More Info
To follow Caldiero’s adventures, follow him on Instagram: instagram.com/isaaccaldiero.
Even before he tackled America’s toughest obstacle course, Isaac Caldiero had his eyes on Chattanooga. Just months after winning NBC’s American Ninja Warrior and claiming the million-dollar prize, Caldiero and his girlfriend, Laura Kisana, relocated from Utah to the Scenic City for one reason: “Rock climbing, man,” Caldiero says.
A former busboy who altered his lifestyle to become the show’s first winner since its premiere six years ago, he chose to unwind with the girl he loves while practicing the sport he loves in a place he loves. “We came out [to Chattanooga] about five years ago and kind of just fell in love with the place,” Caldiero says. “We said if there was ever another home we would like to have away from our West Coast home, it would be out here.”
Though the Ninja Warrior has mounted rocks all over the world, he was seduced by the area’s sandstone because of its subtle differences, which provide a different variety of training. He says the nature of the rocks surrounding his new home builds dynamic strength, the type of strength a climber calls on as they monkey-swing their arms to the next grip, their legs constantly engaged – and the same type of strength needed on American Ninja Warrior.
“It’s more jumpy [and] more dynamic here versus other types of sandstone,” Caldiero says. “That’s something that’s always kind of been a weakness of mine, so it’s kind of helped develop those skills a bit more.”