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Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham made it to the finals of AGT: Extreme and was crowned the runner-up for the first season of America's Got Talent spinoff. The finale episode began with the final round of auditions, which included the father-daughter danger duo The Nerveless Nocks, a "heavy machinery agility" group called JCB Dancing Diggers, and Canadian aerial artist Erika Lemay.
The show welcomed AGT: Extreme's Golden Buzzer contestants, out of which the final four were chosen: Wheelz, Lemay, the Cage Riders, and Kindar-Martin. The two contestants who went head-to-head for the finale were Wheelz and Alfredo Silva's Cage Riders, with the latter being crowned the title.
Aaron Wheelz delivered an impressive performance, and fans cheered him for his determination to never give up. One fan tweeted:
The finale also featured a special guest performance from Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker, coupled with a stunt show courtesy of AGT host Travis Pastrana.
Fans amazed by Aaron Wheelz's performance on AGT: Extreme
Fans took to social media to express their support and shower their love for the contestant:
Aaron Wheelz delivers an impeccable showcase of strength and determination
Wheelz's perseverance was a story that resonated with the hearts of AGT: Extreme judges Simon Cowell and Nikki Bella. The third judge, Travis Pastrana, already knew the contestant and was aware of his journey, but nothing prepared them for what was to come.
The AGT: Extreme contestant was born with spina bifida, a birth defect in the spinal cord which limited his ability to walk. For the 29-year-old wheelchair athlete from Las Vegas, life gave him "a different set of wheels," and they proved to be the stepping stone for his success.
For the finale, Wheelz wanted to attempt one of the scariest tricks that he had ever done. The contestant revealed that he would be attempting a back flip for this specific performance. Although skeptical at first, he decided to impress the judges by executing the flip.
"To me, it's way scarier..practice was going rough...yeah, I don't quite have it dialed yet...but I really hope I'm able to pull it off and be able to impress the judges and the super fans."
With the support of his wife, Charlee Wilson, the judges, and the viewers, the contestant attempted a back flip but failed the first time. With one chance left, he got right back up and attempted it again, only to fail again. But his attitude won people's hearts and gained respect from viewers, even if he wasn't crowned the winner.
Aaron Wheelz had also debuted as Artie's stunt double on Glee. Artie, played by Kevin McHale, was a wheelchair user in the FOX series. Wheelz refers to what he does as WCMX or wheelchair motorcross. When he was younger, he competed in skate park competitions and was also a part of the Nitro Circus Live tour, which has traveled across the world.
