There are two new champions in the Challenge world — Yeremi, a New Threat, and Olivia, the veteran winner of Vets & New Threats.
If you came into this season thinking Olivia would win, you would have been making an unpopular bet. On Battle of the Eras, she was a “Lady of Leisure,” and she wasn’t making too many waves in the game.
This season, a different Olivia showed up, and she clearly hadn’t been using the off season to catch up on her leisure.
Olivia showed up to season 41 in better shape than she was before. According to Derek, she had been seriously working on her endurance after Battle of the Eras, and we saw that when she beat Leka in Out of Time. This also helped her stay safe during daily challenges, because she never came in last place this season.
Olivia also came into this season ready to play a somewhat risky game. She was willing to protect her boyfriend, Theo, and make new allies throughout the season. This meant she’d make a few enemies along the way, and these people became her targets. Eventually, her willingness to make strategic moves proved to be an asset when Yeremi staked a claim to become her partner, and the two ended up being a great strategic match.
All of her efforts paid off, and when Olivia is mentioned in Challenge history, what will the discussion focus on?
Time will likely be kind to Olivia. While some people weren’t a fan of her game or her alliance, there’s no denying that Olivia had a clear side in the game. She was always trying to save her friends, like Theo, Derek, and Aneesa, and she was OK with taking strikes against the “super alliance” with Bananas, Nany, Turbo, Ashley, and Aviv. Her loyalties may not have aligned with fan favorites, but she was loyal to her people, and that’s a huge boost for her character (especially after the Nurys incident on Battle for a New Champion).
Olivia will also be well-regarded for her performance throughout the season. She proved that her success on earlier seasons like Ride or Dies weren’t just because of her partner or teammate; she is also an asset.
Most importantly, Olivia & Yeremi will be remembered for their incredible come-from-behind victory during the final. After the last checkpoint, the team was in fourth place. Then, they passed all three other teams in the final stretch. While Yeremi was the pacesetter, Olivia was tether to him and she could keep up. We saw Sydney and Cedric lag behind because their partners were struggling; Olivia never struggled like Turbo or Michaela.
But the real Challenge fans, they’re remember Olivia as the pregnant woman who won. While Olivia didn’t know it at the time, pregnancy is not known for being easy on the body. Olivia managed to finish a grueling final with additional physical demands, and thankfully, baby Atlas arrived a few week ago.
The jokes kind of write themselves with this, because baby Atlas is already Challenge royalty. Plus Olivia has the money to start building her farm and buying her animals, but if she needs a GOAT, she only has to look in the mirror.
Stop Being Polite 