Isaac Caldiero made history Monday night as the first ever contestant to win NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” over the show’s seven seasons. More than 3,500 athletes have competed since the series began in 2009.
With his win, Caldiero takes home $1 million and and the title as the first American Ninja Warrior winner.
Caldiero, a 33-year-old professional rock climber, scaled the course’s towering Stage 4 rope climb in 26.14 seconds, narrowly beating out fellow competitor Geoff Britten, who had reached the summit in 29.65 seconds just moments before. Both competitors achieved something that nobody has in prior seasons, which was to both reach and defeat the course’s Stage 4 obstacle. Caldiero had this to say:
Winning this event always seemed impossible. As the first American Ninja Warrior I want to use this opportunity to inspire the world to find your impossible and conquer it.
The finals course consists of four stages and 23 total obstacles. The competitors must successfully complete all three stages before tackling the ultimate Stage 4 obstacle, Mt. Midoriyama, which stands at 8-stories tall with a 75-foot rope climb. Competitors have 30 seconds to scale the rope climb.