The End of the Ride w/ Tori Deal & Devin Walker

way through the season, certainly halfway through. So excited for them, also excited to have them on this episode. We're going to get into everything about the finale, the final, what we didn't see, all the goodies, how they were really feeling. We'll find out how long some of those pieces really took. You'll be surprised and so much more. I think you'll learn a lot about them too. But this season overall, you know, it had some highs, it has some lows.

How are you guys feeling about it? I feel I don't know, I feel emotional and no, it's at the time of the month. I feel emotional. I think it just there were some really great people on the season, and you know, Nelson had a shining season, and we got to see Olivia and Harassio just crush it this season and just full of surprises and twists and turns, and it was just so much fun to really watch and be a part and of course to share it all with you guys. I think something that we're going

to start doing. I'm gonna test it out, all right, let me know what you think about it. But I'm going to test out giving an Icon of the Season award because I think, of course, we have our champs. You know, we do our gold Stars and Timeouts of the week, or you know, sometimes we do our Side Eye of the Week. But I think that we should honor someone who just really was a standout. And while there are a lot of people who I think deserve the nomination, like Amber, I also think Nelson deserves a

nomination for Icon of this Season. I'm gonna say Olivia, Olivia and Harassio, really it's gonna be a twofer because every single time they showed up this season as rookie, every anything thrown at them. We heard in last week's episode and we talked to the showrunner, the hbic Emour, she even said that as rookies, anything that was thrown at them. They took it and stride. They didn't quit. Even when Olivia heard her face, she was still ready to go. So I'm going to give them the first

official Icon of the Season award. Congratulations you guys, you really deserve it for this particular episode. You gotta still do our gold stars and our timeouts. I'd say that our time Out of the week actually is going to go to that damn maze. That thing was big. It was scary. I was expecting people to jump out from the woods. I don't know. It was given me like corn people vibes. It was really cool to watch, but

a little scary as hell. So I'm gonna go ahead and say that the time Out of the Week goes to the maze. Was a little creepy. I'm gonna need it to back up. Okay, just back up off the people a little bit, and the gold Star of the Week goes to our Challenge Champs. Say what you want to say. They just displayed everything you want to see

in a winner this season. I think they did both in the way that they won, the way that they won with grace, the way you could feel the unity of everyone there and you saw a, Nissa and Jordan rooting for them and Olivia Harassio as well, and then them offering to share some of their money with the remaining finalists. Just really a spectacular and beautiful moment all around. We got to see Banana's show vulnerability. We don't get

to see that often as well. Like you, guys, it's all the fields, all the heartwarming, such a beautiful season, So glad you got to share it with you guys. Hope you guys had fun watching it. I know I did so good. Like that's what it's about. I feel like when we watch the Challenge, and you'll love to hear some of the things that Devin and Tory reveal when we get into this interview, things that they learned while competing, things that they would tell themselves, sort of

their younger challenge selves. And if you're out there listening hoping to one day to Pete on the Challenge, you're definitely gonna want to listen for some of the wisdom and jims that they drop on this episode as well. So do what you need to do, But whatever you do, don't go anywhere. We're gonna take a quick break and we will be right back with an interview with our

Challenge champs, Tory and Devin. Right after this, we have the ride our dies Dave and Dave or Devin and Tory, whatever you like to call them, But no matter what you call them, make sure you include their newest title, which is Challenge Champions. Welcome you guys, Thank you for having you. Don't get all quiet on me. Now, Devin, there we go. I am so excited. Can I just say just seriously, well deserved, well round of all the rounds of applauses, so well deserved, such a beautifully played game.

What do you guys I think you brought differently to this season? Like looking back and given that you guys both have so much experience in the Challenge House, like as individuals and then we can talk about as a team. But what do you think you brought differently to this season than seasons prior each other? Yeah? Yeah, but I

mean that's that's actually the that's the truth, right. It was like, yeah, neither one of us really shifted our gameplay too too much, our individual gameplay, but it was just like a serendipitous fusion of different tactics that really, I mean, we were on thin ice there in the beginning, and we dodged a few rough patches, but it's tough

to explain. I never thought that it would really feel this way, like so many things have to go right that it's like, I don't know, I don't really know how it happened to be honest in retric and watching it back, yeah, I mean, who is this humble devon that we are seeing in this moment? Can I just say that even if you guys don't recognize it in the last and tour. We've talked about this a little bit this season on the podcast, but there's been such

growth with you as individuals. As a viewer, it's apparent Tori, you've talked about the emphasis of really taking time and creating space for your own emotional wellbeing and your mental health. And Devin you've been seen as you know, the jokester, you know, the smart one. You came out with a

banana hammock one season, like all sorts of things. But I feel like we still saw the jokes are on the fun side, but like when time's got tough, like the way you guys united as a team and supported one another, just spoke volumes about I don't know how you guys handle your relationships and as individuals. Is there anything like watching it back? Do you at least see some of that growth? Definitely? I mean I think that

that's the reason why. And I was saying this while we were there, like we wanted the win, but like I think the wind was like, okay, we're ready to want you back. I think, at least for me personally, it took so much growth to be like accepting of myself. And then finally, like when you are faced with these like ridiculous obstacles that you have to do, like that elimination at the end that took six hours, Like you have to stay calm and be prepared to do that.

And after you've kind of like faced yourself in a way, you kind of trust that you can get through anything on the outside. As corny as it sounds, it's just the most true thing. And I think that being chance is proof of that. But like also it takes luck, so I think it's a combination of luck and then

hard work. Yeah, it's like I went so hard in the offseasons, so that like one thing that I haven't really shared I guess publicly, is like the mental beating that that final in Spies, Lies and Allies put on me because I was like heavy in the lead in the first portion of that and then our team won every checkpoint and to lose because I couldn't get my ass up a hill was like I was like, bro,

you you a talk a lot of shit. Uh yeah, so yes, and you're kind of fucking up uh And and be like if you actually you claim to show up every season and want to win, but you're not putting your body in a position to be able to win. And it was like a really hard realization that I had to make. And so I do see what you're saying about growth in that sense for sure, Like I feel that that way myself. Um, it was just more

for me. It was like oftentimes I think people look in the mirror and they see what they want to see instead of what's actually there. And a lot of people live in like a self delusion, and in realizing and being self aware on the things that you need to work on isn't like a bad thing. It's actually the best thing you can do. And so that that was like that loss hurt so bad that I never I was like, I will never feel that way again, And just ran and ran and ran, and ran and ran,

and it sucks. I hate running. It's stupid. If you get runners high. If you like running, I hate you. You're on the list. But it's just you just sometimes you have to do the things that you don't like to do. And I'm willing to do the things that I'm not good at and at so story and I think that's truly what separates us, says Challengers, is a lot of people want the things that they're good at to be what you need to have to win, right

and and so they they're trying to force it. They're trying to cram around tagging a square hole and just be like, I can you know, do this with brute strength or I can do this just with endurance or whatever. It's like, no, you have to work on your weaknesses. If half these kids just went on Amazon in order a fucking remedial math book, they would be I swear, I've said it in several episodes. Half the cast doesn't know how to divide by two. And that is not

That is a solvable problem everybody. That is a solvable scenario. So, speaking of I mean you, the way that you work strategically and sort of just solving you know, puzzles and things and just and the way you're methodical and you maintain a level of calm about it while you were doing all this running in the offseason to prepare yourself for this season. Are there like activities that you kind of practice to maintain your mental agility? Is this just you know, I'd have to think some of it is

just a natural skill. But are the things that you do to kind of sharpen your mind so that you're ready for any of these you know, sort of curveballs that TJ throw. Yeah. Absolutely, Like I can't stress enough, how seriously I took in training to lead up to this and oftentimes, and I believe this like wholeheartedly. You have to train in the way that you're going to compete. So like if I'm in the gym or if I'm running, I don't have headphones right because I'm not going to

have headphones in the challenge. Like a lot of people, Yeah, a lot of people put themselves in positions like yeah, of course it's easy. You got in one hundred and twenty beats per minute. Someone screaming like like motivation in your ear. You're gonna be, But where's it at when that's not there, When the only voice in your head is your own internal monologue, where are you at that?

And if I do listen to something, it's like an educational podcast, which is interesting, but yeah, but that's like yeah, yeah, and I do, like I have. I ordered a bunch of little puzzles on Amazon. And like when I'm at the gym, when I'm in my like breaks or whatever, I'm doing like a little pocket tanagram. People must think I'm fucking nuts. I'm at water aerobics doing pocket tanagrams

outside the pool. They're in the brakes. It's like it's it's a lot that is so smart, Devin, that's like so good though, that's like literally such a brilliant, brilliant I get Okay, let's break down some of this final So it is the law we had imour on last week. God love her. She's also nuts because she came up with this. But when you heard it was going to be one hundred hours, like, think back to that quick moment,

what was your initial thought? Each of you? Honest of course, when you're one hundred hours, it's like a daunting like, oh my gosh, endless work But then the thing about finals, which I think is always difficult, is to pace yourself. You need to know kind of start an end time because you need to know how you have energy for. So it was actually kind of a blessing to know one hundred hours because then you knew the finish line.

And I think it actually made it mentally easier. Like if they would have just said you're going to be going for days, that would have been like a different type of nervous experience, and who knows how we would have performed. I mean, I just know, like when I'm doing anything, I like to start in a finish so same it was easy to wrap my mind around it. I would say too about death. So like I knew right off the rip when they when they said one hundred hours, Like, I have so much confidence in Tori.

She's just a like outstanding athlete and in a really driven person. I knew she wasn't going to quit. So I felt like when they said that, I was like, Oh, advantage us for sure, right, because we're never going to We may have like moments where like brief moments where we yelled at each other in the moment or whatever, but it's immediate, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and Van Hoggin we're good like right like right away, And so I mean we had seen Olivian Harassio struggle in the mini

final with communication. Obviously, Jordan and Anisa weren't setting any precedents for a couple of communication goals and Nani and Bananas I just felt I just felt like we had an even an edge on them in communication, just based off of um like everything, the pressure. I felt like it was a lot of pressure for them to get

Nannie her first win. And I think Bananas was putting I'd had conversations with him about this, that he was putting a lot of pressure of like being for lack of a better term than knight in shining armor that shows up and like helps her get her win. And so I thought, just mentally, we were in the best place. And Jordan has said this several times before, and I full will hardily agree with it. Now that I can

run more than a mile without a shitting. My dants the herder the heart of the better, like itham out weedham out, like let's see who really, Let's see how bad you want it, because I guarantee you you don't want it more than even one of us. Yeah, and

I'm with you, Tori. I think knowing hearing you articulated like that, it's a really good point that at least knowing the start and finish in your mind, even though you guys don't have like clocks and watches and all of that, you can kind of be like, all right, we're checked almost like the checkpoints, right. Yeah, it makes sense.

The sort of knowing, Devin, your calm under pressure is remarkable, and you doing these tan graves while on the treadmill and all these other things I think paints a picture of why some of that may be. But what else do you think allows you to remain calm under pressure? And have you always been like that or where do you think that comes from? Yes? Shout out to my mom. She is an absolute legend and total warrior. Really, like truly everyone says this about their mom, but like truly

the best and strongest person I've ever known. She had a really difficult life and she just like classic I will not let this defeat me mentality. But she's really into holistic healing, or was when I was a kid. I mean she still is. But so she was doing raiki for a while, and like I had severe ADHD as a kid, but my parents didn't really believe in like putting me on speed, so she so she would do like reiki on me before I went to school.

And I don't know if anyone's familiar with raiky, but it does require you to kind of like sit there and be calm, and so I think it was just ingrained in me from an early age that like I to to try to calm my mind. And because of that practice, and like what I do with cold exposure therapy, when you're in the heightened like state, the best thing to do is remain calm. And so, like what I to answer the question briefly, I think for like fifteen years, the first fifteen years of my life, I was like

in a mode of panic. So my baseline for panic is just like super is way lower. When I get in that mode, I just have so many things that I've Like maybe for some other people that would be triggering, but for me, it feels like almost a sense of relief, like, oh, I'm I was born here, Like I get it, Like I can do this, no problem. Was born in the darkness. Yeah, I was like I was like a wild fucking kid, like pretty bad, got expelled from three schools, like it

was pretty bad. Yeah yeah, say I feel like this is not that shocking, Yeah yeah, which is why it's so amazing to see your growth like this, Devan, like where you are. Um now for those who aren't familiar, and then we'll talk a little bit more about this episode. Cold exposure therapy can you give people who don't know

a little bit like what exactly that is? Yeah, So I have to do another shout out to my main man, Sam Whiting, who's a certified Whimpoff instructor, and he got me into cold exposure therapy like three or four years ago. And the concept is to do exactly as it says in the title, which is exposed yourself to the cold and oftentimes so like the easiest way for us to do that, natural cold exposures is personally my favorite because like,

if you're out there in nature, it's really cool. So we go in the river in the winter November to probably April in the temperatures at that time can vary anywhere from like fifty five down to you know, thirty two degrees moving obviously water freeze at thirty two, but it doesn't if it's moving. So we've had a couple thirty one degree dips. But the idea there is that

you're really fucking cold. Obviously cold, no one's gonna say you're not cold, but in that fight or flight moment and you settle in, and can you send the energy that you've built, that you have stored in your body to your extremities so that you don't get literally frost bitted. So it's just a practice of sending energy out to the places that need it. And so where that translates kind of as a metaphor, is if you're in a state of panic, you need to send your energy to

your brain to calm down. A lot of people get flustered, and you'll see sometimes that's why people get like red faced or flushed or whatever, because blood is rushing to their head because they trying to think of something to do. It's like the worst thing you can do is panic, and in the cold, if you panic, you're fuck. You have to stay calm and you have to just control your breathing and kind of manage your energy output. Yeah,

so it's like regulating your nervous system. It's like an exercise in working how to regulate your nervous system, which explains we talked about this a few episodes ago. But when you guys did that puzzle that where you had to meet in the ice bath, you know, to like exchange information, and I literally said, how the hell or Tory and Devin sitting there like they are chilling on the front portion of the lawn like you guys seemed

not blustered at all. I was like, I mean, yeah, well, now, like, so you have these Jedi like powers basically, like you play it like this cool chill guy. You're like, ah, whatever, like let's go to the bar. Really you are training like the next karate kid on the back end, and then you get paired with your bestie for life, and then it makes sense that you guys dominate. Okay, let's talk about where we picked up in this episode of the final So you see the helicopters, all right, and

you have the chalk bomb challenge. How are you guys going into that day knowing that you no longer have the lead? And then when you see what you're going to be doing, how are you guys feeling about it in that moment? Definitely nervous. I mean, we had had a lead up until the Spaghetti and that was kind of like, oh, like, that's a shitty place to lose a lead because you don't go home and try to shove an olive Garden menu in your mouth and time in.

You don't train for that stuff. And we didn't know we were going to be up against Little Spaghetti. I mean, is nanny. That's her hip hop name is Little Spaghetti and she I mean she threw up in Banana's pocket and kept going. So it was like, Dad Cheese were incredible. Yeah, we weren't winning that one. That was no one was going to beat them. They were so good at but brilliant.

When you guys melted the ice cream, by the way, I saw you guys, like, but it looked like you guys, did you because when they cut to the episode, so Nanni was the one stirring it, right, and I saw her say like, don't try and steal my idea because you're cute. But then when you guys did it literally looked like chocolate milk. When did you hold it near the fire or something and started pouring water in it?

So instead of just stirring it basic you added water to it just to like truly make it more of a milkshake. Yeah, that makes sense. Was it nasty? Oh? But that part, I mean like at that point everything was it was just it was just about fitting it in. It tastes great, So like the throw up after it was delicious. That Yeah, I forgot about that for a strown up for like three days, like little tiny, little like chocolate milk throw up, and I'm like, oh my god,

that is wild, absolutely wild. Yeah, okay, so back to the chop bomb. You guys are getting ready to get on this helicopter. Yeah, you end up and crushing it. But it seemed like people really struggled. What do you think was the hardest part of that particular checkpoint. Devin was literally doing a trigonometry up there, so he was solving the like he was figuring out when to throw it based off of the speed that we were arriving.

I'm just over there kind of like doing my best, and I think I think that, like that's something about Devin, Like this is where people will never be able to sleep on him again, and they probably should have never in the past. You have to have a brain like that. You can train it. Yeah, sure, but Devin naturally does have a brain where he can walk up to anything and like figure out a way to figure it out. So he was just he absolutely dominated that part and

we wouldn't have won it without him. I think it only made two. He made like eight. This is a point and we can totally cut it out, Dev if you want to. But something that's interesting that you called out because you are like just brilliant in so many ways of this. And you mentioned that as a kid you had ADHD. Right, I have ADHD. I think you always have it. I think it's like being an alcoholic. Well, yeah, yes, it's like being an alcoholic, but yes, you do. You

always have it. But it's a form of neurodivergence, meaning your brain literally does think differently and solve differently. And while people sometimes think that ADHD is and like a disability, it's actually when you can channel it a superpower because it allows you to think. I mean that's literally what neurodivergence is is thinking differently than others. And episode after episode this season, and especially in this episode in the final we see how everyone else is reacting rightfully, so

to stress, all these random things thrown at you. You know, your brain has to be solving twelve things at a time, and yet your brain is able to just be like Nope, okay, this and then this and then this and then this, And I dare say, I look, I am no psychiatrist, but I dare say that that is a part of your ability to channel that ADHD and that neurodivergence has made you a rock star in that way, Like you've been so proactive in it in a way that I

don't think can necessarily be taught and really is a superpower, which is so cool. So anyone listening who maybe has add or ADHD, hi, welcome to the club. But also just know that like, look, look, you could be like a Devin in that way and problem solving m if you really channel it, because I should be the model

of anybody's child. Okay, maybe that is a child and not not the bar part, but certainly in your ability though to problems like a hands down, that's a really nice your ability problem solved than your ability to communicate dev like you know, like the first time we ever did aftermaths, you were wild and U seeing you really just kind of like a girl in this space has

been really just fascinating. So back to the bomb, you doing the math and sort of telling Tory like, Okay, you gotta do it ahead of time, you know, beforehand to land on it. After you guys get back down and you're watching the other teams, did you have a strong sense that you would hit more targets or was it too hard to track in real time when you were on the ground. I say this in the episode, and I was very surprised at a no offense Tunisa.

I thought Jordan was going to throw all fifteen in those if I'm if I'm a coach and I'm looking at this, I mean, I get it. Everyone wants to give it a go. Um. I thought he was throwing all fifteen. I was shocked that he didn't pick this up because he's very he is like we are like minded in the sense that typically you watched Jordan not make the same mistake twice in a physical event. He's very good at adjusting his strategy on the fly, and he's very good at burying his ego in the in

game time and being like this did not work. I'm not going to keep smashing my head against the wall. I'm gonna switch at his strategy, so I was very surprised that he didn't get he didn't catch on faster. He got it towards the end, but I thought I thought he was going to murder it. I mean we came down and we were like, I think we thought we got eleven, so there must have been one on there that was close, and I thought that was I

was like a pretty good estimator. I'm like that if someone beats that, they're not going to beat it by much, because you know, Jordan would have to go I mean, he would have had to shoot seventy percent from a helicopter if he shot Alli, if he did all fifteen. But I thought Nanni and Banana's got a good shot because he's he's a sneaky good gamer. So I was

just hoping it wasn't enough. And it was like that, what seems what I'm learning kind of in this conversation too, which is probably something I should have recognized a long time ago, is like, my what I consider common sense is isn't for other people, and vice versa, and yeah, vice versa. Like the way my brain processes things is just I'm just like, oh duh, Like I wouldn't even think about trying to do it a different way. I

would just do it that way. But there's there's stuff that I'm really bad at that other people like comes to them, you know, like second nature. Which again I think that's one of the reasons why our dynamic as a team was so effective, is because we actually do think very differently. And there's moments throughout this final where you see that when Tory recognizes the pattern in yes, the puzzle, like I would have never seen. I was

shocked at myself that I didn't recognize that. I'm usually like patterned guy I'm seeing I mean, I'm looking at the tiles to see if any of them have the same like, you know, structure to them. So it was like that it just that when I say serendipitous, and like it kind of felt almost like fate in a sense at how well the two of us match, Our skill sets matched up, and we filled in each other's weaknesses. And so the helicopter thing, obviously that was like a

strength of mind. And we did the similar thing that a niece and Jordan did where I think like halfway through you were like, no, you got to throw these other ones. Yeah, So that's another thing like, it's just like that those little micro details of just doing it for the win instead of like, oh this is about me, It's like who gives us the best chance at this We were both willing to take a backseat at certain

points if the other person had a better opportunity. Yeah, okay, I love this, but some of us didn't get thirty eight thou dollars given to us, So we gotta pay some bills real quick. We're going to take a quick

commercial break. We'll be right back after this. Now you get to this corn maze, did it feel haunting because it looks scary as hell for a brief moment, did you feel like there were spirits in there, like a scarecrow was going to jump out at you or you got you gotta tell them how badly we thought we

fucked this up? Okay, yeah, okay, so this is this was nuts and this was not in the episode and we were yeah, so as we obviously for the record, this final is taking every twist in turn you can imagine. And I just want everybody to remember that at this point, we are on like four days of the final now, and you don't know what's coming up your way. So when you arrive to a corn field, and like, we obviously have a quick stopdown where we have to put

on this new gear because it lights up. You just this whole attitude change starts to happen in your life. You're just kind of going with the flow of whatever's being thrown at you. But when we come up to the cornways, there's two keys on one side and then one key on the other side, and we get there first, and so now we have to choose are we going to go right or are we going to go left? And so hold on, Devin's like, hold on, okay, what

in my last phone call? I called my mom and I asked her because I thought I was gonna have to pick daggers again, and I knew there was only a few guys left, so I assumed that there would only be two options, and so I asked her, if ever, I have to come to a situation and I need to pick left or right, which way should I go? And she said, well, I'm a lefty, so go left. So we decide to go left. We take the key.

Obviously there's two keys on the left side, there's one key on the right side, So like we're like, oh, whoever gets here first would probably pick the right key, because there's one there, so you would assume, but Devin says, pick left. My mom's left handed, so we take the left key. We go. We arrive a couple moments later. That's when Nanny and Bananas arrive, and then we realize

Anissa and Jordan are at another camp. We can't see them, so we're like, oh my god, what if they got like an air mattress and like that that was the gift for arriving there. We thought that that giant structure with all the lights was like their little penthouse, and they were. When you see Tory sitting on the cot in this episode, she's like stewing. She's like, your stupid moms, sorry pepperoni sandwich. I was like, what all love to your mom? Because it works out, and I want to

explain why it works out. So then we get released a second time to then go into the maze and TJ's like, find your way, and then that's when Devin says, so I had already pretty much roamed him out for making us go left, and he's like, I'm like, which way do we go now? And he's like that's on you. And so I'm like, all right, well we went left last time, so that's why you heard me say all right,

let's go right. And actually our path, the path we chose was the direct path to t J. Yeah, we were there, I'm not kidding, five minutes earlier than the other teams. We got. Wow, we had the direct path there. And the only reason why I picked right was because we picked left first. Obviously the whole thing was important because so technically Devin's momp of this season, she just set it up. She wanted you guys to do a little work for it. And I take her. I take

her to the corn maze. One of the like we'd like to go on like dates, like daughter daughter son mom daughter dates, and so one of the places that we go is to a corn maze. Every fall, we go to a corn maze, Mike's maze, and we do the corn maze together and there's like little riddles in there and we get a fucking donut. So you really

were just built for this season. I was like, dude, we walked into the we walked into the corn maze, and I was like, uh, check please right, Like he does like literally everything weird that was thrown at you this season. You're like, oh, yeah, no, I do that at the treadmill, like I do that regularly. We go to the coremates like my god, like, yeah, brilliant, that's so great. Well. Shout out to Devin's mom for ultimately

securing the win this season. When you guys found out like this whole time that you're running the final, did it ever cross your mind that there would be another elimination at some point before actually reaching the very end? Devin, You're shaking your head, No, so you didn't think that there would be another I was so shook, and like, if if I ever play this game again and I think something, I'm just going to tell myself to shut

up because I was. I was all for fifty in my plots, and I thought for sure it was, you know, going to be a race as most others are. And I just made an assumption like an idiot, and it was wrong again. And we have to assume, right, I don't know if this has been confirmed or not. We have to assume there was going to be another eliminate

nation there was, it was confirmed. Less episode it okay because Olivia and Harassio are supposed to be there, by the way, in this last moment there with the cinder blocks and the chains and everything, they had the best chance.

Olivia and Harassio had the best chance in retrospect, they had the best chance of beating us in the in that they had gotten there with us, They would have beat Nannie and Bananas only because I know Harassio would have methodically made that puzzle and he never never would have stopped. He would have fucking killed himself before he stopped, so he would have in Olivia. Obviously, we've seen Olivia's gas tank and her and her drive to continue on. So if they had messed that up, they would have

undone it and did it again. So the sabotage, although I feel badly that we broke her face in five places, I mean serious, it was the best chance. I can't believe you guys did that? Did you? Guys? Were you shocked when Nanny? Because you know, on this show we talk about quitting a lot, right, and like you know how challengers never quit, And in this season especially, we saw many moments of Ultimate Warriors really wanting to fight through. I mean, Olivia was still trying to strategize while her

behind was in the back of an ambulance. Anissa, you know, was crying out in pain. But what was like, give me the ball? And TJ was like, should we give her the ball? We see all of that and to see Nannie and Bananas just stop, well was really interesting. So what can you tell us around the timing of you know, was it even feasible? And then also what you think you would have done, each of you if the roles were reversed. Okay, well let's just put it

into perspective like this. That whole elimination actually took five and a half hours. That entire thing. Each room took about aside from the spears in the beginning that was thirty minutes. Every room after that was at least an hour to an hour and a half. So, wow, that's how much time it took. They were stuck on the cinder blocks for so long. They were probably an hour behind us at one point, and not only that, they buried a crucial piece, So there were certain little things.

I don't think that they quit. I think that they literally hit a point where they're an hour and a half behind us. What are there? What are they going to do? Yeah, it was Also, we didn't know how this is how mentally like confusing this game is. Our friends are over there, right, Anissa Jordan. I mean at this point living in Rassio, were much closer with us than they were with Banza Nani, and they're telling us were in the change room and they're telling us like no,

no, no no, guys, like you can chill. They're still in the cinder blocks. And in my mind I'm like, oh no, they're lying this. They're lying to us, trying to get us to slow down. Like it's so the paranoia that crept in in that moment was crazy because we couldn't see them. We were in there once. Once we got in there. Also, I think I still have dirt in orifices. I'd imagine it was. It was everywhere, the dirt. The dirt was probably the one of the harder things I've done.

And that was a big risk too, because we could have got buried in there. Watching it back, like seeing how that whole section was what ten minutes of the ten fifteen minutes of the final it took five and a half hours in real life. I just want to stress how hard that was. In the airport on the way home, I could not even close my hands because of how hard it was to pull the chain out, and you just like shredded your hands. I had bruises all of like, this was like the very hard. We

don't believe you. You guys made it look so easy. Also, can I say at a portion in the final I talked about this last week after hour fifty, Okay, everybody's coming out. Clearly you guys haven't like really washed or whatever. You step out of your tent tory looking like a Revlon Ad. Okay, your hair was silky and shiny, and I was like, oh, my hair barely looks that good when I've just gotten to blow out. How does stories step out? And literally it was like flowing and brushed.

I'm like, where in what world? And how? I'm obviously kidding and we believe you that it was five and a half hours in a hard but you guys really did both in keeping your composure and your communication and being just so tenacious. As Young Dagger liked to say in a lot of his interviews, that you guys made it look I don't want to say easy, but you just did it with such like swagger and grace that made it easy. For an armchair quarterback to watch on and be like, Oh, that looks fun. You know I

could do that. Yeah, that was I want to speak just to that point real quick, because I think it's really important to say this. There's I think that there's moments throughout this whole season when you have to rely on your partner for like a boost, like like literally like getting a mushroom in Mario, like you need like an injection of something, whatever it is, and over and over and over and over again. Tory had that for me constantly throughout the entire game, and it doesn't show.

I was. I was surprised that it didn't show in this episode like her I don't know how to you're like motivating me throughout that the final two rooms, because there's like that It's come to a point where it's like I started to wonder after even after preparing the way that I prepared for this final I was like, how much gas do I have in the tank? And even before I would even like verbalize or right when, like the timing of her consistent motivation was like spot on.

It was like if a thought started creeping in my head, It's like she was SYNCD up and was like nope, fuck that thought go. Yeah. It was like over and over and over and over again. So it's like, I think, if someone were to go back and watch this season knowing the outcome and how all the eliminations play out, the teams that had that X factor. We saw Nelson and the Res I think they had it yea often. I think Jay Michelle had it often. See Mariah for sure.

Mariah had a kidding I think like in the beginning when they won. But yeah, obviously that not later in the season. That X factor is what separated the teams that I firmly believe that is like it was the pairs that that really valued each other as equals that as you go back and watch, this really dominated the game. Yeah, oh thank you, Dave. I definitely feel it when we were in there, like especially digging through the stuff. I mean, it was endless you're doing it, But our motive was

slow motion is better than no motion. Yeah, It's like, yeah, we were just like even if it's slow, we don't stop. We don't stop. And five and a half hours later, you know it was over. And that's my motto in the bedroom too, So that's kind of sexy. There we go slow matter, slow motions better than no motion. Um something love that so much? Um? So what do you think of God? What do you think? Oh? What were

your biggest surprises for each of you? Like, what would be one thing that surprised you guys most from this season? And then who would be a team that surprised each of you the most this season? The team that surprised me the most probably Olive, you and Arassio, because I mean, dude, what a fucking season. Right like the moment they walked up, I'm like, oh, like a pretty Barbie. We're all like blond hair, like beautiful, big eyelashes were just and then

like he looks like not you underestimating Barbie? Yeah? She had every time. Underestimated Barbie big time. She had every job in the book. Well rounded. Yeah, So definitely they surprised me most. And then I guess what surprised me more than that was like, and I think Devin kind of mentioned this before, is like, I you can't really explain when you feel like something is meant for you, Like when we were there, even going up to the final, like I just knew we were going to win, and

I didn't It's not like this cocky feeling. It's just this like there's something inside me that truly believes it. And I think that really surprised me, Like that confidence and that calm, which I don't experience ever. I never experienced it in another final before, so I think that is what really took me by surprise. I think there is a moment internally when you know you're about to accept a big win. Maybe your body knows before you get it. And I think I felt that and that

was really cool. Yeah, you guys, we could see that calm. Yeah. They call it a flow state state where it's like it's like Steph Curry pulls up from forty feet and like shoots it turns around before the ball even goes in, and he knows it's already in. I did. I felt that way a little bit. I felt like Curry pulling up from forty I was like, no one, No one can guard me today. But like Patrick Mahomes does most weeks,

I can fire. It hurts though well tread lightly. Ladies, this interview will hear one of you is going to be a big time loser when this comes out. That's why I said, most days That's why I said most days just to clarify and cover my tracks just in case.

But that's yeah, that I can you guys, that that calm I feel like was sort of palpable and watching you all throughout the season, Tory, We've talked about the emotional roller coaster you went on, right, you know, you went from Terrorists of Love to challenge champion and what do you feel I've called my dog terrist of Love actually though, like last few weeks because of you. But you know, how does that play into your feelings about this season overall? Is there anything you would change looking

back on it? Do you feel like that made the win even sweeter? We see you hugging Jordan, or at least Jordan's a bear hugging you right after you one. You know, how does that all feel given that you've gone through I think probably more than a lot of the challengers this particular season, just given the circumstance with Jordan,

you know, your ex fiance being in the house. Yeah, well, first of all, very thankful to have Devin by my side the entire time and be for him to be as like open minded SU was about it, because I know I was a lot sometimes, but he was always like a good person to talk to about it, so

it was very supportive through the process. I definitely just feel like I wouldn't change a thing because, and Devin has said this before, if you win, then every little thing that you've done that season led up to that win. Then you can't change one thing because you don't know how it would affect later things. And if the outcome is to win, then everything was perfect. So I would not change a thing about it. I get to leave this season with closure with Jordan, who were great friends.

Now I'm so thankful for our friendship and as a champ, and I got to share that money, We got to share that money with my with our friends, Like this was the most beautiful experience I could have been a part of. I'm so honored that I got to do it with Devin. Like, I wouldn't change a fucking thing. This will be my favorite season for the rest of my life, no matter how many I do. There's never going to be another one. Lash You're gonna change the seven to an eight on her arm. Also, also, I

know you just said something funny. You said I got closure with Jordan, but he very clearly leaves the barn door just cracked up in there. At the end, you see me saying, don't listen to him. He goes, I don't know where it will be in five or six years. Jordan circling twenty twenty eight on his calendar. No one knows what could happen that it's going to send you a u uptext T years He was just says, shit, dude, a show. I think we love each other. I think

we were, We respect each other. We're very thankful where we are now. But I think we we know that we're good friends. Yeah, all things considered, it was a pretty flawless run, even in the turmoil and the um you know, challenges that came with with Jordan being there. He was a huge part, huge part and played in

our success. Was like he because he also was I mean we didn't know this at the time, but like he was keeping me safe on our on our team, and we didn't know how that could have affected things. Like it was. It was all very He was very much like it or not entangled in our team um and we couldn't separate it. So shout out to Jordan's for for you know, doing what he did for us and speaking of doing that, So when did you guys

have that moment? Which was such a beautiful moment. Literally was in tears, which is not why I watched the challenge dag Nabbit, but with in tears from that final episode, not only seeing you guys win, but seeing your speech at the end and giving your teammates, you know, a portion of your winning spreading that love. When did you guys decide that was that before you officially one? Like, how did that conversation you know come to be? Yeah, it take it away. It happened in the chain room.

We we realized that we were like leaps and bounds ahead of them. So I'm like pulling the chains out. I'm like, all right, so you want to split the money with them? And he was like, let's just fucking win first. Yet don't start writing checks to people, dude, We're like literally in a room full of chains trying to hand it out. But yeah, that was I will always like I've said this from the beginning, I've had

the opportunity to steal from my partner twice. Once was I think twenty five grand not going to take that, but I don't end At the time, it was you know, more meaningful than now. The other one was like one hundred and eighty UM in second chances, I will always share the money. I will always share the money. Tory will always share the money because if you let it,

if you if you let money control you, you are fucked. Also, it got us fourteen thousand dollars underneath the tax bracket that we would have had it picked one that was fact. And there's that neurodivergence. Seventh, thinking ahead, like like doing the numbers, calculating it's either yeah, yeah, that look, that's valid. That's valid. Its wealthy people do it. It made and

it's very important, beautiful moment. Yeah, it's it's there are people that in the in life in general, that believe that they did the thing, and it's just like, okay, you did do it, but you didn't do it alone. And recognition of people in the assistance that they gave you throughout the process is really important thing. And so like I know, I seem I come across maybe like a dick or whatever, like I'm cocky or arrogant or whatever.

I'm so aware of the fact that I need help from people all the time, and I am completely okay with that, and I appreciate and recognize when people have done things for me towards the same way. She spoke about it several times, and so it's like, we weren't gonna we're gonna do that in front of all of them, just like devastated with double black eyes, in a broken face,

a torn acl Nanni just lost her mom. Banana's beating himself up that he couldn't get the wind for Jordan had to live it with me, Like it was like they all went through fucking the Ringer. We're gonna sit there and just be like, oh yeah, thanks by and then getting a van with him, like that's not cool, right, yeah, yeah,

that was just it really was. It so beautiful and you two as individuals, Yes, dev you can come across as arrogant and cocky sometimes, although I think people now are leaning into knowing that you it's ingest sometimes you know, like that, you know, like recently you retweeted Fessie's claim of being the top like competitors of all time, and then I retweeted your claim but said, I'm one of the top four female podcast hosts, and so you know you're you're playful with it. I think people who have

really gotten to know you see that. But you both as individuals really are very like giving and have giving spirits and lift each other up and other people up outside of the show when cameras aren't rolling. And I've been fortunate enough to experience that even briefly, which is just so cool. And thank you guys, and thank you

for continuing the tradition. And I like that you threw that line in there about it being a tradition, you know, so that hopefully that torch gets carried forward around sharing the winds, sharing the love, because ultimately the challenge family is just that it is one big ass dysfunctional family, but a place of like love, growth and in some ways, yes,

closer than I think. Yeah, Banana said it like closer than blood, because you go through these life altering experiences that you know, many people don't have an opportunity to go through. If there was one thing that each of you would want viewers to take away from this season, like one So for those listening, Devin and tory A are co parents to a duck named Theo. He's not a real duck. I believe they got him at a garage sale or in a state sale, but they co

parent him. And then also Dev held up before we started this recording a pillow that he got from Tori that he claims to have embroidered himself. So they're very much about, like, you know, quotes inspiration. He's holding up the pillow now. But what would be sort of the quote or the thing that you would want viewers, listeners challenge fans to take away from this particular season. Devin,

let's start with you. Sure. This is a tough one because I don't know necessarily I guess a quote, an actual quote, but I guess just a message that I would want people to take away is as an underdog and somebody that has been constantly discredited and honestly just downright disliked for some reason by a lot of the competitors in this show. I think it's mainly because we

have different skill sets, but I won't ramble. Don't have confidence in your own abilities, and be willing to work on yourself and don't see what you want to see, see what's actually there, and be self aware and work on your weaknesses, and don't let your your failures like shape your future. If you're willing to just go back to the well enough times and you're patient enough and you are hard working enough, it'll it'll pan out for

the most part. So that's what I would say, is like, just have confidence in your abilities, but be willing to put in the work. Yeah, and what about you, Tori, I pretty much feel the exact same, Like my quote would be, just be relentless in pursuit of that dream, like truly relentless. If that means that you're coming back for your seventh season then and you still haven't gotten it, don't stop. And not only that, but trust the process.

I think those are the two things that have really helped me because sometimes I felt like the path has taken me away, like like I was all the way the end of the corn Maze and I was trying to get to the middle. But like maybe that part was so necessary for me to get through whatever it took, because maybe at the center I needed to skill set

that that part of the corn Mays took me. It so as corny as that sounds, oh my god, corny, let's go, but I really feel that way, like to be relentless, be relentless with your pursuit of either healing or your dreams and then at the same time like trust the process because now you just never know when something's going to be important and going to help you that. I love that so much. Devin, did t J actually give you that hug? Uh? We saw you. You told t J give me a hug. I told him to

hold my body, Yes, and did he did? He? Oh, I'm still waiting on that. Hopefully we can make that happen. And and Tory, I'm surprised your proudest moment wasn't when you said to the camera that you needed to fart and instead God, like they did me so dirty and glad we're talking about hashtag the fart because that was electric. Yeah, the part that wasn't just a part? Yes, yeah, I talk. Oh God, they did be dirty with that one. You

can see like my double chin over the helmet. I like the face that you make when you say it to You're like, ope, it was the wave for me just waves to him. Hi, Yeah, sorry, sorry. Well I hope that million dollars allowed you to get some fresh underwear for both of you to take some showers, um and really just enjoy this time. It has been such a pleasure to watch you all on this journey of the season and so proud of you, like, really genuinely

well deserved. Couldn't have been a more perfect season. Well except for Olivia's face though it would have been different. But other than that, couldn't have been a more perfect season. You guys played an amazing game and so excited that you guys are now in the Ring of champions. So who well, as you know, I like games and we do games here on the podcast. So we have a final game for you, Challenge champs. We have two questions for you about each other. You say your rider dies.

We've seen that, but we really want you to prove it now. And by the way, if you don't win these then you have to give all your money up. Just so you know, those are the rules. I don't make them, I just abide by them. Okay, so good luck getting it for me, it's gone. Wait. What did you guys buy vegan corn dogs? You probably did tory for either of them. New underwear. I spent mine on cotton balls and vegan dogs. What were the first things you guys bought after you won? Uh? Well, the money

hasn't hit yet. Oh I know. I figured we don't got that loot now, But I did, uh, I got I did get I got my mom cool necklace. Oh that's cool, that's really cool. I gave everybody. I gave everybody in my family like thirty eight one hundred dollars for Christmas? So does that count? Oh? That's sweet? Really taking this thirty eight things? Seriously? I know I've been right. She's going to change that tattoo. You just keep taking away zeros. Who's getting three? Yeah, who's getting eight dollars?

I think she's like, I'm giving you thirty eight cents? All right? Okay, So you know we love games on the show. We have a final game for you where we have two questions for you about each other. You say your writer dies, Now it's time to prove it. This first question is for Devin. Devin, this is a fairly easy one. I feel like you should get this. What is tory zodiac sign? Um? Well, I know her birthday is Mark seventh, but I don't really know the

zodiac signs. I'm an Arie, so she's whatever is before Arias, which I think is uh no, it's not that one. Oh no, tell that one. Ut. I know I know it is, but I don't yeah, uh, it's I think she's holding up of fish pisces. Okay, okay, yeah, you totally cheated on that one. You too, So Devin does not get that problem? Well, I just I know her birthday. I don't know. I don't know astrology. Sorry, I'm not

a fifteen year old girl. That Hey, Devin, maybe that's one of the areas you need to work on because you never know when you come back. That could be the things. Actually, yeah, and challenge USA that was there were astrology questions as a part of tribute, so you know. Um. Question for Tory Devin showed up to prom wearing all one color? What color was it? Pink? Okay, you two are cheating. You guys can't see this. If you're not cheating,

you're not trying right now. They're cheating, all right? Yes, Oh my goodness, these two Just when I said you guys were examples, I take it all back, all right. Question for Devin. What was Tori's twenty twenty one Halloween costume? Oh? She was? She was a much room. Yes, and they didn't cheat for that answer, A good job at the point. Look a lot like toad school. Actually, And this one is for Tory. Uh, what is Devin's favorite beer? Is it a IPA or pale ale dev? What's the answer? We? Actually?

I mean yeah, yeah, I was like, wait a minute, have I said Have I announced this somewhere? But yeah, if I were, if I were to not be counting cows, I'm having her. I'm having a nice heavy eap on getting absolutely blasted grey go there we go. Well, you guys are indeed right. No, that was not one hundred percent. Y'all got a fifty percent is not a passing great but U but you still, you guys won this episode and you won this season overall, and I think you won the hearts of a lot of people. So for

being here. Uh no, you will have to listen um to see who gets the gold Star of this week. Actually, you know what, I was going to give it to you guys, Ye gold star last week. You get gold Star this week because I really just loved how you handled your win. Um, it was beautiful to watch. So props to both of you. Now, if people want to continue giving you gold stars or just um watch what you're up to? Where can they find you on social media?

You guys can find me at Tory Underscore deal on Instagram. I also have my own personal podcast, Tory dealing with where I talk more intimately with people. Um, but yeah, come hang out, come on Instagram, come say hi and send pictures of date because I'll reply. Yeah, And if you want to talk to me, send a photo of me to Tory. She'll weed through all those and then if any of you are a chill, she'll make a

recommendation and I'll I'll reach out. Yeah, oh gosh, probably that's the easiest avenue to get in contact with me. There we go, So do what you will. All right, do what you will and getting connected to those two. Thank you guys again. Congratulations on your win. Whoo whoo. Go celebrate so excited for you both. Can't wait to see what's up next for you guys in the Challenge universe, and go enjoy being champions day. Yeah, I'm coming for a later, daw Dave. Yeah, come on, come over, let's

go to the ocean. I was about to go all right, I'm coming over, buddy, I'm gonna run there. You guys, are you feeling emotional? Is it just me? It can't just be me? I know, it can't just be me. That was a wonderful interview with Tory and Devin otherwise known as Dave and Dave, otherwise known as our Challenge champions. So great, so glad that we got to hear their journey and their story and prove that never give up

on yourselves and keep working for the win. And the thing that you might think is your disadvantage could actually be your superpower. And when you you know, a million dollars, So learn so much from that. Thank you guys for listening. If you want to keep up with me, you can go to Devin Simone dot com. That's Devin with the Why Simone with an Eye. You can also follow me on Amazon Believe it or not. Go to Amazon dot com, slash shop slash Devin Simone on my website, it has

all my socials. I'm most active on Instagram and Twitter, though, which you're both Devin Simone. I've just started my TikTok, so bear with me and if you liked this episode. In the words of day Von okay, tell your mama, your friend, your sister, your cousin, your dog, your niece, your nephew, your neighbor, tell them all. Tell them to listen, then rate and review. We appreciate you guys, giving your reviews and being supportive of us. We do read them.

Thank you so much. We're so glad you're here. This is an our podcast, it's all of ours together, so we appreciate that. So please make sure you rate and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Tell everyone you know, and then, okay, just because we saw the finale doesn't mean it's over yet. Y'all know some people, we got some unfinished business. We want to see if Olivia tells Nelson off for what's happening for that? So the reunion

is next week, the Challenge Writer Dies Reunion. Make sure you check it out, and then right after that, you know we're gonna have a lot of things to say about it, and the girls will be back, So tune in to an all new episode of MTV's official Challenge podcast right after the reunion. We'll see you then your favorite place to be. Bye, guys,