18 Years Later, Why Was Aviv Brought Back?

There are quite a few surprises on the Battle of the Eras cast, and many people are returning to the show after more than a decade away. We’re seeing people like Rachel, Tina, and Nehemiah — but they returned to All Stars. We also see Emily S., though she did make an appearance on Champs vs. Stars in 2017.

However, one name seemingly came out of the blue: Aviv. She made her debut on Fresh Meat in 2006 (technically, it was filmed in 2005) and has largely fallen off the Challenge radar since.

While she dipped her toe back into the Challenge world over the past year or two by attending Challenge Mania events, it’s a shock that she’d get the invitation to return and take the huge leap of coming back to the main series.

So, how did we get this shocking return?

Firstly, we need to acknowledge the obvious: She is a Challenge champ. Production wanted to stack this cast with legends, and holding that title automatically makes a competitor memorable. Aviv won Fresh Meat, which was a really competitive season, so she stands out from people who won with a huge team, like a winner on a Gauntlet or Inferno season.

Aviv has also remained in great physical shape. She’s a mom now, but that hasn’t stopped her from building her physical strength. She’s a trainer and she has a Master’s degree in exercise science. Based on her Instagram, she’s also a runner and climber outside of the gym.

This season, it’s clear production made a great effort to dig deep and bring back older names. While seeing Emily S. or Rachel might be a surprise to some viewers, Aviv is the ultimate shock on the cast. I really hope production takes note of how impactful these returns can be because fans love it when old-school competitors are thrown back into the mix after years away.

The women’s side of Era 2 is stacked, so Aviv is a wild card. This is going to make the team interesting, but we shouldn’t discount her abilities. She clearly hasn’t stopped focusing on her physical health, and during Fresh Meat she was a puzzle wiz. She could shake up the team and be a serious threat to the multi-season champs on the cast.