Caiden Madzelan says there’s ‘no reason for me to have doubt or fear’ on the course

“I said the quote, ‘If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear.’ That defines me. I say I’m good. I say I’m a superstar. There should be no reason for me to have doubt or fear when I’m on the course.”

Those were the words of 15-year-old Caiden Madzelan after his stellar debut run on American Ninja Warrior. With the confidence of an adult professional athlete, Caiden put together a run that backed up the affirmation he shared. With each assured movement, Caiden arrived at the buzzer and in the sixth position on the leaderboard.

“My least favorite obstacle had to be Pretzel Twist,” Caiden told us. “Even though I cleared it, it was a finicky obstacle. I wasn’t feeling tired after it. I felt fine. I love flying obstacles. That doesn’t involve a lot of flying.”

Elizabeth Morris/NBC

With such a strong start to his season, we couldn’t help but wonder if Caiden was thinking about upping the ante in the Semifinals? Will he be aiming for the Power Tower? His answer surprised us.

“I’m feeling very confident for Semifinals. I have absolutely no doubts in my mind that my abilities will carry me to the buzzer and that I’ll be in Vegas. I’m going to be pacing myself. I’m going for the clear, but if I make the Power Tower, that’d be awesome. But it’s not a goal for me.”

Caiden will next run the course when American Ninja Warrior moves into the Semifinals in just a few weeks.