- It's gonna be a ninja night like no other.
- It's ladies' night, no boys allowed.
- * I'm on fire *
- Get it, girl! - Break that glass ceiling!
- Come on!
- That's what I'm talking about!
- All women, all warriors.
- Are you not entertained?
- * Step outta the way 'cause you might get burned *
* Better get it ready, this is my turn *
* I'm on fire *
- This is the competition we've been waiting for.
- 12 women.
- * Fire *
- This isn't girl power! This is just straight power!
- One trophy... - * I'm on fire *
- And a 40-foot beast in between.
- Yeah!
- It's kind of terrifying, but also really exciting.
- The first mom!
The women are about to rock the house.
- * Step outta the way 'cause you might get burned *
* Better get it ready, this is my turn *
- It's the "American Ninja Warrior" women's championship.
- * I'm on fire *
* From my head down *
* To my toes *
[exciting music]
* *
- Welcome to St. Louis
and the Dome at America's Center,
and tonight, it's home
to the first-ever women's championship
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us
on this special night. I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila. Matt, it's ladies' night,
and we're about to make her-story.
- Absolutely, big man.
For the first time ever, 12 of the top female ninjas
will race across our courses until we have a champion.
These are the superstars
and rising stars of the sport,
the women who have dominated competitions and made history
on "American Ninja Warrior" over the past few years.
- And we're gonna crown a new queen of ninja,
and I can't wait. This is gonna be good.
- And to explain how the competition works,
let's go down to the top woman on our team, Zuri Hall.
- You know I am so fired up
about the first-ever women's championship.
We are gonna have three rounds to find our winner,
and it all starts right here with the qualifying course.
In round one, all 12 competitors
will face a six-obstacle course.
Then the top six women will advance to round two,
the extended ten-obstacle course.
The final four athletes will move on
to the championship round on the Power Tower,
where, for the first time ever,
we'll see women race head to head 40 feet in the air,
and the winner walks away with 50,000 bucks.
I'm ready, and I know our ninjas are ready,
so let's do this, guys.
- Well, we're gonna lead it off
with one of the breakout stars
from the 2020 season.
This is Florida college student Ashley McConville.
She was a ninja super fan growing up,
and being here in the women's championship
just tops off a Cinderella season for her.
- We heard this young woman was a rising star,
and she's living up to the hype.
- I was just 13 years old
when Kacy Catanzaro had her breakout year.
- Yes!
She's done it!
The first woman ever
to complete the qualifying course.
- That really inspired me. I remember watching that.
I was like, "Wow, I really could be just like her."
I did gymnastics for 12 years.
I was going to do college gymnastics,
but when "American Ninja Warrior"
lowered its age limit to 19,
I decided to go with ninja instead.
My very first ninja competition, actually,
I got up the Salmon Ladder, which is just amazing.
- Nice, Ash.
- And I did have a lot of success
my first couple competitions,
which was pretty cool because I was very new to it.
- Everyone at home on the edge of their seat!
- Last season I went up there, and I hit a buzzer.
- Ashley McConville delivers!
- It was just so crazy.
Like, this has been my dream since I was 13 years old,
and now I'm here in the women's championship
with people like Jessie Graff and Jesse Labreck
and all these other girls who I really look up to.
I am really excited to get another chance to hit a buzzer.
- Let's go, Ashley, you got this!
- She'll have her family watching back in Florida,
including her Uncle David.
He's her good luck charm.
She's also got her boyfriend,
fellow ninja Caleb Bergstrom, cheering her on.
- Let's go, Ashley! Come on! - Have fun!
- And here's something you don't see in most sports.
Though all these women are competing for the same prize,
they'll be on the sideline supporting each other.
[countdown clock beeping]
- I said it during her run last season,
people better learn the name Ashley McConville.
She's gonna be a ninja star.
- No problem through the Shrinking Steps.
Jessie Graff showing her support.
Now it's the second obstacle, Off the Hook.
Gotta jump that ring and place it
on the second hook.
- Gymnasts are really good at being focused.
- Got it! - Nice, you can see that.
She understands placement.
- And no problem. - I like it.
- Her Uncle David liked that one.
- Yeah, he said that's two down.
- And now the Beehive. This is a challenge.
You have to generate that power with your lower body,
really with the hips.
Look at this, about a 6-foot transition.
And watch this middle one.
It rotates 270 degrees. - Whoo!
- Good job locking it in quickly.
This is a little more challenging
on this kinda blind parallel grab.
This is 6 1/2 feet. - You got it.
- There you go, hips!
- Flex Labreck offering advice.
- Oh, nice! - Got it.
And she is through.
Now it's Burn Rubber.
Gotta run across the spinning tires.
- Big strides, come on.
- This is the obstacle that knocked her out
in the 2020 semifinals.
- There you go, come on. Oh, come on!
Okay! Who runs the world?
- Beautiful, and she's elated.
Got her revenge on Burn Rubber.
This 20-year-old, she belongs.
Now on to Sideways.
You have to grab the front
and the back handle simultaneously...
- Nice. - Or they'll spin out,
and you'll be down.
- Only the top six move on.
Ashley McConville looking like she could be one of them,
especially if she finishes this course.
- Makes the grab onto the slider.
Now you're facing forward. Gotta go back sideways.
This is even more challenging on the descent.
Because you're going down, your arm has to come down,
then back up around.
Such an awkward thing to do. - Oh, no!
[buzzer blares]
An impressive run for Ashley McConville
ends on Sideways.
Now she'll have to wait and see
if that gets her into the top six.
- Burn Rubber got her in the regular season,
but not tonight.
Then on Sideways, she got a grip with her left hand
but didn't grab at the same time with her right,
and her run was over.
- Well, we go from tonight's youngest competitor
to our oldest.
Zuri, get her going.
- Well, guys, our 44-year-old super mom
is stepping up to the start line.
Sandy Zimmerman is the first mother
to ever hit a buzzer in competition.
The PE teacher from Spokane, Washington,
gives a lot of the credit for her success
to her supportive ninja family.
- All right, zoomies, here we go.
I am so proud to be the mom of the ultimate ninja family.
Whoo! My two oldest kids competed on
"American Ninja Warrior Junior."
- The Zim Ninja gets the win.
[buzzer blares]
- And my husband even got into the mix.
- High knees, fast feet. High knees, fast feet.
- Yes!
We support each other. We encourage each other.
We come up with crazy, fun, new ninja things to try together.
Let me show you turkeys how it's done.
Pull, pull, pull, pull! Yes.
When I started this,
I obviously had some really big, huge goals,
wanting to be the first mom to hit a buzzer.
People literally laughed.
- Get up, look up. Ooh!
[air horn blows]
- But the people that didn't think
I was crazy were my family.
- You did awesome. You did awesome.
- And when I had the support of my kids, my husband,
nothing was gonna stop me.
all: Beat that wall!
- Yes! Yes!
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah! [buzzer blares]
- This has been a team effort.
Without them, I wouldn't be here
in the women's championship.
Whoo!
- And there is that ultimate ninja family
back in Washington,
husband Charlie and their three kids.
- Happy anniversary!
- Oh, what?
It's their anniversary?
- Let's go, Sandy!
- We love you, Sandy! - Whoo!
[countdown clock beeping]
- And what I love about this women's championship,
you have women competing against each other
while still lifting each other up.
- She cruises through that.
- Zimmerman's a great all-around athlete.
Played college basketball at Gonzaga
and was a national judo champion.
Back in season 11, she was so proud
to represent for the moms.
- Looking to get another buzzer tonight, Matt.
- Yeah! - Ooh, nice!
- Whoa, and look at that excellent body control.
- I'm not sure.
- You're there. - I'm making sure though.
- Yes. - But she's through.
- I love it, I love it. - Whew!
- You got this.
Whoo-hoo! - Taking a minute
to say hi to the kids.
- You got this. Just like the Wing Nuts.
- On to Beehive now.
She's a gym teacher, Akbar.
Can your gym teacher do this?
- My gym teachers were never able to do this.
They just told us what to do.
- Oh, you gotta love that.
- Listen to her. - Nice, good.
- Nice! - Oh, yeah, here we go.
- Okay, I see you, chatting it up on the course.
- Whoo!
- Nice. - Yes!
- Now facing Burn Rubber.
These wheels, 5 feet apart.
- And they're offset too, so that does make it
a little challenging. You can't just run
in a straight line. You gotta move it!
- Bounds right through! - Yeah! Yeah!
- And she is pumped.
- Whoo-hoo!
- You're making PE cool again. You already know that.
PE is cool because of you.
- She's having a good time out here,
but now gotta refocus for this fifth obstacle, Sideways.
- I can feel it, she's getting close to another buzzer.
- Nice!
- This obstacle requires such precision.
- Nice, come on.
- Now has to shift her hands around to grab the slider.
- See it.
Boy, nice one-handed grab to get herself straight.
Now she's gotta get herself sideways again.
- This is where Ashley McConville just fell.
Great job. You see those hands?
Slapping it down, finding the grip.
- She's gotta get--ooh! - That was close.
- She's gotta get that hang time!
- Oh, she's holding on!
- Sandy!
- Sandy Zimmerman is through!
[cheers and applause]
Looking up at that Warped Wall. That's where she made history.
- Hey, school's in session. Hit the bell.
- [laughs]
all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- 14 1/2 feet away, here we go!
- Here we go. Get up that wall.
- Get it, get it!
- She's got it!
Look at her flexing for us! - Yeah!
[buzzer blares] - Yeah!
[empowering music]
- Sandy Zimmerman, school's out!
- I did it! - Yeah!
- Nice, Sandy, whoo-hoo!
- 44 years old, mother of three
atop the Warped Wall once again.
- Wow.
She was smiling. She was screaming.
She was flexing all the way to the Warped Wall
and then hit another buzzer,
and at 44 years old, she just set the bar
for all the other women in this competition.
- And she's down with Zuri.
- Sandy, you are my hero.
Another buzzer.
Oh, my goodness. Yes, all of this.
How are you feeling right now?
- Oh, I'm really glad that they filmed it
because I need some video evidence
that this just happened. I mean, I--
- Well, we have proof.
- Yes, I feel like it-- I'm kind of dreaming right now.
- Yeah. The family is here.
It's your anniversary today.
- It is. - How many years?
- 21 years. - 21 years, congratulations.
- Two-two, 22.
- It's 22? - No.
- Sandy, this is your 22nd anniversary.
I'm gonna need you to-- she was busy hitting buzzers.
She's sorry. We'll get it right next year.
- Oh, my goodness. - Happy 22nd anniversary.
- Oh, my gosh, that's terrible. - Guys, back to you.
- Tonight, "Ninja's" history-makers.
- Her-story!
- Jessie Graff, Flex Labreck, Meagan Martin,
and the best female ninjas in the country
will battle to be our first women's champion.
- Oh, my goodness, did you see that?
- And up next, Tiana Webberley introduces the two women
who made a difference in her life...
- They're both incredible warriors,
and I wanna be a warrior for them.
- When "ANW's" women's championship returns.
- Breaking through all types
of glass ceilings, huh?
- Doing what only one woman has done before.
Can Warnky do it in season 11?
- * I'm a certified icon *
- Woman power! That's what I'm talking about!
* *
- No doubt Michelle Warnky, now Michelle Warnky Buurma,
has played a big part in the history
of "American Ninja Warrior."
The Ohio gym owner was the second woman
to conquer the Warped Wall. Five years later,
she was the second woman to finish
a city finals course.
This could be the eight-time "Ninja" veteran's
last run for a while. She and her new husband, Joel,
are talking about starting a family.
And there's Joel watching with his parents,
and there's Michelle's mom and dad.
They never miss one of her runs.
- Yes, you got this, girl! - She's beloved
by all the other ninjas, down on her sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
And she's been a trailblazer off the course as well.
She was the first woman to open her own ninja gym,
Movement Lab in Ohio.
- Whoo!
- Made it to the national finals six times,
tied for most among women competitors.
- And Michelle was a runner.
She ran track and cross-country
at the University of the Cumberlands
before turning to ninja.
- Just rolls through Off the Hook.
[all cheering]
Now on to Beehive.
This is a challenge.
- Yeah, so you gotta get that body going east-west,
and then boom, then you gotta turn it around.
- Having a little trouble locking this honeycomb in.
Gotta go 270 degrees. There it is.
- Nice. - Yes.
- And I think one of the advantages
of being a gym owner, she gets
24 hours access to her own gym. Oh!
- Oh, no! - Oh, no.
- So close.
- Michelle Warnky stung on the Beehive.
- Whoa. - Proof again, a small mistake,
and it's over.
- She released a little early,
and that caused her to come in low.
And watch her hands.
She never got a good grip on that third honeycomb,
and her run was over.
- Ugh.
- A tough early exit for Warnky Buurma,
especially because this field is loaded,
and here comes another fan favorite.
It's Sweet T, Tiana Webberley.
The stuntwoman from Palmdale, California,
has been an inspiration
since she debuted six years ago.
- Come on, T!
- She gives credit to two women
who inspire her every day.
- Dang, actually, you're really good.
Look at that strong muscle.
- I'm holding with the other hand.
- My mom and my grandma are two incredibly strong females
that I've always looked up to.
Good job, Mama, come on. Keep it going.
My mom is diabetic,
and she just got a kidney transplant last year.
Doing awesome.
It's definitely emotionally draining,
but it actually made her even stronger
and just made me even more in awe of her.
- Oh!
- I call my grandmother my Mor Mor.
She has MS, and the doctors told her
she wouldn't live past 40, and now she's 89 years old.
- * We were born to be strong *
- Oh, I'd like to be as strong as you, honey.
- No, you already are as strong as me.
They've each had to fight their own different battles,
and it's just always been so encouraging and motivating.
Good job. - Thanks.
- Good job, good job. Doing good.
They're both incredible warriors,
and I wanna be a warrior for them.
- * We were born to be strong *
- And those two women wouldn't miss this run for the world.
- Love you guys.
- There's Mor Mor.
That's Swedish for grandmother.
She's watching from California,
along with her mom and aunt,
plus some other family and friends
ready to cheer on Sweet T.
- Go, T! - You got this, T!
- The other competitors lined up along the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, last season was a big one for Sweet T.
Got her first buzzer ever.
Her confidence continues to grow.
- Yeah, Sweet T definitely should be considered
one of the contenders to win this.
- And look, on any given night,
anything can happen. - Nice.
- We just saw Michelle Warnky go out
much earlier than expected.
This competition is wide open.
- Nice.
- Now on to Beehive.
With so many talented women out here tonight,
you may need to finish
or at least get to that fifth obstacle
if you wanna be in the top six and move on.
Locks it in. She's a former pole vaulter.
Great body control, great power,
but this is where Michelle Warnky Buurma just went out.
Got it, perfect.
- Okay, Sweet T.
- You got this, T!
- Well, Mor Mor's enjoying it so far.
- And now the former track star's
gotta sprint across Burn Rubber.
- Little offset, stay on top. Flow with it.
Flow with it, flow with it. Nice, oh, ooh, nice!
- Well done. - Nice, rolled right into it.
- And she is pumped.
[all cheering]
She got to this fifth obstacle, Sideways, quickly.
That could be important if we don't have six finishers.
We saw her best this back in the regular season.
What can she do here in the women's championship?
And just a great job.
You can see how high her head's getting.
- Nice. - Giving her time to get those
hand placements right. - You got this, girl.
- You're doing it. - Come on, you got it.
- You're doing it. Whoo-hoo!
- But this is where we saw falls in the regular season,
on these final moves.
You gotta go down and around
with that lead hand, a real challenge.
- And that's the part that makes it hard!
- Whoa, what a save! - Ooh!
- Sweet T getting a chance for another buzzer!
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
- And she can move ahead of Sandy Zimmerman
for the fastest finish. - Go right up.
Go right up and get the buzzer, come on.
- 14 1/2 feet. - Nice.
- Sweet T, how sweet it is!
[buzzer blares]
Oh, my.
[victorious music]
- Love you.
Oh, my gosh. [laughs]
- I love the elated reaction. - Oh, my goodness.
- So, Sweet T, you are a fighter.
We know you've learned it from your mom and grandma Mor Mor.
What's it like showing how strong you are
in front of the family you love?
- It just--I've always looked up to them,
and just trying to follow in their footsteps.
They're such an incredible light,
and I just hope to be, you know,
half as good as them, so...
love you guys.
- Love you. - Love you.
- A sweet moment for Tiana Webberley,
atop the Warped Wall once again.
It's getting to be a regular thing for her, Akbar.
- Yes, it is.
- Coming up, she's a rock climber,
a model, and a ninja.
[cheers and applause]
And Meagan Martin's hoping to be
our first women's champion.
She gets her shot
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to our women's championship,
where later, we'll see our top female athletes
race head to head on the 40-foot Power Tower
for the first time in ninja history.
While we were away,
two more top competitors took on the course.
First up was Jeri D'Aurelio,
the U.S. Army captain based in Alaska.
all: Go, Jeri!
- With her dad, Frank, banging his drum,
and a squad of supporters on the screens
and on the sideline... - Come on, Jeri!
- D'Aurelio had the beat early.
- She may not be able to hear the drums,
but she can feel the drums.
She's just gotta keep the beat here.
- Whoo!
- But the JAG Corps lawyer's march through the course
came to an abrupt end on the Beehive.
- No, no, no, no, no!
- Mwah.
- Then it was ICU nurse Mady Howard
from St. George, Utah, who had an energetic crowd
watching from back in her home state.
- They are going nuts over there.
- The second-year sensation got off to a fast start.
- Oh, she got it. - Yes.
- Howard made it to the national finals
as a rookie,
and she was confident on the course tonight.
- That's probably the best we've seen anyone
on Beehive tonight.
- The former collegiate gymnast
flew through Sideways.
- Don't look now, but that time.
She's doing good, real good.
- Yeah!
- Before racing up the Warped Wall
to become the third finisher...
[buzzer blares]
And the fastest of the night so far.
- Can you check my pulse?
I can't believe what I'm watching here.
- I need to check my own.
- Well, now here comes another ninja favorite.
You see her banner hanging in the rafters.
This is Meagan Martin.
She's a pro rock climber, an ESPN commentator,
and a fitness model.
She started her ninja career on a hot streak.
- Yeah! - She finished the course
her rookie season.
Meagan Martin matches history! - Yeah!
- And then followed it up by hitting buzzers
the next two years.
Meagan Martin delivers!
But hasn't hit one since--
a four-year drought.
Hoping to break that streak tonight.
She'll have her fiancé, Dave, watching.
They just got engaged.
Plus her parents watching from Florida,
and other family members around the country.
- Let's go, Meagan! You got this!
[countdown clock beeping]
- And those other women have set the bar high tonight.
We've already had three finishers.
- And even though she hasn't hit a buzzer
since season eight,
she probably needs to get one tonight
if she wants to move on.
Just 30 years old.
Amazing how much experience she has under her belt.
Made it up the Warped Wall as a rookie,
the third woman ever to do it,
and she's now through Off the Hook.
- Come on, Meagan! You got this!
- Now facing Beehive,
and this is made for rock climbers like Meagan.
Also a collegiate pole vaulter at Vanderbilt,
knows how to fly.
This obstacle plays to her strengths.
See her getting that honeycomb locked in.
- Look at the upper-body strength.
- This transfer, though, a real challenge.
- Come on. Take your time.
- Nice. - Got it.
And does a great job using those hips
to generate the power, and she gets that dismount.
- Whoo! - All right.
- But now it's Burn Rubber.
Back in last season's semifinals,
this balance obstacle ended her run.
- No, no, no, no! - Oh, no!
[air horn blows]
- And, lowkey, that's gotta be in her head.
- Well, she's giving it a long look.
- Burn rubber, burn rubber, burn rubber!
- Got it! - Yeah!
- Whoo, nice!
- Gets her revenge on that one,
but now it's another obstacle
that knocked her out, Sideways.
She fell on this in 2020 qualifying.
- Come on, you can get through this, Meagan.
- This plays to her wheelhouse, but, Akbar,
we saw it with Ashley McConville earlier.
There's no room for error on Sideways.
- What I love about the ninjas, though,
is that they learn from their mistakes.
- Well, she really wants to get a buzzer tonight.
May need one if she wants to move on.
- This is your wheelhouse. Come on, now.
You got the strength.
- This is a tough move here,
going from the slider back to the boards.
- These are some of the most adaptive athletes
you'll see in the world! - Ooh.
- Whoa! - Fully extended.
- Did you see that left hand save?
She literally almost slipped and saved herself!
- Now you gotta go down
and around with that lead hand.
- Come on, vise grip. Hold it, hold it.
- Got it.
One more move, but this is where she fell in qualifying.
- Hang time and grab with your life.
With your ever-loving life! - Got it!
- That's what I'm talking about!
- Gotta get the dismount.
- Oh, she ready.
- And Meagan Martin's back. - She ready.
She ready. - Looking for that buzzer.
- Go! - Here we go.
all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- She hasn't had a buzzer since season eight.
How sweet it would be
to get one here in the women's championship.
- Beat that wall! all: Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!
- Still five more women to run,
so nothing's guaranteed,
but a finish really boosts her chances of moving on.
And she's got it!
Meagan Martin has done it!
[upbeat music]
* *
There's a dance. - Hey, hey, hey, hey.
[laughs]
- Meagan, it's been since season eight
since you got a buzzer.
- I just needed to get the buzzer--
the no-streak buzzer out.
- Yes. - I am so over it.
- Yeah, get it out of your system.
You've purged it out of your system.
- This feels so much better. - Whoo!
- And having these women on my sideline,
I love you all so much.
Thank you so much, and my family.
- We love you.
- It's just really cool to see them.
- Aww. - What a beautiful moment.
Thank you for being such an amazing competitor.
Meagan Martin. - That's special.
- And Meagan now jumps into the top three
on our leaderboard,
and with only five runners left,
Mady Howard is now assured of moving on.
It's gonna be a battle to stay in the top six
because we've got some talented women coming up.
She's given us some of the best moments
in ninja history.
- Oh, yes!
- Jessie Graff continues to deliver!
And Jessie Graff runs next
on the "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship.
- * I'm on fire *
- A breakout performance by Labreck.
- Wow, these women are tearing it up tonight.
- * Fire *
- Four women are in the top 30 for the first time ever.
- * From my head down to my toes *
- And while we were away, one of that Fantastic Four
got her shot on the course.
Rachael Goldstein was a rookie back in 2016
when she was part of that group of women
who all qualified for the Philadelphia city finals,
something that had never been done before.
Goldstein's a new mom,
and she had her family and young daughter, Finley,
watching as she tried to make history again tonight.
- And Mama's on a work trip.
She means business. - Yes, Rachael!
- Goldstein has made it as far as the eighth obstacle
in competition,
but tonight, she took a big hit on the Beehive.
- Oh, oh, she came in too hot!
- Oh.
- Hot dang.
Don't worry, Finley.
Mommy's okay. - Yay!
- Up next, another member of the Fantastic Four.
Out of New Bedford, Massachusetts,
it's our favorite fourth grade teacher, Allyssa Beird.
- And, Matt, Allyssa's reached
the national finals four times,
and she's one of only two women
to ever beat the stage one course.
- There's the other one, Jessie Graff,
who's on the sideline
with the rest of the women competitors.
Allyssa's got her mom, her dad, her sister,
and boyfriend James "The Beast" McGrath
all watching her run.
- Let's go.
[countdown clock beeping]
- We've already had four finishers,
so Ms. Beird may need to hit a buzzer too
if she wants to move on.
- Great. - Mady Howard
and Tiana Webberley
have the top two spots on the leaderboard,
and they're now assured of moving on
with only four runners left,
Allyssa Beird being one of them.
Now taking on Off the Hook.
- Pump it up, pump it up. - She's a former gymnast.
She can handle this.
Nice. - Good transfer, good power.
Ms. Beird is a problem-solver. Good job.
- Whoo-hoo! - Yes!
- And on to the Beehive.
Two members of the Fantastic Four,
Michelle Warnky Buurma and Rachael Goldstein,
fell here earlier.
Look at the power she's generating.
- Nice. - Easy laches, and efficient.
- And you see that? And the momentum that she did
with that lache allowed her
to get that 270 pretty quickly.
- Right here. Attack it, attack it.
[all cheering]
- And Ms. Beird beats the Beehive
and moves on to Burn Rubber.
- Fast feet, fast feet.
- And like her mom said, gotta go fast.
Burn rubber. - Long legs,
on the center, perfectly done by Beird.
- Yes, yes! Beautiful, beautiful.
- But now the very technical obstacle, Sideways.
- You got this. Remember, back hand.
You got this.
- You got this, Allyssa. - As we've said,
she probably needs to get through this obstacle
and hit a buzzer to move on.
We've already had four finishers with Jessie Graff
and Flex Labreck among those still to run.
- She's got a good time to this point.
Just needs to get past this obstacle.
- Ooh, heart's gotta be beating faster.
You have to be precise.
- And now she's gotta go back to sideways.
Don't look at it sideways though.
- This is where McConville missed,
and you can see, position,
her right hand forward. Got it.
- Ooh! - Yes!
- Yeah, and I think once you get to this point,
it's really maintaining it. Watch out for the descent.
- And this descent, you gotta--your arm's gotta
go down and around. Watch that right lead hand.
- Another six--oh, no! - Oh, no!
- No! - You can see it.
A little uneven. Couldn't hang on.
Allyssa Beird down on the fifth obstacle.
- So you want both hands to land at the same time,
but Allyssa's left lands
before the right, so the board tilts.
She misses the grab, and watch as she falls,
ends up on the wrong side of the rotating board,
and it pushes her into the water.
If she had landed on the other side,
she would have survived.
- Oh, so close to hitting the buzzer.
- Well, Beird's fall guarantees
that Meagan Martin will join Tiana Webberley
and Mady Howard in the next round.
Right now Beird at number five,
and Ashley McConville at number six.
They're in jeopardy with three more women to run.
One of those final three
is the ninja everybody wants to see.
Zuri, get her going.
- Can you hear that? It is the sound of little girls
around the world losing their minds.
That is because Jessie Graff is here,
and tonight, the superhero stuntwoman
is wearing an outfit inspired
by the Amazon women in the new movie,
"Wonder Woman 1984,"
but it was another ninja costume
that helped her get the job working on that film.
- She's wearing her Wonder Woman outfit,
and she really is a wonder woman.
- Jessie first wore her homage
to her favorite superhero back in season eight,
when she hit her first buzzer on a "Ninja Warrior" course.
- Yes, and she does it! [buzzer blares]
- Jessie's heroics caught the attention
of top action director Patty Jenkins,
who felt she'd be the perfect stuntperson
for "Wonder Woman,"
which has developed into a blockbuster movie franchise
starring Gal Gadot.
- We traveled all over the world,
and it was one of the most amazing experiences
of my life.
To be part of something with such an iconic character
who is just a role model for so many women,
it was the ultimate stuntwoman's dream.
- Well, Jessie's about to get another treat.
Look at that reaction.
That's because Patty Jenkins,
the director of "Wonder Woman 1984,"
is on the screens and will watch Jessie's run.
- Good luck, Jessie! Go! - Good luck, Jessie!
- Patty's in California with her husband and son.
Jessie's parents will also be watching.
- You got it. Come on, Jessie.
- None of the other women wanna miss this run.
[countdown clock beeping]
- And that puts the pressure on,
having a big-time Hollywood director watching.
- Well, the women are setting the bar high tonight.
You may have to finish and finish quickly to move on.
- Nice. - Yes!
- Right through Off the Hook.
[all cheering]
Now Beehive.
Was a pole vaulter at the University of Nebraska,
just missed out on the Olympic team.
- Yeah. - But how great would it be
to have one of the best,
Jessie Graff, to be in the finals?
- Well, right now, she just wants to advance
through this round.
This is some tough competition tonight.
Makes the grab.
Such power with the lower body.
- Yeah! - Come on, Jessie!
- Now on Burn Rubber, and, Akbar, in the 23 times
she's been on a "Ninja Warrior" course,
she's only fallen on a balance obstacle once.
- She's gotta bound. - You can do it, Jessie!
- Come on, go. Go through, go through, nice.
- Boom! - Look at that!
[cheers and applause]
- Jessie's mom was worried about that one.
- You got this, girl.
- Taking a couple deep breaths before Sideways.
- Come on, you can do this all day.
- And with four finishers and two more women to run,
Jessie really needs to get through this
if she wants to move on to round two.
- And we just saw Allyssa Beird fall here.
That might be in her head.
- You can feel the pressure on every one of these moves.
- Yeah! Whoo!
- Great job generating power with those hips to get up
and allow those hand placements
simultaneously, front and back.
- Matt, I'm so nervous for Jessie Graff right now.
- Good job. One more.
- Come on, Jessie!
- [gasps] Ooh!
- Got it!
Gotta get that dismount.
Jessie Graff back to battle the Warped Wall.
And if she can hit the buzzer
in less than three minutes, four seconds,
she'll move ahead of Sandy Zimmerman
and Meagan Martin
and be guaranteed to move on.
Here we go.
- Whoo! - Patty Jenkins,
who needs special effects
when you have a real-life Wonder Woman in Jessie Graff?
- And look at Patty. Patty's going crazy.
- I'm going crazy.
Patty, I can't believe you're here!
- You're a real wonder woman, Jessie.
Amazing, amazing.
- Whoo! - Yeah!
- Well done.
Jessie Graff is headed to round two.
- Well, I tell you, Jessie looked like a superhero
flying through this course, and even with the pressure on,
she got the buzzer when she needed it,
and we're gonna see her in round two.
- Jessie Graff does it again.
No wonder that you caught the eye of one of the biggest
action film directors in the world, Patty Jenkins.
What did you think of Jessie's performance today, Patty?
- I was so blown away, as always.
I saw her on this competition years ago,
and then she blew us away every day on set,
so to see her do it, like, live like this, incredible.
It was so awesome.
- I love you so much, Patty. Thank you for being here.
- Jessie, great job.
We cannot wait to see you on the course again.
- Thank you so much. - Of course.
Guys, back to you.
- She had one of the most amazing runs
of the 2020 season.
She's done it! - Yes!
- Now Flex Labreck's back for more buzzers,
and we'll see her next on our "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship.
- Welcome back to the women's championship
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Now, later on we're headed over there.
Our final four women will race on the Power Tower
to determine our champion.
- I hope that Power Tower's ready
because there's some tough women headed that way.
- While we were away,
one of those tough women took to the course.
It was mother of three Zhanique Lovett,
out of Visalia, California.
Three years ago, she came close
to being the first mom
to scale the Warped Wall.
- Ooh!
- Tonight, with her husband and kids rooting her on,
Zhanique got off to a strong start.
- Okay! Magnifique, Zhanique!
- And she looked confident on the Beehive.
- They call her the Visalia Sensation.
She can bring it. - Nice!
- But the three-time ninja veteran
couldn't make the grab to the final honeycomb.
- Oh!
She just didn't get enough momentum,
and she couldn't hang on.
- Oh, I'm so disappointed.
- That fall means
Sandy Zimmerman is now guaranteed
to be in the top six,
and looking at the leaderboard,
the five finishers are now assured of advancing,
but Allyssa Beird's on the bubble in sixth
with our final runner coming up.
and that woman is one of the very best.
We're talking about Jesse "Flex" Labreck.
The gym manager from the Chicago area,
she's one of the top ninja athletes,
male or female, in the country.
- Matt, she's hit six regular season buzzers,
more than any woman
in "American Ninja Warrior" history.
- She'll have lots of support, including her fiancé,
fellow ninja Chris DiGangi.
- Come on, Jesse! You got this!
- Plus her dad and stepmom watching from Maine
and her good friends, Brian and Tori,
back in Illinois.
- Let's go! - Yeah!
- Come on, girl! [countdown clock beeping]
- Flex knows she needs to finish
or get to the fifth obstacle, Sideways,
faster than Allyssa Beird's
58 seconds to move on.
- Come on, Jesse!
- Flex is a hall of fame athlete
from the University of Maine, heptathlete.
The thing I love most about her, though, Akbar,
is she seems to rise to the occasion.
- Yeah, she's under a little bit of pressure here,
but for her, pressure's nothing.
- Rarely see a misstep out of Flex.
Don't wanna jinx it, Akbar,
but the Beehive has been trouble tonight.
Four women have fallen here.
- Yeah, you gotta see where that grab is.
Nice, and you see, very easy, smooth transition,
making that 270 turn.
- Such good body awareness, 5'7", 145,
but this is where all four fell.
- Yeah! - Nice, grab it.
- Got it! - Good hang time.
Did you see how much hang time she had?
- Yes, come on! Let's go!
- But now has about ten seconds
to get across Burn Rubber
to move ahead of Allyssa Beird.
- Come on, feel it out. - Come on, Jess, you got this.
- Come on, you gotta bound through it, bound through it.
Ooh, oh, she stopped. That could cost her, Matt.
Bound, bound, bound, bound.
Got it! - Oh!
- Yes! Come on!
- Well, just a couple seconds slower
than Beird's time to this point,
so Flex needs to get through Sideways to move on.
- Whoo!
- Here we go, for a spot in the second round.
- All right, get on with it.
- Great transfers. Great power out of Flex.
- You've got it! Big hands, same time.
- There we go. - Yeah!
- We could have six finishers if Flex can pull this off.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, she's going reverse. We haven't seen this, Akbar.
- Oh, that's a interesting technique.
- A different approach. - You know what?
It's so much smoother for her
to come in backwards like that.
I like that. - What power.
She's crushing this.
Just one more to go. - Come on.
- No! - Oh, ooh! She got saved!
- Falls forward! - She got saved by the block!
- She's alive! - Oh, my goodness!
- [laughs]
Oh, yes! - She did it!
[buzzer blares]
- What? What?
[powerful music]
- Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- What the what? - Oh, my.
What happened, Flex?
- Oh, my goodness. - Whoa, what happened?
- I thought you were done! - What happened?
- Take a look at this. Here's what happened.
You're making that transition.
On that last one, you slipped,
and the flipping board saved you.
Remember, Allyssa Beird did almost the same thing earlier.
She landed on the board and fell back into the water.
A few more inches, and that could have happened to you.
- The ninja gods were on my side.
- Wow. Amazing save.
You're in the mix of six.
You're going on to the finals. Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- And here are the six women who are moving on.
All of them hit buzzers tonight.
We'll see them up next in round two.
$50,000 on the line.
This competition is just heating up,
and when we come back,
we're adding new twists and turns
as we extend the course to ten obstacles.
And at the end of the night, the final four competitors
will race head to head on the Power Tower
to determine our first women's champion
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship,
coming to you from the Dome at America's Center
in St. Louis, Missouri.
- And, Matt, it is time to kick this competition up a notch.
- Absolutely, big man.
The remaining six women will now have to go
even further on a relentless ten-obstacle course.
For more on that, let's go down to Zuri.
- Guys, the extended course
adds four more brutal obstacles,
including this one that's seriously twisted.
- Whoa! - Hold on for that--oh, no!
- It's the obstacle that had our ninjas tied up in knots
during the 2020 season.
- Oh, hold on, hold on!
- Corkscrew. - Oh!
- Oh, no!
- You have to jump up to the wheel
and hold on for dear life as it spins down.
- Hanging on! - Nice, nice!
- It's like no obstacle we've ever had.
- Oh, no! - Oh, no!
- All right, it's time for round two.
Matt, Akbar?
- Thanks, Zuri. First up
to take on this extended course:
Mady Howard, the ICU nurse from St. George, Utah.
She hit a buzzer in round one,
another strong performance for this rising star.
- I'm a relatively new face among the women.
It's only my second year.
I'm just an ICU nurse from Utah,
and I'm gonna be going up against
the best of this sport,
people who have been doing it for years and years.
all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- And she's got it!
- I had never heard of Mady before,
and then all of a sudden, I saw
she was crushing Tacoma, and it was amazing.
- And she's done it.
- Mady's form is beautiful.
She has such incredible technique on laches,
and I love watching how she connects different movements.
She's just so smooth.
- This new generation like Mady Howard,
they are really pushing us to be better,
be faster, be stronger.
It's cool how she is changing the game a bit.
- Here we go, Mady Howard.
And she delivers again!
- Now that I've made it through that first round,
I feel like I have the confidence to go out there
and compete with the best of the best.
[exciting music]
- Mady will have many of those women
back on the sidelines in round two,
even the competitors who've been eliminated.
And look at the watch party going on for her back in Utah.
That's her husband Tyler there in the front,
and she's got her parents leading another group
of family members up in Idaho.
[countdown clock beeping]
Finished the six-obstacle course earlier.
Now gotta try and do it again
and complete four more obstacles.
- You got it, Mady! - She knows what hard work is.
What she's been seeing in the ICU,
caring for the sickest of the sick.
Just elated to be out here, and a quick move.
- Nice.
[all cheering] - Mady!
- She was a high-level gymnast in college,
taken up rock climbing,
and just begun ninja training in earnest,
and it has been paying off, Akbar.
- Well, on this obstacle, Beehive, Matt,
you can see her natural athleticism take over.
- 25 years old, 5'6", 118.
- Yes, yes! - Got it, perfect.
- Matt, with the combination of her raw talent
and her ninja skills,
she easily could end up in the final four.
- Yeah!
- An excellent start, an efficient start.
- Getting her heart rate up. All right.
- Time to just survive Burn Rubber.
- Roll through, roll through.
She just is so--she went across there like a gazelle.
- Now on to Sideways. - Come on, Mady!
- You're doing good, Mady! - Looked like she just said,
"I can do this."
- With that climbing background,
that gymnastics background,
Sideways lines up well for her.
Just a great job using those hips to kip up.
- Nice. - Give her a chance to get
that hand placement right.
- It's that controlled power too,
because too much power can throw you off.
- Good. - Like that.
- Keep breathing. Keep breathing.
- Yeah--oh!
- Good save! - Good save, you got it.
- And she just switched her hand placement.
Had that right hand in front, now has the left one in front.
Watch here.
- Time up, got it. - Nice.
Such a great job, appearing to levitate.
- You see her controlling her breathing.
Nice.
- This is a phenomenal job using her body
to put her hands in position to make those grabs,
and Mady Howard back to the Warped Wall.
- Yeah! - Come on!
- That's what I'm talking about!
- Crushing it! - Yeah!
- From the front line,
trying to get to the finish line.
Let's go, Mady Howard.
all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- Here we go, boom. - Good run, good use
of the arms, and up, and a tumble.
- Hey, I know you're having fun out here.
[cheers and applause]
- But that fun may end now that she's facing
these brutal final four obstacles.
Remember, only the top four, those who go the farthest
the fastest, will move on to race on the Power Tower.
- You're at a great pace.
- First up is the Salmon Ladder.
Gotta jump it up four rungs.
- Come on, Mady.
- Nice, keep them Ls, Mady. Keep them Ls.
- And finding a rhythm.
- I think she's getting stronger.
- Finishes the Salmon Ladder.
- Whoo!
- Look at that smile.
These women are having fun out here.
- Yeah! - Nice!
- And now on to Corkscrew.
This handle is going to drop,
and she is gonna be spun around like a centrifuge.
- Whoa! - Oh!
- Oh, my. - Oh. Yes.
- And you can see how twisted you get,
those arms crossing over at the end.
- Matt, that's a twisted obstacle.
That's what this is. - Looked like she was drying
her hand there before this lache.
- You got a big lache. - Watch her grip.
- Nice. - Got it.
- Dig deep. Dig deep.
You got this.
- She knows she's in for another wild ride.
A 4-foot drop. - I'm not gonna lie.
I do not wanna mess with Corkscrew.
This thing will leave you with--
- Oh, my! - With a massive hangover!
- Gotta get the dismount.
Mady Howard showing how to handle the Corkscrew,
and she is through it.
- Are you kidding me right now?
[cheers and applause]
- What a performance by this young nurse.
- Yeah! - Yes!
- But now the ninth obstacle, the Dungeon.
- You got it. Make the most of each move.
- Gotta grab the cannonball and swing over
to the Plexiglas panel and climb up those pegs.
Once you reach the top, the panel will flatten out.
What does she have left, Akbar?
- This board weighs 100 pounds,
so she only has 18 pounds on it.
- Locks it in.
Now, we've seen her try to be so efficient.
What does she have left in the grip?
- She's going one hand after one hand.
You need strength and endurance
to get through the Dungeon.
- She's been working on her rock climbing.
- Oh! Mama! - Sliding down!
- Mady's not gonna make it! Come on!
- You got it. Dig deep, come on!
- Come on, Mady.
- The hands sliding! - Come on, Mady.
Come on, Mady, get out of there!
Oh, no, no, no, no, no!
- Oh! - No!
- Wow. - They just gave out.
But an incredible performance by this nurse.
- Oh, I'm sick.
I'm sick. It's a great run.
I just wanted to see her get to the top.
She survived the wild ride on Corkscrew,
and she was going strong across Dungeon,
but near the end, watch her hands just slip off.
Still, a good run that could get her into the top four.
- That was a fun course.
Those wheels, man, whew.
- Coming up. - Hey, school's in session!
Hit the bell!
- PE teacher Sandy Zimmerman
tries to run her way into the final four,
plus Flex Labreck,
the only woman ever to attempt the Power Tower,
is looking to get back there again.
They're up next on the "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship.
- No mother has ever hit a buzzer
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Yes, yes! - Yes!
- * Taking on the world *
* Making it a good time *
- Sandy Zimmerman has made history!
- Mom! The first mom!
- * Good time, a good time *
- What a night that was for Sandy Zimmerman,
and now she's on the course again,
trying to make magic here
in round two of our women's championship.
- Yes. - Yes!
- This woman never ceases to amaze us.
She's marched through five obstacles already
and is ready to take on the Warped Wall.
- Yeah, Sandy, come on! You got it!
- Here we go.
- Yeah! - Nice.
- Got it. - Nice.
- And a flex. - Keep going.
- A flex and a point, I love it.
And so does the family watching back in Spokane,
but, Akbar, she's already done 12 obstacles tonight.
This is number 13.
- I'm having a burger after this.
- Well, she earned a burger after this night.
- The 44-year-old mother of three looks tired,
but keeps trucking, now facing the Salmon Ladder.
- Here we-- - She's up.
- Oh, oh, oh, barely! - Fingertip save.
- She almost fell on that one. - Wow.
- All right, collect yourself.
- Great save, and now look at that rhythm.
- Nice, whoo! Matt, is she getting stronger?
- So efficient.
Gets through it. - Yeah!
- Yay. - She's so relaxed out there.
- But she's gotta buckle up for Corkscrew.
We've never had a mom get past the eighth obstacle before.
- Well, if any mom could do it,
you know it's gonna be Sandy Zimmerman.
It will wind her down. Whoa, boy.
- And she held on.
- The centrifugal force on that.
- So impressive. That's a 4-foot drop.
Now a lache, and she's gonna do it all over again.
- Come on! - Go on with your bad self!
- No rest in seven and eight. - Now--
- Hold on! - Oh, my goodness!
- She did it!
- Her brain is spinning everywhere.
- Gotta get the dismount.
Looking for history. - Yeah!
- And she's done it!
- Are you kidding me right now?
- Oh! - Are you kidding me right now?
- A mother facing the ninth obstacle
for the first time ever in "American Ninja Warrior."
Her time to this point is slower than Mady Howard,
but if she can get through this ninth obstacle,
she'll have a good chance at being in the final four
and moving on to the Power Tower.
- You got this. Trust yourself.
- The PE teacher swings out to start the Dungeon.
- Come on. Yup, yup, nice.
- Yes, Sandy! - Come on.
- You know, it would be a real sweet anniversary gift
if she could win that $50,000.
- You got it. Yeah.
- That board starting to rise. - Big reach, use your hips.
- Gotta get that handle and lock it up into place.
- Yeah! Come on!
- This is a sick obstacle, Matt.
- Building your own bridge, it's locked.
Now you have to traverse those pegs.
- You know how much grip strength you have to have?
- Go fast.
- Oh, that other hand's starting to slip.
She's gotta move. - Oh, my.
- Don't look down! - She is fighting it.
- Don't look down! - Oh!
- Oh. - Oh.
- Sandy Zimmerman out on the Dungeon,
but a heroic effort to that point.
- Nice job, Sandy!
- Look at her face on Corkscrew.
She was in pain, but she survived,
and that could get her into the next round.
We'll have to wait and see if she stays in the top four.
- I've always said if I'm gonna go out on "Ninja Warrior,"
I wanna go out just pumped
that I gave it everything I got,
and that's all you can ask anybody, so...
Agh!
- Guys, our next ninja is always ready to flex on 'em.
Jesse "Flex" Labreck is focused on winning it all tonight
because she already has some pretty cool plans
for that grand prize.
- I grew up in central Maine on a lake called East Pond.
I grew up doing all kinds of different activities
with the water, whether it was swimming,
wakeboarding, kayaking.
I love being by the water.
It's definitely what makes me happy.
- She was actually a great swimmer
when she was in the sixth grade,
and she excelled.
- Swimming just makes me feel so strong.
It's relaxing.
You're away from the normal hustle and bustle of life,
and it just brings me back to being a kid.
And now I really need a pool in my backyard.
- I do not want a pool.
I have a firm stance on no pool in the backyard,
but I did say if she wins
the women's championship this year,
then I will cave with the money that she wins.
- Guys, I'm gonna win it.
- Yes!
The fastest time of the night.
- We're getting a pool. - We'll see.
[laughs]
- And Flex has already started her run,
about to take on Sideways.
Remember, she barely survived this obstacle in round one.
- You got this. - See the hold.
Nice. Ooh, watch that right hand.
Watch that right hand, Matt.
- She pioneered this reverse approach here.
- Yup, I love that. - Look at the power.
- Yeah, using that-- some of that back muscle too.
- And again, turn,
and generating good power here.
- Got it. - Come on, same power.
You got it, come on. - And you can see it, too.
Second time through this course,
those arms have got to be tired.
- Yes! Beautiful!
- Right here is where she slipped up
and stayed alive.
- Yes! - Holding on--oh, a scream.
She did it!
- Yes! - Yes! Yeah!
- Her fiancé, Chris DiGangi, psyched by what he's seeing
as Flex gets ready for the back half.
And right up the Warped Wall.
You having fun?
- I am now. - Oh, man, this woman.
Talk about a game face, Akbar. All focus.
Besides Chris, she's got her dad and stepmom in Maine,
and her friends in Illinois logged back in for this one.
- Here we go, Salmon Ladder into Corkscrew.
- Flex is one of three women in history
to finish a ten-obstacle course,
but this one tonight is awfully tough.
- She gets better with time, Matt.
- Gets through the Salmon Ladder
and now faces Corkscrew.
- She's 5'7".
Those long legs are gonna go spinning on this one.
- Really tight. - Can she hang on?
- Don't go for a drink! - Oh, my!
- Nice! - What strength!
This is a big lache. Can Flex get it?
- Power. - Come on, come on, come on.
- Perfect, but here's the real test.
Gotta hold on. This is it.
- Nice. Ooh!
- Can she hang on?
Yes! - Yes!
- Gotta get the dismount!
And she's done it!
- Oh, she done did it! Look at Chris!
Chris is about to beat up his computer.
- Her time to this point is not as fast as Mady Howard's,
but it won't matter if she gets through the Dungeon.
With only three runners to go,
if she gets through this,
she'll be guaranteed to be in the top four.
- I don't know if any ninja is stronger than Flex,
but you gotta have a lot of grip for Dungeon.
- Nice.
- And just such great efficiency,
but this is gonna be a big ask for Flex.
- Come on, boss through this. Boss through Dungeon.
- Oh, my. - Keep moving.
- There you go. - Uh-oh, watch that left hand.
- That grip is looking pretty solid, Akbar.
Oh, my!
- Oh, come on, come on, get out of there.
- Can she make this transition?
Sliding down! - Just get out, get out!
Yes! - Yes! Rotating around.
- Go, ninja! - Oh, my!
Flex Labreck's going to the Power Tower.
- Yeah, Jesse! - Chris DiGangi's going nuts.
Everybody's going crazy.
- 35 feet between her
and her second buzzer of the night.
- Yeah, Jess, come on!
- You can see she is worn out right now.
She's gonna try to muscle her way to the top.
all: Flex Labreck! Flex Labreck!
- Here we go! - Here we go.
- Only three women have ever
completed the extended course,
and Flex is the only one to have done it twice!
Struggling here.
- Yeah, she-- - Struggling to get it up.
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, my goodness. - This is amazing.
This is her 16th obstacle tonight.
- Come on, look at that. She's putting her back,
everything into it.
Lean into it. Lean into your strength.
- Such an effort. - Own it, like it.
- Oh, my, 15 more feet, Akbar! - I love this, Matt.
Don't let anything get in your way.
Go get your buzzer!
- Oh, but she's sliding out, though.
Look at that left foot.
- Uh-oh, she is-- - Traction is giving out.
- A little concern on her face.
- Oh, no!
- She's not giving in to the fatigue.
- Fighting for every inch, are you kidding me?
- Do it! Come on, Jesse!
- Come on, Jesse! You got this!
- Come on, Jesse! - Just needs a few more feet.
- You better flex on that last door.
- One! - Flex on that last door.
- Everything she's got.
- Get that buzzer, come on!
- Her traction giving out!
- She is fighting for it.
You can't tell me she doesn't want it.
both: No!
- Oh! - No!
- Oh.
- Left everything on the course,
50 pounds away.
Doesn't get a buzzer, but she does earn a spot
in our final four.
She's moving on. - We love you, Jesse!
- Good job, baby! - You go, girl!
- She is the first to get past Dungeon,
but going up the Spider Trap,
she had trouble getting traction.
Gave it everything she had, but couldn't push past
the final door,
but she can rest up now
and get ready for the Power Tower.
- My goal was obviously to hit a buzzer,
but then the bigger goal was to make it to the next round,
so it's okay.
It's all right. I'm happy with how I did.
I'm happy that I got here. I'm happy I'm not wet, so yeah.
- Up next, we've got Meagan Martin.
She hit one buzzer already. Can she get another?
We'll see her run when we come back
on "ANW's" women's championship.
- Welcome back.
If you wanna learn more about the amazing athletes
in tonight's women's championship,
go to ANWNation.com, the ultimate fan site
for "American Ninja Warrior."
And headed to the start line for her second run
is Meagan Martin.
She hit her first buzzer in four years earlier tonight,
and she's had some even bigger moments
off the course this year.
[upbeat music]
[doorbell rings]
- Hey, "American Ninja Warrior."
Welcome to my house. Come on in.
So this is the office, and this is Dave.
I actually got engaged, which is exciting.
Dave and I spend a lot of time climbing and exploring
and challenging one another.
- Yeah, take that thing down.
- I'm so excited for this new chapter in our lives.
Recently we bought a house,
and we've been doing all the painting ourself.
We've been taking care of the garden.
Got a really good watermelon.
- Look, a fresh melon. - Thank you.
We built a climbing wall. It's nice.
It kinda makes you wanna stay home more.
- These are gonna be delicious. - Wish I knew how to juggle.
- Oh, she ready. - And Meagan Martin's back.
- She ready.
- Winning the women's championship,
that 50k could definitely be helpful.
Got a mortgage, got credit card bills,
I got a wedding.
Definitely would love to win that money,
and I wanna hit all those buzzers.
* *
- And Meagan's already started her run
and has already reached the fourth obstacle, Burn Rubber.
- Here we go, boom, nice--no, no!
- Ooh! - Oh, my goodness!
- Hard impact. She's smiling at us.
- Yes! - Whoo!
[all cheering]
- Oh, my.
- Oh, man. [laughs]
- She gave her fiancé Dave and her family a scare.
- That was close.
- But now gotta get ready for Sideways.
Tonight is such a grueling endurance test
for these women.
- It really is, and so speed through Sideways
is gonna be key, because on the back half of this,
all upper body. There is really no rest.
- Come on! - Looking great.
- Trying to be as efficient as possible,
keeping in mind if you advance,
you're gonna have to go through the Power Tower.
- Here we go, nice. - Good move.
- Ooh, she was a little low. She's gonna have to generate
just a little bit more to get that hang time.
- Down and around, got it. - Nice, that was better.
- Great hand placement.
- Get out of there, come on. Yeah!
- Got it. - Got it.
Gotta get that dismount.
- Nice dismount.
- And Meagan Martin's facing the Warped Wall.
- Yeah! - She is having fun.
- Yeah, I'm finally having some fun.
- Have some fun, Meagan.
- You go out there, and you have some fun.
all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- 14 1/2 feet, good run-up, a little hop.
- Ooh, okay, all right, nice. - Fingertip grab.
- What is with this--ah.
- She's laughing about it, but look.
She almost missed, was too far back away from the wall,
had to really extend her arms to grab it.
- She's heading to the back half,
and it's looking like the Dungeon
is gonna be the cutoff.
You're gonna need to at least reach
that ninth obstacle if you wanna move on.
- You got it, Meagan. Come on.
- First gotta get through the Salmon Ladder
and survive Corkscrew.
- Here we go.
Hopping on. - Nice.
We've seen her on the Salmon Ladder before.
Watch her rocket.
Look at the back muscles.
- And you can see Meagan eyeing that right side,
trying to make sure that bar placement is precise.
And no problem with the Salmon Ladder.
- Good job, Meagan.
- Here we go. Meagan Martin on Corkscrew.
- You just get thrown around on this one.
4-foot drop.
- Nice--oh, watch out!
- And I like--you can see her use that wider grip.
- Meagan Martin's never finished
a ten-obstacle course.
You know she'd love to do it in this women's championship.
- Gotta get this second wheel.
Holding on.
Got it.
- Yes!
- Just needs the dismount.
And she is through!
- Yes! - All right!
- But not the fastest time to this point,
so if she wants to move ahead of Mady Howard
and guarantee a spot in the top four,
she needs to get through the Dungeon.
Her climbing background and grip strength
should help her on this one,
but she's never gotten past the ninth obstacle.
- Been rock climbing since she was 11 years old.
Nice. - Locked in, but here it goes.
- All right, Matt, this is really gonna
test your grip strength.
You better have that coffee cup grip strength here.
- Yeah, you got it. Side to side, you got it.
- You got it, yes. - Beautiful.
- Keep going, keep going! - Yeah, nice, come on.
- Oh, my, look at this! - Keep it up.
- Meagan Martin now gotta launch to this board,
then rotate it 180 degrees.
- You got this, girl. - Nice.
- And she's on it! - Uh-oh, uh-oh.
- Meagan Martin. - Here we go!
- She's done it! - Yes! Yes!
- Yes, yes, yes!
- Meagan Martin is moving on. - Finally.
- She says, "Finally," because it's the first time
in seven seasons that she's reached the tenth obstacle.
- You got this, Meagan! Get that buzzer!
- And as they've done all night,
the other competitors showing their support
as Meagan takes on her 16th obstacle
of the night, the Spider Trap.
Kacy Catanzaro, Michelle Warnky,
and Flex Labreck the only women to have completed
a ten-obstacle extended course.
Meagan Martin looking to add her name to history.
- Matt, this is incredible!
- She seems to be getting stronger, Akbar!
- There you go, there you go. There you go.
- 100-pound doors, 50 on one side,
50 on the other.
- There you go! Uh-oh, she's slowing down.
This is where Flex started to have trouble.
- You're almost there!
Give everything!
- She's got her second wind! Come on!
- Come on, one more! Break that glass ceiling!
- Here it is.
One set of doors left. - Ah!
Uh-oh, she's gotta use leverage.
- Oh, my, that is 50 pounds each.
- Oh, put your back into it.
- And she's finding a way to do it!
- Put your back into it!
- One! Can she get it? - Ah!
- Watch your fingers. Two! - Nice!
- Get up, and get that buzzer, Meagan Martin!
- Get that buzzer!
- [screams] [buzzer blares]
- Yeah!
- She's done it!
- Yes!
[all cheering]
- A historic run by Meagan Martin
in her best performance
we've ever seen from her at "Ninja Warrior."
- * Today is my day *
- That is yours! - I love you guys.
- Yes! Yes!
- I love you guys.
Thank you.
- Meagan Martin with the run of her life,
and we're gonna see her race on the Power Tower.
And there are two more women hoping to join Meagan
in the final four,
the great Jessie Graff
and Sweet T, Tiana Webberley.
We'll see them both when we come back
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior"
and our women's championship.
On the course right now Tiana Webberley,
working her way across the fifth obstacle, Sideways.
Sweet T trying to earn a spot in the top four.
- And she is moving.
- And look at the efficiency here.
She got on and wasted no time.
- Nice, great job. - Great job.
Points to her family.
They're all back to watch her second run.
The former pole vaulter ready to vault up the Warped Wall.
- Nice. - And oh, my.
Made it look easy there. And gives a wave.
- Whoo!
- Stellar performance again by Tiana Webberley,
and with only one more runner left,
she needs to get to the Dungeon
to have any chance at moving on.
If she gets there faster than Mady Howard's
four minutes, 31 seconds,
she'll be guaranteed a spot in the top four.
Keep in mind, Akbar, this is now her 13th obstacle.
Going with that switch grip to control the bar spin.
- Nice. Ooh. - And good efficiency.
- Look at Tiana with the click-clack.
Click-clack, click-clack. Nice.
- Yeah, Tiana!
- Now has a little over 30 seconds
to get through Corkscrew and move ahead of Mady Howard,
securing a spot in the top four.
- Yeah, you're gonna need a little bit of liquid courage
to get through Corkscrew.
Nice!
Look at this.
You can't tell me they're not having fun.
Smiles everywhere!
- Lache up. Good job.
Another 4-foot drop.
- And just think about that. You gotta make that lache,
and she's spun right into it. - Wow, great job.
Only a few seconds left to beat Mady.
- Beautiful. - Yeah!
- With that, there it is.
Sweet T's going to the Power Tower!
- Yeah! - Crushing it!
- Matt, how sweet is that? She's got her dad in tears.
- But that does eliminate Sandy Zimmerman.
- And let me tell you, she was incredible tonight.
- Tiana now looking to join
Meagan Martin in hitting a buzzer.
First, though, gotta survive the Dungeon.
- Yeah, she doesn't have the same type
of upper-body prowess as Meagan Martin.
She's a different type of ninja.
- Ascending up those pegs. - Nice.
- You can see that 100-pound board.
- Look at that. Pull that 100-pound board.
- Locked into place, and here's that traverse,
a 9-foot traverse.
- Killing it! - Nice.
- And look at her!
- Whoo, look at the grip strength!
- She looks so calm and in control.
- I think she's smiling.
Come on. She's got it. Look at all the support.
- Oh, my, can she hold on? Sliding down the poles.
- Come on--oh, no! - Hold your grip!
- No! - Oh, no! Oh.
- Comes up a bit short, but she did enough
to guarantee her spot in the Power Tower bracket.
- Matt, she was all smiles, and with good reason.
Got through the front of the course,
held on through Corkscrew,
and even though her grip gave out,
Sweet T is moving on.
- And so Sweet T joins Meagan Martin
and Flex Labreck.
They're guaranteed to be in that top four,
but that final spot is up for grabs.
As of now, Mady Howard is in fourth
with one runner to go,
and that final runner is Jessie Graff,
the stuntwoman from Calabasas, California.
She's a fan favorite and a trailblazer
for women in this sport.
- She's kicking it. That means she's ready
to kick some butt on this course.
- Well, the women have set the bar high.
She's gonna need a big run here.
She'll have her family members
cheering her on once again,
along with the director of "Wonder Woman 1984,"
Patty Jenkins.
- Go, Jessie! Whoo!
- Now, in order to move on,
Jessie's gonna have to at least get to the Dungeon.
- Yeah, Jessie! - Yeah!
- Be confident! - Get it, Jessie.
[countdown clock beeping] - Yeah!
- Now Jessie has made it
to the ninth obstacle many times before.
- Matt, anyone can be great for a moment
or even for a season,
but she has been consistently great.
- She's qualified for the national finals
every year she's competed.
Was the first woman to conquer stage one in Vegas.
- Nice!
- Mady Howard watching closely.
Her fate will be determined by this run.
What I love, Akbar, these women are pushing each other,
bringing out the best in each other.
- Nice! - It's gonna take
a big performance to be in that final four.
- Well, you gotta be careful not to overthrow yourself.
Nice, great transition. You see it, on and off.
- Jessie looking like a wonder woman so far.
Now gotta sprint across Burn Rubber.
- Burn rubber, burn rubber. - Great job.
[cheers and applause]
- There you go! - Yes, breathe.
- Already at the fifth obstacle.
We saw this in the earlier round.
Jessie really has a healthy respect
for Sideways.
And she's up.
Not gonna say she's intimidated by it,
but, Akbar, she knows it's very easy
to make a mistake on this obstacle.
- Well, I know one thing about Jessie Graff.
She ain't never scared.
- Pole vaulter, knows how to control that body.
- Okay, Jessie! - Very good, Jessie, very good.
- You got it. - Just like before.
Come on. Keep that breathing strong.
- Looks like she's second-guessing her approach.
- Yeah, don't second-guess it. - Which lead hand she wants,
and Jessie Graff seems to be struggling here.
- Yeah, she's having trouble with her legs.
They're going side to side instead of forward.
- And she's changing her hand placement.
- Very good, come on.
- Matt, she's shopping around for it.
- Oh, careful--oh, my! - Oh!
all: Oh!
- And just like that, Jessie Graff is out
on the fifth obstacle,
and that means Mady Howard is moving on.
She'll be racing on the Power Tower.
Everyone just in shock.
Jessie Graff normally plans out
every move on the course,
but looked like she just overthought it tonight.
- Well, watch her technique from earlier tonight.
The hands were on opposite sides of that handle,
and she was able to get enough air to reach the board,
but this time, she had both hands on the same side.
She didn't get enough height, and she couldn't hang on.
- I was worried that that would happen,
but I also really wanted good visibility,
so it was a gamble
that did not pay off this time.
[sighs]
- We love you!
- I love you too.
- So a big surprise
in what's been an amazing night,
and check out our final four.
We're gonna see Meagan Martin race Mady Howard
and Flex Labreck take on Tiana Webberley.
One of them will be our champion.
It's gonna be decided 40 feet in the air
as women race head to head
for the first time ever on the Power Tower.
It happens next on the "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship.
- It's already been an historic night
on "American Ninja Warrior," and we're not done.
Our women's championship has its final four,
and for the first time ever, women will race
head to head on the Power Tower.
- Matt, this competition tonight has been amazing,
and it's only gonna get better because we're getting close...
- Absolutely. - To getting our queen bee.
[dramatic music]
- It would be such an incredible privilege
and honor to win the women's championship.
Years of hard work finally paying off,
family, coaches, friends keeping me strong.
I'm ready for this. [laughs]
- I feel so honored to be competing
with the best of the best,
but I do have my eye on the prize,
so I'd love to win.
- Mady Howard!
- $50,000 is a lot of money,
so this is really big for us,
and to walk away with that would be so amazing.
- The first woman ever to compete on the Power Tower,
Flex Labreck!
- There's so many amazing, strong women
that have accomplished so much
that there's not that many more first things we can do.
- Look at this! Here comes Flex!
- So I would love to be the first
"American Ninja Warrior" women's champion.
- In just a minute we're gonna see Jesse "Flex" Labreck
take on Sweet T, Tiana Webberley,
but right now it's our rising star,
nurse Mady Howard, taking on the only woman to complete
that extended course, legend Meagan Martin.
- And look at the matchup.
Mady is a couple of inches taller,
but the big difference here is experience.
This is Meagan's seventh season
and only the second for Mady.
- And keep in mind, for the winner,
they're gonna have to do this once again in the finals.
- Meagan Martin, a veteran, Mady Howard, a young gun.
Oh, boy, Matt, here we go. That's that ready position.
- Start with these giant steps, six of them.
- 5'4", 5'6". - A great start.
Look at this, evenly matched, a slight edge to Mady.
- Oh, and they're right there, neck and neck.
- Evenly, and Meagan first down that fire pole!
- Oh, nice! - On to the floating steps!
- Nice. - Martin bounding out ahead!
What does she have left on the climb?
- She's gotta climb, and she is working it.
- And Mady Howard spinning a bit.
Meagan now on the inside, first to the dropping shelves.
- The dropping shelves is a little tricky.
You gotta anticipate the drop. Nice kip.
- What does she have left on grip?
- Uh-oh.
- They're dead even. - Now Meagan--
- They're even. - Meagan breaking away, Matt!
- Mady, even again! Meagan ahead.
- Back and forth!
- Mady even! - Oh, this is close!
- Who's the first? Meagan on that final shelf!
Meagan off first! She does it! [buzzer blares]
Meagan Martin continues this incredible run.
She's going to the finals.
[dog barks]
- Whew! - Great job.
- Good job, girls! - Good job, ladies!
- Wow, that was hard.
- Way to go. You're fast.
- Meagan was able to slide down much quicker
and had a lead on the floating steps.
Mady kept it close, and they were on
the last dropping shelf at the same time,
but Meagan had the quick dismount
to get the win.
- So Meagan Martin's perfect night continues.
- Oh, my, that was amazing.
I can't wait to see what's next.
- Well, it's time to find out who she'll be squaring off
against in the finals.
Jesse "Flex" Labreck and Sweet T, Tiana Webberley,
get their shot on the Power Tower.
- We got a couple of track stars right here.
Flex did the heptathlon, and Tiana was a pole vaulter.
Similar in age, but Flex is 3 inches taller.
- The winner of this race will take on
Meagan Martin for $50,000.
- Ooh, and that's a lot of pressure, Matt.
Tiana's never been on the Power Tower.
Flex is the only woman who's been on this obstacle before.
- You got this, baby. - Let's go, baby.
- Two track athletes ready
for the biggest race of their life.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right, here we go. - Come on, come on, go.
- Nice. This climb is so steep.
And you can see they're neck and neck.
Jesse's right there, Matt.
- Unbelievable, on now-- dead even onto the fire pole.
- Oh, my.
- Sweet T very quickly down.
- Very fast.
- Flex the track star,
but Sweet T gained ground there.
- All right, now you gotta climb up.
- But Tiana struggling on the pole,
and Flex is surging past her.
- This isn't girl power! This is just straight power!
- Flex Labreck on to the dropping shelves,
a commanding lead, but here comes Sweet T!
- Oh, here we go, Matt.
Another big lache. Big-time lache.
- Flex one shelf ahead. Can she hold on?
- You gotta get--oh, Sweet T's right there!
- Sweet T's evened it up! - Now Jesse's right there!
- Who can dismount?
Flex does it! - Flex is down!
- Flex is going to the finals! - Oh, wow.
- Yes, Jesse!
- Jesse "Flex" Labreck against Meagan Martin.
- Whoo!
- Sweet T gave her all she could handle,
but Flex found that extra gear.
- Matt, I love this
back and forth, back and forth.
- Tiana had a good lead as she jumped to climb up,
but got spun around
and couldn't keep her feet on the pole.
On the other side, Flex had no problem climbing up.
She went past Tiana,
flew through the dropping shelves,
and made a one-foot save to reach the buzzer.
- Well, Flex can take a few seconds
to enjoy that win,
but she has a major task ahead of her,
a head-to-head matchup against Meagan Martin.
So when we return, we are going to crown our first-ever
"American Ninja Warrior" women's champion!
- Ladies' night has been
everything we hoped it could be
on "American Ninja Warrior,"
so after an incredible night of legendary performances,
it all comes down to this,
a final showdown on the Power Tower
between Flex Labreck and Meagan Martin
with the first-ever "American Ninja Warrior"
women's championship on the line!
- And, Matt, don't forget about the purse of $50,000.
- One of these women is about to make history.
[dramatic music]
- I am going against Meagan Martin now,
who is someone that I have admired
since I've started training for "American Ninja Warrior."
- Meagan off first! - Wow!
- She does it! - Oh!
- Her strength is unimaginable.
- It's the final two.
It's me versus Jesse Labreck.
- Flex is going to the finals! - Oh, wow.
- She is a fierce competitor.
I've always admired how much she fights
when she's on a course.
She should be Fierce Labreck. [laughs]
But I'm gonna fight just as hard.
I wanna win this women's championship,
and I'm gonna do it.
- It would be awesome to win this women's championship.
Also, I want a pool.
* *
- Flex was almost three seconds faster than Meagan
in their Power Tower races minutes ago.
- And Meagan is gonna need to go all-out
and use those rock climbing skills if she wants to win.
- You got this! Come on!
- The loved ones for both these women
on the edge of their seat.
- You got this! Come on, baby!
- One of these competitors is gonna be crowned
our first women's champion.
Flex Labreck. Meagan Martin.
Who will reign supreme?
[countdown clock beeping]
- To be the best, you gotta beat the best,
and these are two of the best!
- And Flex using that longer frame,
getting an early start!
- You gotta get that hustle to get that money.
Here we go.
- We saw Flex really climb on the poles,
but they are even!
- Oh, Matt, this is getting really good.
They're climbing up to the top!
It's gonna be a fast climb!
- Meagan Martin a stronger climber,
but Flex pulls ahead on the poles!
- Oh, boy, Matt, we've seen her come from behind before.
- First to the dropping shelves!
- But Meagan Martin has evened it up!
Flex, Meagan! - Flex is out front!
Now Meagan's onto the second handhold!
- Meagan's even!
Here comes Flex! Here comes Meagan!
- Oh, a power move by Meagan! Another power move by Meagan!
- Meagan jumps ahead! - Oh, my goodness!
- Meagan pulls ahead
and does it, hitting that buzzer!
- What? Come from behind!
- Meagan Martin takes the title!
[victorious music]
- That was the most epic come-from-behind move ever!
- How did you do that?
You are so fast! - Oh, my God...
- Matt, let's see this again. Oh, this is amazing.
Flex had a good lead as they reached the top.
Meagan closed the gap as they started up the poles,
but as they neared the end,
Flex was taking two swings on each dropping shelf,
while Meagan gambled and only used one swing,
and she was able to get the dismount first
and get that buzzer.
- Ladies, what a race.
Meagan, congratulations. - Thank you.
- You're the winner of our first-ever
women's championship.
- I have so much respect for her.
She is one of the fiercest competitors,
and I was playing catch-up, so I just had to take a risk.
It could have gone wrong, but luckily it worked,
and I'm just so--I can't believe this is happening.
- You took a big risk, and you got a big reward, girl.
$50,000, to be exact. - Whoo!
- Congratulations, Meagan.
- Yeah!
- Well, congratulations to her,
and thank you to all 12 athletes
who made our first-ever women's championship
truly historic.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior"!
- * From my head down to my toes *