Mountain Grove’s Caleb Dowden competes in sixth “American Ninja Warrior” season

Mountain Grove’s Caleb Dowden was featured for a sixth time on the hit NBC television show, “American Ninja Warrior,” last Monday, July 27 as part of season 18’s eighth episode.
He was featured as one of two “wood chopping ninjas” as Dowden split wood just before his run that also featured several family members in the background watching his performance remotely.
Dowden made it through the first obstacle, “The Shrinking Steps.”
On the second obstacle called “Grease Lightning,” Dowden had good momentum with the zipline, but was unable to release. This led him to fighting to hold on for more than a minute before falling into the water, ending his run.
“I know a lot of people have been wondering why I didn’t let go on that obstacle,” Dowden told the Wright County Journal. “My plan was to push off hard to build more speed, but I ended up going so fast that I reached the end before I was ready. At that point, I decided to hold on because I was afraid that if I let go, I’d just flop into the water. I was hoping I’d have enough momentum to swing back up the ramp and make the landing. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. I tried everything I could to build momentum and swing back and forth to make the jump, but then I was fighting against the ramp. If it had locked into something solid, I think I might have had a chance. American Ninja Warrior isn’t just about strength—it’s also about timing, coordination and making split-second decisions.”
Though his performance aired just last week, Dowden originally traveled to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete back on Sep. 24, 2025.
“One of the best parts of the experience was getting to hang out with the other ninjas and really get to know them,” said Dowden, who has already submitted his application video to try and compete again next season. “...I’ll keep trying every year I’m fortunate enough to get the call. Hopefully, one day everything comes together, but even if it doesn’t, I genuinely love the sport. My family loves watching me compete, even when things don’t go my way and that’s what makes it worth it.”
Dowden was thankful for the response he’s received regarding his most recent performance on American Ninja Warrior.
“I just want to thank everybody for watching me on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ tonight,” he said. “I loved competing and had such a great time. It’s not the outcome that I wanted, but I did have fun. Well, at least I got another ninja towel!”

=