Grant McCartney’s training turned him into the fastest Ninja of the night

Grant McCartney made a name for himself as the dancing Island Ninja from Hawaii. But it seems he’s undergone a re-invention for season nine.

Grant spent his off season traveling extensively. He put in a lot of time training with fellow Ninja, Nick Hanson, in the harsh climate of Alaska. It seems like experiencing all those different environments and obstacles has put Grant on a new level.

The fun-loving and steady Ninja morphed into a speed-demon right before our eyes!

Since a clip of Grant’s run had been released as a teaser, we knew he’d survive the first few obstacles.

Although watching him maneuver the Fly Wheels is a thing of beauty.

Things got a little wobbly on Block Run and Grant took a dive to get off the spinning obstacle.

At the Battering Ram, it became clear we had a new Grant on our hands. He was on pace to nab the fastest finish of the night.

He sprinted up the wall to hit the buzzer.

Of course, not everything has changed. Grant broke out his trademark move: Dancing at the buzzer.

When he found out he’d earned the fastest time of the night, Grant was just as shaken up as the rest of us!

We’ll find out if speed stays Grant’s friend on the Los Angeles City finals episode in six weeks.

You can find a full recap of the episode here.