‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18 winner, 21, takes home $250K after dramatic finale
'American Ninja Warrior' (ANW) recently concluded Season 18, after crowning 21-year-old Josiah Pippel of Moorestown, New Jersey, as the ultimate champion. To win the season, Pippel overcame incredibly challenging obstacles in Qualifiers, Regionals, and National Finals. These obstacles tested his and his fellow ninjas' speed, strength, and endurance. Over the course of the season, he defeated over 200 of the country's best ninjas. Pippel also bested Tripleheader, a first-time twist introduced in the season. In this twist, three contestants faced off head-to-head in a supersized three-lane racecourse.
The season 18 finale featured the installment's top 16 ninjas. It all came down to Pippel and Season 17 'ANW' winner Kai Beckstrand. Both were neck-and-neck until the Cane Lane obstacle, where Beckstrand fell to everyone's shock. It was the first time in three years the competitor had messed up like this. Pippel knew at this point he had won if he did not fall in any of the upcoming stages. "I'm halfway through the course, but I have already won, so I get to have a victory lap, but having those emotions that early and still having to keep doing obstacles was a weird feeling. Because I really slowed down and almost realized how tired I was ... The adrenaline all wore off at once, and I was like, 'Wow, I just won,'" he recounted to NBC about the moment.
Pippel was incredibly proud of himself for achieving this feat. "It was very satisfying to be like solidifying my spot at the top," Pippel shared. "Because it's not like [Beckstrand] fell in round one and then we're guaranteed another champion. No, he showed that he meant to be the champion last year; he had it together. And this year, I was able to push a little bit harder than that," he shared with the network. For his victory, he was rewarded with a $250,000 grand prize. Taylor Greene, an 18-year-old college student, was the winner of the season's bonus tournament, where the show's top four female participants competed in a face-to-face obstacle course. She was rewarded with $50,000.
NBC also renewed the long-running show for two additional seasons, according to Deadline. The show will begin filming in Las Vegas later this year. Season 19 will feature the return of Mt. Midoriyama, and Season 20 will celebrate the sport's inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games. The 20th installment will be a Summer of Champions, featuring former Olympians and elite ninja champions from several countries as contestants.
