Two southwestern Connecticut kids are making a run on the newest season of "American Ninja Warrior Junior."

Collin Cella, of Milford, was crowned the champion on the first season of "American Ninja Warrior Junior" 2 1/2 years ago. Now, at 13 years old, he's returning for season three.

Collin Cella says the competition was more than just conquering the course - after anxiety forced him to drop out of the competition during the second season.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I was more than my mental health, and I could get through this," he says.

"He worked really hard over the past two years through therapy and different types of therapy; processes to get himself better, so seeing him come back for season three was just amazing," says his mom, Jaime Cella.

Collin Cella says he hopes that being open about his struggles on the show will help others.

"A lot of people have reached out and said they're super proud that I talk about this at such a young age," he says.

He credits his support system for his return, including training partner Jordan Carr, of Easton.

"She helped me a lot. She just knew what I needed to do to be calm," Collin Cella says.

"I think, you know, it goes both ways. I'm always there for Collin, and Collin's always there for me," says Carr. "It makes ninja training and competing a lot more fun and a lot less stressful."

Carr is also on this season of the show. It's her second go-around. This time, she's also spotlighting an important issue.

"This past year, I started a nonprofit called Team NEON - Ninjas Empowering Other Ninjas - to create the sport of ninja, make it more accessible, diverse and expand it," she says.

As for the competition, it's not known to the public yet how they ranked.

"I can't say the results of the season quite yet, but the show has a lot of surprises and just keep tuning in," says Carr.

"American Ninja Warrior Junior" is streaming on Peacock - so far, seven episodes have aired. Carr appears in the first episode and Collin Cella appears on the fifth episode.