At the Top of Her Game

Taylor Greene has done it again.

For the second year in a row, she has tackled obstacle after obstacle, beating out hundreds of athletes to claim the women’s American Ninja Warrior Championship, earning the 2026 title on Aug. 31 during the season 18 finale of American Ninja Warrior.

“I was in absolute shock,” said Greene, remembering how she felt hitting the final buzzer. “I was not expecting to win the race unless my opponent fell early. So, I was just absolutely shocked. I was so excited”

The accomplishment comes with a trifecta of accolades. Greene is the first person to not only become the Women’s Champion twice (she also holds the 2025 Women’s Champion title), but also the first to do it in back-to-back years. She now has the most buzzer-hitting course completions for women in show history, as well.

“The first thing I did was look over at my family on the sidelines, and I could also see my family and friends on my virtual sideline, and they were just losing their minds, so that was really fun,” Greene said.

It was a battle for Greene to end up on top. The competition lasted two weeks in Las Vegas, Nevada. During that time, Greene competed in nine fierce course races. The American Ninja Warrior team also increased the difficulty of the obstacle course for the final 32 contestants, of whom Greene was one, adding a Road Sign obstacle that tests the Ninja’s timing and grip strength.

She fell twice on the obstacle during the final competition that included both men and women, but when it came time to compete against the other top three women Ninjas, she locked in and conquered the apparatus.

“I have never done an obstacle like that before, and especially after I had fallen on it, I was a little bit nervous about trying it again, but also excited because I knew I could probably get it,” said Greene.

Greene leaned on her strengths leading up to the Road Sign obstacle, which was the last one on the course. Relying on her mental game, she paused, steadying her breathing before making the attempt.

At that point, she was neck and neck with her opponent, Isabella Folsom, who also took a second to gather herself before finishing the course.

“We basically had a standoff because in my mind I just wanted to rest and make sure I was fully prepared to go into Road Signs,” Greene said. “We both stood there for a long time resting, and it got to the point where I felt like I was ready, and I heard someone –– I don’t know who it was in the crowd –– tell me, ‘Taylor, you’re ready, go!’”

Greene listened and lept — successfully catching on to the metal for the first time.

“As I was moving into the second move, I took a glance beside me, and I saw that [Isabella] hadn’t even started the obstacle yet. That’s the point where it kind of switched, and I realized I could actually win,” Green said.

This latest victory is extra special for Greene. While she has competed in four adult American Ninja Warrior seasons and three junior seasons, this is the first time she has competed as a college student.

This fall, the sophomore was accepted into the Nursing program at the University of Northern Colorado, balancing a demanding schedule between training and coursework.

“I’m extra proud because I haven’t been able to train as much after moving into college,” Greene said. “I live an hour away from my gym now, so I have only been able to train two days a week, versus a lot of the other competitors who train every single day. So, the fact that I’ve been able to keep up with doing less training makes it even more special.”

Despite her packed schedule, Greene isn’t slowing down. She is already cast for the next American Ninja Warrior season, which will begin filming in a month or so. But until then, she’s going to revel in the fact that she has been the reigning Women’s Champion since October 2025.

“Again, I’m super, super proud,” Greene said.