Jessie Graff was not supposed to run Stage 2 in the "American Ninja Warrior" special "USA vs. The World," which aired Sunday night on NBC. Her job was to do what she had already done: run Stage 1 and complete it with a relatively fast time and hopefully score some points for the team.
That is not what happened. Graff fell.
After slipping off the steps of Snake Run, the first Stage 1 obstacle, Graff was devastated. She is the first woman to compete in "USA vs. The World," and she just fell. For the team, the calculus changed. A Stage 3 victory is worth more points than Stage 1 or Stage 2. Team USA opted to rest squad captain Drew Drechsel so that he could have fresh legs for the final.
The USA crew huddled together to discuss its next move, and they had one question: "How did Jessie feel about running Stage 2?"
"It was a gamble to put me on Stage 2 knowing that I'd never finished it before, but I think they could see the determination in my eyes," Graff said in a phone interview.
In typical Graff fashion, she got revenge on the obstacle that took her out during the regular season and became the first woman to complete Stage 2. It's not enough for Graff to just be invited. She wants to perform well, both for herself and to prove that women are just as capable.
"I was elated," Graff said. "I've never felt that much pressure to finish a course. It was the biggest emotional roller coaster."
When Graff slipped off the first obstacle of Stage 1, it was the lowest point in her ninja career, she says. Falling is part of ninja competition, and Graff has fallen plenty. But slipping, in this case, meant letting herself down as well as the women she hopes to inspire.
"I'm not just one of the six ninjas representing the country, I'm representing for women," she said. "My job was to prove that women can compete with the men, and I just had the worst performance I've ever had. It felt like I had failed my responsibility. If I hadn't gotten that redemption, it would have felt so crushing."
What makes Graff a great ninja is that she rarely makes a mistake in the way she did on Stage 1. She is methodical in how she approaches the challenge, always aware that if she did not plan her path properly, she'd end up in the water.
"I was mindful of the fact that something could go wrong and I may fall," Graff said. "After completing Stage 1 [during the regular season], I had this new definition of myself as one of those people who is good at figuring this stuff out. I had this almost arrogance about it, that's the reason I took bigger risks."
Her Stage 2 run was about redemption. She was not chosen for Team USA because she's popular. Graff is one of the best ninjas regardless of gender, and she wanted one more chance to prove that. Failure was not an option.
"It happens to everyone, we all fall unexpectedly at some point," she said. "But it's so rare to have that opportunity for immediate redemption. I knew I wasn't initially supposed to be on Stage 2, but when they gave me the chance to redeem myself, I had to do it. I had to find a way."
There was a moment when her finishing was in doubt. Stuck on one of the last obstacles, the Double Wedge, Graff had a decision to make. She had seen the shorter version of this challenge on the Los Angeles City Finals course and was one of two ninjas to beat it. She knew how to complete the task, but was struggling, so she just jumped for it.
Graff still can't believe it worked.
Though "USA vs. The World" was filmed almost a year ago, Graff carries the memory of her mistake into Season 9 of "American Ninja Warrior," which premieres June 12. All eyes will be on her, and there will be an expectation for yet another historic run.
"Having that pressure and the memory of what happened when I lost my focus is going to keep me so centered on the details," Graff said. "I think I'm going to be OK."