It was one of the most horrifying, heartbreaking moments in all of The Challenge history: Olivia Kaiser, a rookie competing in the final of Ride or Dies with partner Horacio Gutierrez, had a golf ball backfire in a slingshot into her face.
The scene was gruesome and horrifying, with a stunned and emotional Kaiser being taken to a hospital. The pair was disqualified from the competition, though that was secondary to the health concerns.
After recovering, Kaiser didn’t let that freak accident stand in her way. She’s back for a second season of The Challenge, this time as part of the cast for Battle for a New Champion, as she joins a huge group of non-champs looking for a first title.
“I feel like my journey was taken away from me and I never got closure from it,” she told For The Win in a recent interview before the premiere of the new season. “If you get eliminated, at least you think, ‘I gave it my all, I did my best.’ When I was disqualified, I felt I had unfinished business to do.”
Kaiser said that she had to take a step back and think about whether she wanted to compete again.
“I went into a state of questioning a lot of things,” she remembered. “My face was hurt, I didn’t look the same. It was a very humbling moment where I said, do I want to be known for her looks or as someone who’s a fighter? I chose to be a fighter.”
“For me, quitting was never an option,” she added. “Clearly, that was proven at my most vulnerable moment on the field when I was still trying to compete.”
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Now, she’s coming in as a veteran with experience, looking forward to playing the social game that comes along with living in a Challenge house, and she was surprised to have a bit of a target on her back as a competitor the cast wanted to keep an eye on.
But when you’ve made the final in your first season and shown an incredible amount of toughness coming back from what she went through, it makes sense.
And she has motivation that goes beyond returning from that abrupt end to the last season: She says her Instagram DMs are filled every day with messages from fans who, even now, are watching Ride or Dies and rooting her on.
“I had so many supporters and it was so overwhelming in the best way,” she added. “I felt I owed to them to come back and show them what I’ve got.”
Season 39 of The Challenge, with Battle for a New Championship, premieres Wednesday, October 25 at 8 p.m. ET.