Isabella Wakeham has a spot in the National Finals and Ninja Warrior’s future

Isabella Wakeham has enjoyed an electrifying American Ninja Warrior season so far, and she’s still warming up.

Isabella, 17, was invited to participate this year alongside her older brother, Isaiah. In the Qualifiers, Isabella worked her way to the fifth obstacle, V Formation. Speaking with her after her run, Isabella let us know she wasn’t alone out there.

“Daniel Gil was telling me to breathe and calm down. I get really tensed up. Jody (Avila) was telling me to take my rest time. I heard Barclay (Stockett) say she believed in me.

Sometimes, the kids don’t know how the adults are going to react to them coming into this world. But someone there, as I’m running, saying they believe in me, I’ve trained for this, I’ve worked for this. It made a difference.”

“Oh yeah, Isaiah was really cool too,” Isabella added with a laugh after a little prompting from their mom.

That run put her in the 15th spot on the leaderboard and moved her to the Semifinals.

“I’m feeling excited for (Semifinals). Qualifiers went pretty well for me. I was happy with how I did. Coming into Semifinals I know what I can do and I know that the big stage doesn’t faze me as much as I thought it would.”

Isabella is already racking up the accomplishments as a rookie, and she’s not done yet. Making it to the ninth obstacle in the Semifinals is impressive for anyone. For a young rookie, it's the hallmark blossoming career. You can watch that entire run below.

“Semifinals went great!” Isabella shared. “I really wanted that buzzer. Nine obstacles is about as far as you can go without getting it. I was really happy with my run but hungry for a buzzer. I always see the ninth obstacle as a huge win. I kind of don’t apply that to myself because you always want better, but this is what I’ve always hoped for, dreamed for. To get to the ninth obstacle was really sick.”

That means there’s another potential buzzer in Isabella’s future. She has secured a spot in the National Finals. And she knows the importance of this moment.

“Vegas is where it all happens. This is it. I’m super excited for the stages, but just knowing that I made it is a win in itself. I really, really want to get the Stage One buzzer. I want to be the third woman to make it to Stage Two.

This season has been so so cool. Just to get represent kids. Being some of the first teens on. Knowing we’re setting an example. Setting an example that we can keep up with the adults.”

Isabella will continue her buzzer quest when American Ninja Warrior moves into the National Finals in a few weeks' time.