American Ninja Warrior’s Newest Finalist Hails From New Bedford

James McGrath is an American Ninja Warrior veteran and New Bedford native.

On Tuesday, August 8th, McGrath competed in the semifinals of Season 15 of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. In this semifinal, Ninja Warriors competed head-to-head against one another in a race for their chance to make it to the finals. They faced six obstacles which include the Beehive, Hopscotch, Sling Shot, and Cargo Climb.

The fastest two Ninjas of the night will race again for a Safety Pass before heading into the national finals.

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McGrath, 36, is currently a Ninja Coach. He made his Ninja Warrior debut back in Season 2 and competed for eight straight seasons until he suffered a severe shoulder injury in Season 10. He underwent a 7-hour complete shoulder reconstruction surgery that required months of recovery time.

For the last few years, McGrath had been working hard to get stronger and waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his comeback which came last season. In his Season 14 return, he beat the Mega Wall and took the glorious opportunity to propose to his longtime girlfriend and fellow Ninja, Allyssa Beird. They now live together in a converted textile mill with 22ft tall ceilings that make for the perfect indoor ninja gym and are hoping to elope in Europe later this year.

Coming off of a few seasons of rest, McGrath feels healthier than he has in over 6 years and is confident in his ability to keep up with the younger Ninjas.

In his semifinal race last night, James McGrath raced Evan Bomengen and advanced to the national finals. He is an 11-time American Ninja Warrior veteran, 7-time Japan, and Vegas finalist, and has 18 career buzzers which is the fourth most in history.

Best of luck to McGrath, as he continues to put New Bedford on the national map.