Ocala’s own Nacssa Garemore is set to return to the national stage next week when he competes in the latest season of American Ninja Warrior.
Garemore is scheduled to be featured during Episode 4 of American Ninja Warrior Season 18, which will air on NBC on Monday, June 29.
The new season of the series brings together elite athletes to conquer challenging obstacle courses in Las Vegas. The show is being hosted by Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and Zuri Hall.
This season introduces an all-new round to the competition featuring a supersized three-lane racecourse called the Tripleheader, where ninjas go head-to-head-to-head in high-speed, side-by-side races.
The National Finals will also follow an action-packed, all-racing format with the winner taking home the $250,000 grand prize.
Garemore’s return follows a spectacular run during Season 17, where the local athlete captivated fans for nearly three months before coming up just shy of the grand prize in the final episode.
Garemore blazed through the qualifiers and set the fastest time of all 60 competitors to earn the number one seed heading into the final round.
He was ultimately eliminated during the final round of Season 17 in an emotional matchup against his close friend and training partner, David Bergstrom-Wright, after falling short on the final obstacle.
Despite missing out on the grand prize last season, Garemore walked away with a $10,000 prize after successfully completing the Mega Wall earlier in the competition. His impressive run also included fighting through adversity to secure a spot in the round of 32 by winning a match against his very first ninja coach, RJ Roman.
Local viewers can tune in to NBC this Monday at 9 p.m. EST to support the Ocala athlete as he takes on the new course layout. Full episodes of the show can also be streamed on Peacock.
What are your thoughts on Nacssa Garemore returning to compete on American Ninja Warrior? Share your support and encouragement in a comment below or write a letter to the editor. To follow along and support him on his journey, visit Nacssa Garemore on Instagram.
Watch full episodes of this season of American Ninja Warrior on Peacock.