James Donald Wilson is a gym owner from Cincinnati, Ohio. Known commonly as the Nati Ninja, Wilson runs for his wife Caitlin, who is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
On ANW 10, Wilson was stated to have competed in his fifth consecutive season, meaning that he started back since ANW 6. Though none of his runs were shown from ANW 6 to 8, it was, however, mentioned that he never made it past the fourth obstacle in qualifying prior to ANW 10.
American Ninja Warrior[]
American Ninja Warrior 6[]
He first competed in St. Louis in ANW 6 where he made it past the fourth obstacle but was disqualified on the Rope Swing Into Cargo Net because his long hair grazed the water.
American Ninja Warrior 7[]
He competed in Pittsburgh in American Ninja Warrior 7. In a recent interview, he revealed being one of the multiple to fail Snake Crossing.
American Ninja Warrior 8[]
Wilson's third season began at the Philadelphia Qualifiers. His run was all cut, but he'd give his result on social media. Wilson was disqualified on the Paddle Boards.
American Ninja Warrior 9[]
Wilson competed in Cleveland, Ohio where he was able to get past the first three obstacles. However, his run ended on the Ring Jump, when he made an unwise attempt to leap to the next ring rather than just reach for it.
American Ninja Warrior 10[]
Wilson returned for his fifth consecutive season in American Ninja Warrior 10, competing in Indianapolis. After five seasons, Wilson had been able to get past the fourth obstacle. His run ended quickly on the Spin Hopper, but his performance was enough for him to place 17th overall and make his first appearance in the city finals.
In the city finals however, he took two hard impacts on the Fly Wheels. Although he was able to clear the obstacle, his run ended one obstacle later on the Wheel Flip.
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
He returned to compete in his hometown in Cincinnati. Although he was ecstatic as a hometown representative on the course, he once again failed the fourth obstacle, failing the Wingnuts after accidentally kicking the second one.
American Ninja Warrior 14[]
He returned to compete in season 14 in the third episode of qualifying. His run was all cut, but similar to season 10, he managed to make it to the fifth obstacle before falling, getting to Salmon Roll. This was enough for him to place 26th overall and advance to the semifinal round for just the second time in his career.
He later competed in the first episode of semifinals. Though his run was all cut, he failed Kaleidoscope and did not move on to the national finals.
American Ninja Warrior 15[]
He returned to compete in the fifth qualifying round. His run was digested, but he yet again failed the fourth obstacle, failing The Getaway. He placed 13th overall and took on Drew Marinelli in the runoff race as unseeded ninja. James fell behind Drew who ended up failing the Beehive. On the other hand, James was able to make an incredible save on the final honeycomb and cleared the obstacle. He ultimately made it to the next obstacle, Hopscotch and advanced to the semifinals for his third time.
In the semifinals, he once again competed in the first episode. He was in a tough spot, going up against Kai Beckstrand, who had the fastest time of all qualifiers. Like the runoffs, James missed with one of his hands on the Beehive. However, this time around he was unable to save it and fell, losing the race and ending his season.
Trivia[]
- In a coincidence, Wilson is the second competitor to have a wife who is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, after Lance Pekus.
- During American Ninja Warrior 11's Cincinnati qualifiers, Wilson had Bengals Quarterback Andy Dalton supporting him. Dalton was at the Cincinnati qualifiers supporting many other competitors as well, such as Drew Lachey.