the Salmon Ladder.

- Nice.

- With authority, no problem.

- Nice, impressive pace
up the Salmon Ladder.

Time to go hooping.

- You got this, Lucas.

- Such a difficult move to
carry that ball,

lock it in...

These transfers, though. - Nice!

- Lucas Reale, though,
making it look easy.

- Come on, yeah!
- Yeah, he is.

Lucas Reale is dunking
all over this obstacle, Matt!

- Nice!

- One more to go!
- Got it.

- There it is! You got it!
- Look at Reale!

- Yes!

- His grandparents
have to be so proud.

- That's what I'm talking about!

- Just needs to figure out
how to conquer Dragonback.

Only Najee's gotten past it.

- Keep that bar even.
- Yup.

- Trust it.
- Come on, Lucas.

- You gotta attack
this Dragonback with no fear.

- Yup.
- Good job, Lucas.

- Look at the sides.
You're doing great.

- This slide, great job
controlling it.

- Nice, yeah, Najee told him
about precision,

and that's especially
true right here.

Gotta keep that bar centered.
So even too, Matt.

- And has energy, Akbar,

does not look fatigued.
- Oh, here we go.

- Control on the slide.

Wow! - Hey!

He's done it!

[cheering]

- And he's got a shot
to beat Najee's time

of 4 minutes, 36 seconds.

Unbelievable!

Just throwing those 50-pound
doors out of the way.

It's gonna be close
with Najee's time.

Come on! - Two buzzers already,

looking for that third,
he is going.

- Lucas Reale!
- The real deal Reale!

- Can he do it? 50!

Another 50!

- Come on, he's gonna do it!
He's right there!

- And Lucas Reale does it again!

[buzzer blaring]

[cheering]

♪

- Let's go!

[cheering]

- Let's go!

- Our second finisher
in the finals,

Lucas Reale hits the buzzer

three seconds faster than Najee.

- That feels so good.

- An amazing performance with
his grandparents looking on.

- The new obstacles were
no problem for Lucas Reale.

He showed everyone how
to slide past the Dragonback

and got the fastest finish
so far, honored his father,

and just look at the tears
of joy from his grandparents.

- Let's go down to Zuri.

- Lucas, congratulations.

That was an amazing run,
your third buzzer this season.

How are you feeling?
- I feel amazing.

It was such a great course.
Third buzzer feels excellent.

- You officially have the
fastest time of the night...

- No, really?
- By three seconds,

and of course, you've got your

beautiful grandparents
here celebrating.

What does it mean
to have them here cheering you

on every step of the way?
- Oh, it's awesome.

I mean, my whole family
has been so supportive of me,

and I think that I'm able
to bring a little happiness

to them back home every time
I step on the course, you know?

- Absolutely.
- Definitely.

- Fall or not, buzzer or not,
they see me living my dream,

and I think
that's all that I can ask for.

- Well, they're
all so proud of you.

We know your father's here
with you in spirit too...

- Thank you.
- And so proud of you also.

Great work, Lucas.

- Thank you, Zuri. [cheering]

- Coming up, with his kids
at home all the time,

Akbar's had to get creative.

- Ah!

- Ready, set, go.

- And so has Sandy Zimmerman.

- Shake these Post-it Notes
off their shoulder,

they get five points.

- We'll show you how

the ninja super mom
handles it all

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Three, two, one, go.

- It's finals night
on "American Ninja Warrior,"

and, as you can see,
the competition's heating up.

- Cheater! [laughs]

If they can catch this
with their head,

boom, they get $100.

Oh.

Well, Matt, during the lockdown,

parents have had
to get creative,

and my kids and I have tried

almost every Internet
challenge that's out there.

Hold on, keep going!

[laughs] [buzzer blares]

And I gotta admit,

I might have had
more fun than they did.

There you go. You're doing good.

Good job. Whoo!

Ah! [bell dings]

[laughs]

Yuck. Who's cleaning this up?

- You're having too much fun
at your house, big man.

Well, here comes another parent

who's had to get creative
these past few months.

This is Spokane,
Washington's Sandy Zimmerman.

Not only is she a mom of three,

she's also an elementary
school PE teacher,

so she's been busy.

- Hi, everyone,
Sandy Zimmerman here

with physical education at home.

When the lockdown began,
we were so isolated,

so I started doing videos

and posting them
for the kids to watch.

We're gonna do ten exercises
in ten minutes.

My daughter Lindsay
and my son Blake

would jump in the videos
with me, do some exercises.

Ready, set, go.

I really wanted
to connect with my students.

First person that can shake
these Post-it Notes off

their shoulder gets five points.

So my students could see that
I was okay,

that we were gonna be okay,
and just have some fun,

kinda take their mind
off things for a little while,

and get some exercise.

This is a lot harder
than I thought.

One of my big motivations with
doing "American Ninja Warrior"

is to make a difference

and maybe inspire my students

to go dream their own big dreams

and take that chance.

See you again soon.

- And there's that family,
her husband and three kids

watching from back in Spokane,

plus look at all the women
ninjas on her sideline...

Meagan Martin, Allyssa Beird,

Michelle Warnky-Buurma,

and Tiana Webberley.

[countdown clock beeping]
- Yeah!

Whoo!
- Matt, we've got four women

in these finals.

How impressive is it

that one of them
is this 44-year-old mom?

- Yeah!
- She's the oldest competitor,

male or female, in the finals,

was the first mom
ever to hit a buzzer,

and has really
become an inspiration.

- Nice!
- Very good at grip strength.

It's gonna be tested tonight,

and it starts right here
on Spring Forward.

- Well, Spring Forward,

just that up and down motion
gets you going.

- Those moves going up and down,

that's a lot of strain
on the forearms and the back.

But she's smiling now, Akbar.

- Yeah, she says,
"Oh, I got this."

- Let's not forget,
"Ninja Warrior"

first and foremost is fun.

- Bounce with it.
- I love it,

so strong, such a hard worker.

Got it.

[cheering]

Now staring up
at this daunting new obstacle,

Falling Shelves.

- Wipe your hands off
if you need to.

- I'm gonna channel
my inner Meagan right here.

[laughter]

- Then you qualify.
You got this!

- Sandy's taking advice

from the rock climber,
Meagan Martin.

Any tips on grip could help
with these Falling Shelves.

- You got this.
- You gotta love

how these women
show up for each other.

- Don't overthink it.
You got it.

- Hand placement
so important on this.

- Come on. She's got this.

I know she's got this, Matt.

- First one locks in.
That's a hard lock.

- Okay, come on, Sandy. 5'6".

- This one moves freely.

- 140 pounds, has been amazing.

Come on. You see that.

- But now the tough one,
this reverse grab.

- She's got it, Matt.
I know she's got it.

- Levitate, lock in those hands.

- Get that, get that... oh!
- Oh!

- Mother-ninja!
- Couldn't do it, oh.

Couldn't quite make
the difficult grab

on the third shelf,

but it's been
another amazing season

for Sandy Zimmerman...

- Love you girls.
Thank you so much.

- Representing for moms, women,

and all ninjas everywhere.

- This blind grab
is such a difficult move.

She lands her right hand
perfectly,

but her left one misses,
and she can't get a grip.

- What a blast, though.
What a blast.

- Sandy Zimmerman's a class act,

and so is our next competitor.

Wearing his trademark
three-piece suit,

this is Donovan Metoyer,
AKA the Classy Ninja.

The 33-year-old from Kansas City

really turned heads
with his performance

back in semifinals.

- If you look good,
you play good.

♪

- Classy Ninja
dressed up as ever.

- Always classy.
- Whoo!

- My God, he looks good.

- I am known as
the Classy Ninja,

so I had to add a little bit
of the class to my run.

I had to do something memorable.

I got to the Warped Wall
again in the semifinals,

and it's like, "Here's my time."

♪

- Ohh!
- Oh, oh, oh, he did a 360!

- Not a lot of people
can do a 360 up the wall,

so I was like, that's
my special touch right there,

and no one does it
in the suit but me.

- Talk about looking good.
- People are telling me,

"Donovan, you've gotten better.

You're good. You're underrated."

I'm like, "Thank you guys
for noticing this finally."

I've been working super hard,
and I'm happy

that it's paying off
right here in this moment.

♪

I'm definitely gonna take
on the finals course

with style and grace
in my Classy Ninja suit.

Keep it classy, Ninja Warrior.

[ding]

- The Classy Ninja, always
the sharpest-dressed man,

and you can see,
there's his mother, Alene,

gave him that sense of style.

She's watching back
in Kansas City

with some of his ninja friends,

and on the sidelines,
two other ninjas with style,

Jamie Rahn and Jake Murray.

- Yeah, you can see he's got
that double Windsor tie.

That's a new knot he put in.

- All right, Donovan. Go in!

- All the way to the buzzer.

- Well, you know with him,
Akbar, that's style.

This guy, just amazing,

doing it in a three-piece suit.

- If you look good,
you play good.

If you play good,
you get paid good,

and he's got an opportunity
to get $100,000

if he can
maintain his greatness.

- This has been a breakout year

for Donovan Metoyer...
Hit a buzzer in qualifying,

had another strong run
in semifinals.

This looks like a novelty run,

a guy out here
in a three-piece suit,

but he belongs, has earned
his way into the finals.

But gotta be careful here
on Falling Shelves,

just ended
Sandy Zimmerman's run.

- Come on.

- And this one, the blind grab,

a real challenge.

- All right, here we go. Get it.

- Locked it in, such a challenge

to hold on, but he does it.

- Yeah!

- On to the Diamond Dash.

- He better make sure he hits
the center of each diamond,

or he'll be taking that suit
to the dry cleaner.

- Oh, on the front!
- Nice!

- Survives it though.
That was remarkable balance.

- Whoo!
- Donovan Metoyer

looking good,
now facing Spin Hopper.

- We haven't even talked
about those glasses.

I don't know
how he runs with those.

- Getting close
to that Warped Wall.

Will the Classy Ninja

try another 360
here in the finals?

Oh! - Oh, no!

Back to the cleaners!

- Looked sharp, but one missed
hand placement,

and the Classy Ninja
splashed down.

- And he lost his glasses, too.

As always, Donovan looked good
at the start

and on the first few obstacles,

but he just got careless
on Spin Hopper.

He didn't space his hands out
correctly on that fourth one,

and that sent him spinning.

- Man. Where my glasses at?

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior."

Over the years, our ninjas
have often used their platform

to raise awareness for
so many important issues...

- What's up, guys?
- From pet adoption...

- $20,000 for your charity.

- To cancer research...

- We will fight. We will win.

- ♪ This is the life we know ♪

- Good job!

- And other great causes.

- He's not taking no
for an answer.

This is a man on a mission.

Yes! Yes!

[cheering]

- Good job, guys.

- Our athletes remind us

that it's the obstacles
we face off the course

that are truly important.

All: "American Ninja Warrior!"

♪

- And here's another one
of our ninjas

doing big things.

This is 24-year-old Austin Gray,

and his shirt says
"Share your spare"

to raise awareness
for kidney donation.

He gave his own kidney
to his friend Kaylee,

who you see there, and this year

Austin's taking his message
to an even bigger audience.

- Today we're on set with
the National Kidney Foundation.

We're shooting a PSA.

[upbeat music]

- Okay.

♪

And I'm rolling. - All right.

So here we go, guys.

- The Big Ask, the Big Give

is the National Kidney
Foundation's

free resource to help patients
find a living donor.

Back in 2018,
I donated my kidney to Kaylee.

She was a friend of mine for
a long time and needed help.

The National Kidney Foundation
saw me on "Ninja Warrior"...

- What a great message,
share your spare.

- And he's hoping to encourage
other people to donate.

- Reached out to see
if I wanted to work with them,

and I said of course.

♪

- Austin is young,
and he's an elite athlete,

and he really speaks
to a different audience.

It's been great working with him

to promote living donation.

- Look at this guy.
- Wow!

♪

- Kaylee's doing great.

She's been right by my side
my whole ninja career,

and she's gonna be right there
watching my finals run.

- Okay, Austin, I see you.

- Hitting buzzers is great,

but when I get a message saying,

"Your story on
'American Ninja Warrior'

inspired me to donate a kidney,"

someone that saw me

and was able to go
save someone else's life,

that's the most important
thing to me.

♪

[cheers and applause]

- And there's Kaylee,
watching with her twin sister.

- You've got it, man.
- And on the sidelines,

the Weatherman, Joe Moravsky,

and the Wild Man, Jake Murray,

who trains with Austin
back in Colorado.

[countdown clock beeping]
- Whoo!

- This is your run!

- Well, it's amazing.
He donated his kidney.

Less than six months later,

he was out
competing on "Ninja Warrior."

- And that's pretty impressive.

He's now a spokesman
and advocate

for organ donation
at just 24 years old.

- His next impressive feat

would be
to qualify for the finals,

but this is a challenging
course, Akbar.

Gets through Spring Forward.

- All right.

- Austin Gray is proof positive

you can donate a kidney
and still be an elite athlete.

- You need to be
an elite athlete

to get through
these Falling Shelves.

They've knocked out
some good ones tonight.

This third one is
especially tough,

and it's right here
that gets you.

Nice. - Got it, locked it in.

And now he's through.

5'10", 150, Akbar.

Let's see if those long legs
can survive Diamond Dash.

- Go, go, go, go. Nice.

- Great footwork,
skips the last diamond.

Diamonds are not
a ninja's best friend.

Let's see what he does
on Spin Hopper.

Again, requires such precision.

Those handles move.

Gotta get your hands
on simultaneously,

keep them even,
just like Austin.

- And, Matt, you can see
how he's using his whole body,

the kip, just nice rhythm.

- Austin Gray's showing
some excellent control here.

- Look at him.
He's taking a deep breath

before every move.

- Austin Gray nearing
the dismount,

his friend Kaylee looking on,

and he's through.

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

- Kaylee's been on the sidelines

for many of his runs
in the past,

now on the screen
showing her support...

- You got this.
- As Austin readies

for the Warped Wall.

- Come on, Austin.

- Austin Gray up,

and a good pace,

but now has these brutal final
four obstacles,

starting with the Salmon Ladder.

- Nice and easy, nice and easy.
Take your time.

- Nice and easy,
good advice from Kaylee.

First up, four rungs
on the Salmon Ladder.

- All right, here he goes, Matt.

He's gonna have to do
a big jump here... nice.

- What we're seeing
out of Austin,

power and precision. - Good.

- And he's through
the Salmon Ladder.

- All you, dude.

- Now ready for Slam Dunk.

So important to get
a good grip on those handles.

- Nice.
- We've seen a lot of falls

on these transfers
from ball to ball.

- No wasted movement
out of Austin Gray.

- Ooh!
- He's been outstanding.

- That right hand
was on the front.

Once again the transfer.

- You can see, not taking
a lot of wasted movement,

going right for it,
great placement.

- That's it, man, come on.
- And you see, kipping up,

give your hands a second
to find that grip,

and he is through.

Good job by Gray.

- Nice job, man.

- Yes.

- Now gotta take on

this deadly new obstacle,
Dragonback.

Only two ninjas
have gotten past it tonight.

- All right, here we go,
no regard for personal pain.

Forget about it.
- Oh, that bar uneven.

That is an ominous sign, Akbar,

but he straightens it out,
gets up one more step.

Now gotta prepare
for the slide down.

Goes to the top.

He's asking a lot of precision
out of himself.

- Yeah, man.
- Great control out of Austin.

Now gotta climb it back up.

Austin Gray is not rushing.

He's looking at both sides

before every one of these jumps.

- I tell you, the secret here
for Austin Gray

has been his efficiency.

He's been outstanding.

- His precision has
been so good,

sliding it down,
and he's through!

- Okay! Okay!

- Austin Gray, 35 feet away

from becoming
our third finisher,

and he's got a chance
to beat Lucas Reale

for the fastest time.

And going right into
the Spider Trap,

and he is up, with each step

spreading the word
about kidney donation.

- Nice.
- And what a message

this young man has,

and, Akbar, he seems to be

getting stronger
deeper in this course.

- Yes, he is, Matt.
- He can let it

all hang out now.

Oh, my! - Looks like he has

so much left in the tank.
- Flying up.

He's not gonna beat
Lucas Reale's time,

but still an incredible run.

Austin Gray! [buzzer blares]

- Yes! Whoo!
- Whoo!

♪

- Unreal, what a performance.

And that shirt says it all.

Share your spare. - Whoo!

- Austin Gray
got his message out

and got a buzzer.

- Remember, earlier
Cam Baumgartner

didn't release the bar
at the right time.

Well, Austin Gray
just showed him how it's done

with a perfectly-timed moment
that got him over the wall,

and he's our third
finisher tonight.

♪

- And Austin Gray is now third
on our current leaderboard.

Remember, you wanna be
in the top eight

so you can move on
to the Power Tower playoffs.

About half our finalists
still to run,

either tonight or next week.

Coming up,
they do everything together,

even on the ninja course.
- Yeah!

- Now engaged couple
Chris DiGangi and Flex Labreck

get their shot
at the finals course

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Next week,

we crown a new champion

on "American Ninja Warrior."

♪

Our final eight competitors
will battle

in our first-ever
Power Tower playoffs...

- We've never had a finals
like this, Matt!

- With the winner walking away
with a $100,00 grand prize.

Your 2020 "American Ninja
Warrior" champion...

And here's one of the guys
with a good shot

at being in that final playoff
next week.

This is Tyler Gillett.

The 24-year-old
from the Atlanta area

has had a big year
so far with two buzzers,

and as we told you
a few weeks ago,

he's dedicated his season
to his cousin Bill,

who's battling stage four
pancreatic cancer.

[somber music]

- My cousin Bill, he's always
been there for us, for me.

I would be lucky to be half
as strong as Bill is,

'cause he was in the Army
for 12 years

and multiple tours.

That kind of courage is
something that I can't fathom,

so to see him go through
such a hard time,

it's not easy.

- ♪ If it all

♪ Went away

- With cancer,
your mission's very clear.

It's to live every day,
to wake up every day,

and when the diagnosis
came back,

we knew we were gonna fight,

but we also knew that
we weren't gonna fight alone.

♪

- ♪ I will find my way back

♪ My way back

- All of us together, I think,
is what's gonna make it work.

Yeah, it's a big team. - Yeah.

[both laugh]

At the end of the day,

it doesn't really matter
what you accomplish

if you can't
share that with others.

- ♪ On my way back

- What a run with Bill watching.

- Oh, that's pretty cool.

- So I want to go out there
and do good for Bill.

♪

- And you see all of Tyler's
friends and family

wearing those Team Bill shirts.

Bill's there with his wife,
Cori,

and there's Tyler's mom,
Renee, on the left,

with some other members
of the family,

plus his sister and
other friends back in Georgia.

- You got this, man!
- And on the sidelines,

Tyler will have Najee Richardson

and the Big Dog, Jody Avila.

- You got it, Tyler.

[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's go, dude.

Let's go, come on.

- Matt, Tyler Gillett has been
so impressive this year,

doing this for cousin Bill.

- Whoo!
- Come on, Ty!

- 24 years old,
out of Newnan, Georgia,

really strong run
in the semifinals.

- And that was
such an emotional run.

He was in tears
as he hit that buzzer.

- Nice. Yes, sir.

- And you can see
he's actually getting out

a little farther.

He's actually using the springs

to bounce him forward.

Ooh! - Oh, no!

- No way.

- [groaning]

- Tyler Gillett, the dream
becomes a nightmare

on just the second obstacle.

- What? Oh, my gosh.

- Oh, wow, complete silence.

♪

Tyler Gillett
is a top-level ninja,

could do this obstacle
100 times without falling,

but watch on the third bar.

He just missed
with his right hand

and couldn't save it,

proving any obstacle
out there can get you.

- It happens.

- He's obviously heartbroken,

but his friends and family
know he gave it

everything this year

and helped raise awareness
for pancreatic cancer.

- Good job, Tyler.

- We are so proud of you!

- So we are down to the final
two runners of the night.

They have one of the best
rivalries in the sport,

and, oh, yeah,
they're also engaged.

We're of course talking about
Chris DiGangi

and his fiancée, Flex Labreck.

- Let's go, babe, whoo!

- These two have
a remarkable habit

of getting to the same place
on the course.

[buzzer blaring] - Yeah!

- It's happened year after year.

No!

And they did it again
this year in qualifying...

- Look at that.
- Whoo!

- And in the semifinals. Oh!

And Flex will be
watching nervously,

along with
some other ninja friends.

- Let's go!

- Chris also has his buddy
Ethan Swanson

and more support back there
in Chicago.

[countdown clock beeping]

- The Chicago ninjas came into
finals with high hopes,

but none have hit a buzzer yet.

Michael Torres,
Cameron Baumgartner,

Dan Polizzi, all came up short.

DiGangi hoping to change that.

- Yeah, babe!
- He's looking sharp, Akbar.

- Nice flow through
Spring Forward, Matt.

- College athlete, competed
in pole vault

and high jump,
good body awareness.

- And that definitely
lends itself to this obstacle,

Spring Forward,
but now he's done with that.

- Whoo. Okay, focus.

Take a second and focus.

- Flex giving him some tips now

for these very tricky
Falling Shelves,

and this one such a challenge.

We've seen three
of tonight's finalists

end their night here.

- No cap, this is
the killer right here.

That's a 4 1/2-foot lache.

- Into a blind grab...
- Ohh!

- No!
- Oh, no.

- Another top ninja
goes out early.

♪

And again,
everyone absolutely stunned.

- Instead of going under,

DiGangi swings his arm
out and around the sides,

and he just couldn't
find those handles.

This is a tough obstacle.

- Well, now a shaken-up
Flex Labreck

has to put DiGangi's
disappointing run

out of her head,
because she's up next.

- It's okay, baby.
- She'll be our final athlete

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

All: Jesse! Jesse! Jesse!

- Since the first time
she stepped on the course,

she's been a dominant force
in ninja.

- There's a new kid
on the block,

and she's a Labreck house.

- In her five seasons,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck
has become must-see TV

and is one of the sport's
most dynamic competitors,

and now she's gonna be
our final runner of the night.

This woman is a superstar.

She's tied with Jessie Graff

for the most buzzers
among women ninjas,

and even on
this difficult course,

don't think Flex can't
hit another one tonight.

After falling minutes ago,
her fiancé, Chris DiGangi,

on the sideline,
ready to support her,

but there's also another
important man in her life,

her dad, Larry.

♪

- I grew up in Maine
on a lake called East Pond.

I was a little bit more
on the tomboy side,

so I grew up doing all kinds

of different activities
with my dad.

We were always swimming,
boating, fishing.

It was awesome.

Gonna do some fishing today?

- You're gonna do
some fishing today.

- Yeah.

- Think you're gonna
catch anything?

- Probably not.
Probably have to...

- Probably not? [laughs]
- Probably have to call my dad.

Hi, Dad. - Hi, hon.

- I think I might do
some fishing this afternoon.

You got any tips for me?

- Yeah.

- Yeah. [laughs]

♪

We'll go to a good spot.
Gonna go right in there.

My dad is everything to me.

We enjoy doing
the same types of things,

and so we just grew
really, really close.

What do I do if the hook
is too deep in the fish?

You're the one that usually
used to take it out.

I don't know
if Chris is gonna handle it.

- Oh, no, no, are you kidding?
He can't even touch a fish.

- I know. [laughs]

- Pretty quiet so far, huh?

Fish ain't biting.

- Not looking good so far.

Even though my dad's
really far away,

he's always there for me.

I love you very much.

- I love you too, hon.
See you soon, I hope.

- All right. Bye, Dad.

He's gonna be able to watch me
run the course tonight,

and I'm gonna
hit that buzzer for him.

[laughs]

[cheers and applause]

- You bet he's gonna
watch her tonight.

There is Larry in Maine,
along with Jesse's stepmom.

From Chicago,
her friends Brian and Tori...

- Let's go, Jesse!
- And the Swan, Ethan Swanson.

- Boy, Swanson's got
a lot of shirts.

- Here we go, babe.
- And Chris will be

anchoring the sideline, along
with some other ninjas.

- You got it in you.
Trust yourself.

- Everyone wants to see
what Flex can do

on this finals course.

[countdown clock beeping]

5'7", 145, and she has
established herself

as one of the best ninjas,
period.

So strong. - Whoo! Whoo!

- We saw her in the semifinals
make it to the ninth obstacle.

- Well, she is
a Labreck house, Matt.

- She is just relentless.
She just loves to train.

When she can't do something,
she will do it again and again

until she figures out a way
to get through it.

- That never give up mentality,

that will get you far in ninja.

- The other thing we've seen,
Akbar, she is a gamer.

She responds to big moments.

- And it doesn't get
bigger than this.

- Nice.
- It's the finals.

- Let's go.
Get off this thing, get off it.

- And gets through
Spring Forward,

but now the obstacle

that ended her fiancé's
season just minutes ago.

- Come on!
- All right, you know this.

- Shake it out. Shake it out.

- And that's gotta be
in her head a little bit.

Those two often fall
at the same place.

- It's always tough, Akbar,

when these ninjas face
a new obstacle.

You have a plan,
but until you're on it,

you have no idea
what it really is like.

- [grunts]
- Ooh, you heard that grunt?

- Good transfer there.

The blind grab here. - Come on.

- This is where Chris went out.

- Come on, get it.

Get it. Get it!

- Great job with
the hand placement there.

Flex locks it in.

- Whoo!
- And she's through.

- Yes!
- She and Chris

not gonna have
the same result this year.

Oh, my, now this track star,

hall of fame athlete
at the University of Maine

as a heptathlete,

watch the foot placement
here, Akbar.

- Right in the middle.
You got this.

- Front of the diamonds
is the no-go zone.

- Nice!

- Oh, no!
- Oh!

- What a save!

- Uh-oh, she's in pain.

She's in pain, or she in shock.

- Oh, she's laughing, Akbar!
- Oh, she's like...

She's like, "Dang, that hurt."

- Well, she knows
she dodged a bullet.

She got on the front
of that third diamond,

but diamonds can be
Flex's best friend

'cause she survived it.

- Is she okay?
- A hard impact.

- Well, let's see it again,
Matt.

Like a few others tonight,
she came up short

on the third diamond.

It popped up
and smashed her toe.

You know she's glad
she got through.

- Not much can slow Flex down.

Now she's ready
for the Spin Hopper.

Now, what she's gotta do,
though, Akbar,

her heart spiked, clearly,
with that near-disaster.

You've gotta calm down,
and you have to be precise

with the hand placements here.

Keeping it even.

- Yeah, sometimes when you get
a near-fall like that,

it can spike the adrenaline,

and you can harness
that adrenaline

to get through
this crazy obstacle.

- Well, with this course,

you just have to try
to control it,

pace yourself here.

- Good hip pops here. Come on.

- She's a gamer, Matt.
- She really is.

- I love me some Labreck.
- You just see her.

She's all smiles
till she gets on the course,

although I loved her reaction
after Diamond Dash.

She's having fun, Akbar.

- She's also ultra-competitive.

- Come on, one more! One more!

- Just do it!
- Yes, come on!

Get off! Get off!

- She loves it, and you
hear DiGangi telling her,

"Just get off that obstacle,"
and she does it.

- Breathe, breathe, breathe.

- Now gonna take on
the Warped Wall.

- Trooper.
- She's fighting back.

Let's go. - Trooper.

- Well, this competition
takes it out of you, Akbar.

We ask so much of these ninjas.

- Well, you can see Chris

just right over her shoulder,
praying.

- Let's go, babe. Come on.

- In five seasons, she has
never failed to make it

to the back half of
an extended course,

and it's no different tonight.

- Yeah, Jesse!

- Only three women
have ever finished

a ten-obstacle course.

Flex is one of them... did it
last year in Cincinnati,

but if she can do it again
tonight

on this brutal finals course,

that would truly be
something special.

Four more obstacles,
including Dragonback,

but up next, the Salmon Ladder.

- Let's go, let's go!

- Well, we saw her get taken out

by the ninth obstacle,
the Dungeon.

That was in the semifinals.

Here, gotta get
through Slam Dunk.

- Aim for the back, okay?
- She got through

this obstacle
in Cincinnati last year.

- But this version's
much harder... more moves,

and the balls
at different heights.

- Yes!
- Gets through the first one,

now has to switch to the second.

- Hands even! Yes, come on!

- Good transfers.

God, she is such a strong
athlete, so focused.

I love the precision
we're seeing out of Flex.

- Come on, come on!
- What an athlete.

- Matt, you can bottle up
and sell that type of focus.

- Oh, my!
- Come on!

- Come on, here we go.
- Come on, come on.

- Here we go.
- Nice, ooh.

- We're gonna see the first
woman tackling Dragonback!

- Oh, ohh! Whoo!

- Yes!
- Awesome!

- Only a few ninjas have
even reached this point.

Even fewer have
gotten past Dragonback.

If she can do it, truly
an amazing accomplishment.

- Use your legs
to help your momentum.

- I think she knows
what it takes to beat

this ninth obstacle.

This dragon has been
spitting out fire.

She's gotta go fire with fire.

- Here we go, Flex Labreck
on this ninth obstacle!

- All right, come on.
Get them fire emojis out.

Oh, come on, come on.

- Gotta control it!
- Oh, oh, oh.

- Holding on!
- Okay, okay, okay, okay.

- You heard the scream.
She's halfway there!

- Oh, come on, come on!

- Oh, fatigue has to be
setting in, but her power!

- Oh, come on, come on!

- Fighting it every inch!
She's looking winded.

- Fight for
your ever-loving life!

- No quit in Flex!

She's gonna leave it all
on the course!

- Everything you got!

Come on. - Control the bar!

- You got this.
- Control the bar

on the slide! - Come on!

- She's done it!
- Yes! Yes!

- She's done it!
- Yes!

That's what I'm talking about!
- Flex Labreck!

- That's what I'm talking about!

- And with that,
she's in our top four,

35 feet away from the buzzer!
- Oh, my goodness!

Oh, my word.
- What a performance.

- I see the fire emojis
just going up in the air!

- And look at Chris smiling.

- Check out this dismount,
slides down and lets go

at just the right time.

Barely made it over
that rotating wall.

- What a task,
when you look at it.

Flip Rodriguez, Jamie Rahn...

They couldn't do
what Flex just did:

survive the Dragonback.
- This is a big deal!

- Let's go, Jesse!
- It is a big deal.

Only the fourth time ever

that a woman has reached the
tenth obstacle

on our course.
- Piece of cake, Flex!

- Come on, come on.

- But can she get that buzzer?

We saw it last year
in Cincinnati.

Only three women had ever
completed the extended course!

- Matt, oh, my goodness.

- Kacy Catanzaro,
Michelle Warnky, and Flex,

and she's 15 feet away, Akbar!

- Matt, hold me back.

- One of the greatest runs
we've ever seen!

- Hold me back! I'm gonna run!

- The run of the season,
her traction giving out!

- Come on!
- She's gonna do it, Matt.

I'm gonna say it again.
She is a Labreck house!

- Come on, Jesse!
- Come on, keep going!

- Can she get it up?

Oh, my!

- She's got it, Matt!

[buzzer blaring]

- ♪ They can't bring me down

♪

- One of the greatest runs
we've ever seen!

Flex Labreck
completes this finals course!

- Matt, she just flexed
on the finals!

- You're a monster!

- Flex Labreck showing she can
hang with anybody.

- That was so hard.
That was so hard.

- Not guaranteed,
but it is very likely

we're gonna see this woman

in the Power Tower playoffs

competing for $100,000.

- Wow, that is the epitome
of woman power.

- What?

- Matt, when she got past
the Dragonback,

the reactions were bigger
than any we've seen all year.

We even got a little excited,

and then she had enough left
to push her way to the buzzer,

her sixth one,

the most
by any woman in ninja history.

- You made it to the top
of the Spider Trap tower.

Congratulations.

Next tower is the Power Tower.
- Ahh!

- Just an unforgettable way
to wrap up the night.

Now, remember, we'll see

the rest of our finalists
next week.

[buzzer blaring] - Whoo!

- But here's the top eight
as of right now:

our four finishers...
Lucas Reale,

Najee Richardson, Austin Gray,

and the woman we just saw,
Flex Labreck...

Have a good shot at going
to the Power Tower playoffs.

The next four will have to wait

and see if they can stay
in the top eight,

because greats like Daniel Gil,

Joe Moravsky, and Jessie Graff

will try to conquer
this course next week.

So that wraps it up for tonight.

We'll see the rest of
this loaded field next week.

- And we're gonna crown
our new champion.

It's gonna be epic.
- Can't wait for it.

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

We'll see you next time
for the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior"!