Tyler Yamauchi is a physical therapist from Hoffman Estates, IL. He has competed on seven seasons of American Ninja Warrior. Yamauchi is one of the shortest competitors in ANW, at 5'1 (61 inches), and is currently the shortest male competitor to scale the Warped Wall, tied with Jonathan Horton. He is also currently the shortest male competitor to clear a semifinals course. Yamauchi is currently serving as a stay-at home father with his three children and is part of the "Windy City" warriors group, where he trains with.
Tyler Yamauchi at the Kansas City City Finals - American Ninja Warrior 2017
Yamauchi's run in the Kansas City finals in American Ninja Warrior 9.
American Ninja Warrior 7[]
Yamauchi debuted in American Ninja Warrior 7. He was only shown on broadcast during the intro of the Orlando qualifiers; his actual run was cut. However, it was revealed in the next season that he was one of 21 athletes to fail the Rolling Log.
American Ninja Warrior 8[]
Yamauchi returned in American Ninja Warrior 8, where he got redemption on the Rolling Log in the Indianapolis course. He scaled the Warped Wall for the first time in his career and placed 13th in qualifying, where he became the shortest male competitor to scale the taller 14'6' wall. Yamauchi scaled the Warped Wall a second time in the city finals, but became one of many to fail the dreaded Hourglass Drop. However, Yamauchi placed 12th overall and was able to move on to the national finals. In Vegas, he timed out on the Warped Wall due to fatigue.
American Ninja Warrior 9[]
As part of the "Windy City Warriors" group, Yamauchi competed in Kansas City in American Ninja Warrior 9 alongside fellow ninjas Brandon Mears, Dan Polizzi, and Ethan Swanson. Yamauchi was one of just ten athletes to finish the KC course, placing 3rd overall. Yamauchi was expecting all four Windy City competitors to advance to Vegas. However, in shock of him and many others, Yamauchi was the only one of his group to advance to Vegas, with the other three failing just the third obstacle. Yamauchi was one of only two competitors to get past the Floating Monkey Bars, and was very close to completing the Iron Maiden, until he made the mistake of skipping the last peg, causing him to fall on the dismount. Yamauchi, however, placed 2nd overall and advanced to Vegas for the second straight year.
In Vegas, he gave a stellar performance, avenging himself on the Warped Wall and going on to clear Stage 1 with 25.47 seconds remaining. On Stage 2 however, he was one of many to go out on Wingnut Alley.
American Ninja Warrior 10[]
Yamauchi returned to compete in Indianapolis in American Ninja Warrior 10, but shockingly failed the Spin Hopper. He made it into the top 30, in which he placed 14th overall.
In the city finals, he got his revenge on the Spin Hopper but failed Cane Lane. He placed 5th place overall, and advanced to the national finals for the third time in his career.
In Vegas, Yamauchi’s run was digested, but it was shown that he shockingly failed the Double Dipper, despite clearing it the previous season.
American Ninja Warrior 11[]
Yamauchi returned to compete in Cincinnati in American Ninja Warrior 11. Although he was hopeful that this was his year, in a major shock, he failed on just the third obstacle, the Spinning Bridge, after a misstep on the fourth ball tripped his momentum. This meant that he didn't qualify for Las Vegas, let alone the city finals for the first time since his debut in ANW 7.
American Ninja Warrior 13[]
After missing the previous season, Yamauchi returned to compete in the last qualifying episode. His run was digested, but he managed to clear the course for the first time since ANW9. He was also the top veteran that round as he cleared with the third fastest time. He later competed in the last semifinals episode. His run there was also digested, but he cleared the semifinals course for the first time in his career and become the shortest ever male competitor to clear the semifinals course. He placed 8th overall. In Vegas, his run on Stage One was digested for a third time, but he got revenge on the Double Dipper and then he went on to clear the course with over 20 seconds left. His run on Stage Two was digested for a fourth time, but he failed on Hammer Drop, ending a phenomenal season.
American Ninja Warrior 14[]
Attempting Kaleidoscope in the Semifinals
Yamauchi returned to compete in American Ninja Warrior 14 in the fourth qualifying episode. His run was digested, but he had two of his kids inside a shichimi costume. He ultimately failed the fifth obstacle, Final Frontier and placed 18th overall, once again moving on to the semifinals. He later competed in the last semifinals episode. His run there was also digested, but at Split Decision he chose Flipped Around which he ended up failing, likely due to his height (5'1) being a disadvantage. He placed 11th overall, and moved on to the national finals for his fifth time. In Vegas, his run on Stage One was digested, but he once again cleared with over 16 seconds left. On Stage Two, he got revenge on the Hammer Drop, and he also got past the fifth obstacle this time around, clearing the Hornet's Nest. Unfortunately, he ended up falling on the blind catch of the Falling Shelves, ending his best season to date.
American Ninja Warrior 15[]
Yamauchi returned to compete in American Ninja Warrior 15 in the fifth qualifying round. His run was digested, but it was shown that he surprisingly failed all three of his attempts at the Warped Wall, despite clearing it eleven times in the past. He still placed 5th overall as the top non-finisher that round and advanced to the semifinals.
He raced against Ben Behrends during the semifinals. Both competitors were at breakneck pace, however both ended up falling on Slingshot. Ben ultimately got there first, advancing to the national finals, but Tyler still advanced among the top two non-winners, being the top non-finisher that round.
However, Tyler decided to not participate in Vegas due to wanting to check on his father, who was unwell at the time of filming for the national finals.
American Ninja Warrior 16[]
Yamauchi returned to compete in American Ninja Warrior 16 in the third qualifying round. His run was digested, but he got revenge on the Spinning Bridge, which took him out in ANW 11, but shockingly failed the next obstacle, Heavy Metal, when he clocked his head on the hook while doing the backwards maneuver. He placed 13th and had to compete in the runoff races, going against Seth Lambert. It proved to be a close race, but Tyler managed to barely beat Seth to the buzzer, moving on to the semifinals once again.
Tyler raced against #2 seed Levi Enright in the semifinals. He was outdone by his opponent and proceeded to fail Sideways, eliminating him from the race and ending his run in this season overall as he didn't make it to the Top 2 non-winners bracket this time around.
However, due to the fact that the previous season was taped simultaneously with this one, he wasn't seen in Las Vegas due to wanting to check on his father, who was unwell at the time of filming for the National Finals. So, this means, if he won his race or made it to the Top 2 non-winners, he would still have to withdraw in order to check on his father's recover.
Results[]
| ANW | # | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Failed Warped Wall (Stage One) | Time Out. | |
| 9 | Failed Wingnut Alley (Stage Two) | ||
| 10 | Failed Double Dipper (Stage One) | Digest. | |
| 13 | Failed Hammer Drop (Stage Two) | Digest. | |
| 14 | Failed Falling Shelves (Stage Two) | ||
| 15 | Withdrew |