Australian Ninja Warrior

It's a global phenomenon,

the toughest obstacle course on the planet.

Yes! Sticks it!

Oooh!

And that is shocking.

In dozens of countries... Oh!

..thousands have tried to beat it.

Oh! Face plant! Oh!

But in 20 years, just ten have succeeded.

An American is summiting Mount Midoriyama.

Now Ninja Warrior comes to Australia.

This guy has got what it takes

to be Australian Ninja Warrior, I can feel it.

Go, you good thing! Yeah.

Tells the crowd, "I'm on fire."

It's such a life-changing moment,

if I actually did get to the top, to hit that buzzer.

Do not give up now.

Oh, flying through!

The dismount was flawless.

Finally, Australia's best...

I'm stuntman. I'm a firefighter.

Carpenter. I'm a mum of three girls.

I've been to two Olympic Games.

..and bravest...

I was born without my leg.

I broke my back and I'm never gonna walk again.

We were ambushed. Some bullet fragments went through my face.

..take their shot at glory.

My life's journey has taken me to this point.

I just want to absolutely smash it.

I'm here to prove anything is possible.

You're going into an arena to fight to the death.

And it all begins tonight, with the first of five qualifying heats.

Thousands auditioned but only the very best were selected to try.

Tonight, the first 50 competitors

face the brutal stage one of the course.

One mistake and they're out.

Oh, no!

And only the top 18 qualify for the semifinals.

Through the semis and grand final, the course gets longer and harder.

That showed guts, that showed glory and determination.

But ninjas must complete it all

to earn the right to attempt the Holy Grail -

climbing Mount Midoriyama.

If anyone can conquer it, they'll claim $100,000...

You are unbelievable!

..and title of Australia's first...

Ninja Warrior.

Hello. I'm Rebecca Maddern.

I'm Freddie Flintoff. And I'm Ben Fordham.

Welcome to Australian Ninja Warrior.

Tonight, the worldwide phenomenon,

where everyday athletes take on superhuman challenges.

Our first 50 are ready to step up to the plate

and show all of Australia just what it takes to be a ninja.

Yes, Ben, we've got mums and dads,

doctors, tradies, firefighters, you name it.

Each have one thing in common - the guts and determination

to take on the biggest obstacle course in the world.

You can't just step up and have a go.

All of our competitors have been through

a rigorous selection process

and that is crucial, 'cause once they get out there,

forget the crowds, forget the cameras,

these guys are 8m high and they are hanging on for their lives.

Nobody knows what to expect, not even our contestants.

They may have been training for months,

but until today, they didn't even know the obstacles they were facing.

When they step up to that gate, it is for the first time.

That's a good point, Freddie.

No dress rehearsals in Australian Ninja Warrior.

It's raw, it's real, at times it's brutal

and, Freddie, you're gonna have a front-row seat for all of this.

Oh, yes, I'll be up close with the ninjas as they try and stay dry,

'cause if they even touch the water, it ends right there.

So let's take a look at the course for tonight's first qualifying heat.

All competitors male and female will tackle the same six obstacles.

First up, the Quintuple Steps.

Competitors must make their way across five angled platforms

a metre and a half apart.

Next, it's the Silk Slider.

Competitors grip the fabric and ride down a zip line,

timing their mid-air transition

to a rope that will help them swing to the other side.

Then it's the Bridge of Blades.

Light feet and speed are everything,

as the bridge rotates under their weight.

In the Tyre Swing To Cargo Net,

competitors use a rope to reach a hanging tyre.

They need to create momentum to swing to a cargo net

and climb down without touching the water.

The Double Tilt Ladder puts upper body strength to the test,

as competitors traverse two sets of tilting monkey bars

which have rungs missing for extra challenge.

And finally, it's the legendary Warped Wall.

4.2m straight up.

Reach the top and you're done.

The top 18 competitors from each heat

make it through to the semifinals.

Let's bring out our first competitor.

He works in a circus, but he can't afford to clown around tonight.

Our first ever Australian Ninja Warrior competitor, Jack Morris.

I went to see Cirque du Soleil when I was about nine years old

and got really inspired.

Mum pushed me to do it,

so I moved away from home and went and joined the circus.

I went to school every day, just like a normal kid,

and then I'd train for two and a half hours,

just to see how far I can push myself.

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to do it, in the back of my head.

Like, everyone here is so fit.

I want to see how far I can push my body

and what I can do that I never knew was possible.

How about that roar, Ben, for our first ninja?

No doubt.

It's a jungle out there

and they're all keen to see how our very first competitor does.

Go, Jack! Whoo, ninja!

There's mum, Fiona, his brothers and sisters.

They're wearing 'Ninja Jack' T-shirts. Come on, Jack Morris.

Our first ever competitor on Australian Ninja Warrior.

This is nerve-racking, no doubt.

They need to nail this first obstacle.

Here he goes on the Quintuple Steps.

They've never seen the obstacles before.

They're a metre and a half apart. And he's through! There you go.

Relief right around the crowd.

OK, next up, the Silk Slider.

Steels himself. Here we go. Come on, Jack.

Come on, Jack. He grabs the rope.

Not easy. Come on, Jack.

Good job, mate. Get it. Push off.

Push off, push off.

He's gotta be careful here. Touch the water and he is out.

Oh, Jack has got a real problem here.

He's lost all momentum.

I know he's a trapeze artist

but he's got to get swinging from a dead hang.

Push off with your feet! Feet! Push off with your feet!

Have a look at him go here.

He's using a lot of energy here, Ben.

I'm worried about his energy levels. He's hanging for a long time.

Hit the pad with your feet!

Yeah, have a look at Jack's mum, Fiona.

She's screaming advice like a boxing coach at the moment.

Go, Jack!

Go, Jack! Go, Jack!

Jack's family can hardly watch. Mum's not giving up.

This is burning up Jack's arms. It's costing him time.

I don't think he can get there. I don't think he can do it.

Go, Jack! Go, Jack! Come on, Jack! Focus!

Listen to your mum, Jack. Push up. Come on, you can do it.

Here he goes. Here he comes.

Climbs his way up onto the pad.

Just when we thought he wasn't gonna make it -

well, I thought he wasn't gonna make it.

Have a look now as he steels himself for the Bridge of Blades.

Take it fast, mate. Take it fast.

This thing spins beneath your weight. You've gotta be fast.

Yeah! And he trips his way through.

It was a somersault. A circus-style somersault.

You don't need to do that, but he's added a bit of pizzazz.

You've got this. Go, Jack!

Now, you can see here, flexing the forearms.

As he approaches the Tyre To Cargo Net,

he's really hurting already from that long hang on the rope.

Go, Jack! Go, Jack!

Oh, no! He's gone. Oh, he's in the water.

So close. One hand onto the tyre.

Jack Morris, that was a great effort.

Bad luck, mate.

Bad luck, mate.

Now, watch this.

Coming off the Silk Slider, you can see Jack's body is twisted.

He's got zero momentum moving forward onto the rope.

That meant, for an agonising 60 seconds, he's just hanging on.

So, by the time he reaches the tyre swing,

the ideal grip is over the top and he's too tired.

He can only grab it underneath with one arm.

And there was no way he was going to be able to hang on.

Jack, Jack, come here, mate. What happened?

You got stuck on the rope.

I didn't get enough swing, but I went for it, unfortunately, so, yeah,

I don't know, it was a bit of a difficult one.

But what are you gonna do?

Yeah, your nickname's 'Superman' but not tonight, Jack.

Unlucky, mate. That's alright. Thank you.

Yeah, good on you, mate. Nice try.

So proud of you. You did so well. Well done.

Good try. Here's your top.

No joy for Ninja Jack.

But making his way to the course

is Australian Ninja Warrior's very first Olympian.

Competing at the elite level

has given him all the training and experience he needs

to go far on this course.

He is triathlete Ryan Fisher.

I represented Australia at the Rio Olympics,

which was pretty unreal, to be honest.