If any Ninja had us biting our nails on Stage One of the American Ninja Warrior National Finals, it was Flip Rodriguez. During his first run, he took a hard fall on the Diving Boards. Using his Safety Pass, he returned and beat the course, but it wasn’t easy. He sustained an injury to his leg during that first fall that left him limping.
Stage Two takes place only one night later, meaning Flip didn’t have much time to heal. When it came time for the next course, Flip had to gather all his resolve. Still in pain, he absolutely gutted his way through the course. Stage Two does require some upper body obstacles, which got Flip off his leg. But he looked deeply nervous on his approach to the Swing Surfer, which called for two hard landings on the lower body.
In the end, Flip proved just how tough he is by making it the buzzer. Unfortunately, it was just a few seconds after the clock had run out. Flip timed out while in the Water Walls obstacle, but he finished every last part of the course and collapsed in complete exhaustion at the buzzer.
His season might be over, but he’s given us a heart-felt run we won’t forget. Watch it above!