(Courtesy: Brandon Gonez/Instagram)
Canada’s Ultimate Challenge fans, we made it! The final episode of season two came out on Sunday and it’s steeped with the toughest challenges yet and titillating drama amongst the remaining teams.
The reality competition series aired on CBC Gem and is hosted by media mogul Brandon Gonez. It showcases five teams who compete in adventurous challenges across Canada’s most beautiful landmarks and natural attractions. The winning team goes on a grand prize trip to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Here’s a recap of what happened in the finale, “The Endgame,” which aired on Sunday, June 2.
The final episode begins in Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, with only three obstacles to remain. The underdog to look out for is team wild card who proved themselves during last episode’s elimination showdown where they knocked team orange out of the race.
Host Gonez breaks down how the finale will go in three parts. The first challenge will include all three teams and the winner will lock in their position in the finale. In the second challenge, the losing teams will battle it out in an elimination showdown and the loser will go home. Finally, in the championship challenge, the last two remaining teams will go toe-to-toe for the title and the trip to Paris.
The first challenge is set in Mount Washington and is called Mountain Bike Alpine Relay. This challenge requires each team player to have their own role: the mechanic, the biker, and the runner.
The mechanic must build a mountain bike and pass inspection before it is handed over to the biker who will pedal their way through a daunting two-kilometre uphill trail to meet the runner. The runner will then sprint three kilometres, while gathering team-coloured flags along the route until they reach the finish line.
In this challenge, team red finishes first, only seconds behind team wild card who finishes in second place. Team blue receives a Do Not Finish (DNF) because former scaffolder and competitive boxer Angel Anderson was unable to assemble the mountain bike.
Team red has secured their spot in the finale, meanwhile teams blue and wild card will face each other in the elimination showdown.
This leads the show to its second challenge, the Triple Threat Tree Climb where each team must climb a gigantic 100-foot douglas fir tree and work as a cohesive unit to ascend and ring the bell. Each team is tethered together and must secure straps with blocks around the tree that each player will use to climb their way up.
This challenge is about communication, coordination and connection; three elements which are shaky for team blue following their devastating loss in the previous challenge. However, team wild card worked swiftly and efficiently, despite dropping one bag of straps.
As a result, team wild card beats team blue and makes it to the finale. The final challenge is called Canada’s Ultimate Log Jam set in Strathcona Park. Players go head-to-head in a 200-metre obstacle course designed to test players on every physical level.
The obstacle course includes a cargo net climb, a bridge build, hanging and rolling logs, and finally, a ferry pull. The first team to complete the course takes it all.
In a shocking and astonishing turn of events, team wild card comes out as the winners of Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, ending a journey of redemption for its three players: motocross rider Brandon Rodwell, fitness trainer Shasily Matowe and personal trainer Whitney Beers – who sacrificed themselves for their teams during the player cut.
CBC Gem has revealed that Canada’s Ultimate Challenge has been renewed for a third season, so fans, stay tuned for more crazy challenges to come.
