The Challenge, an MTV reality television series that began in 1998, is heading into its 41st season. The show is known for being a brutal competition show that, as its name implies, focuses on physical challenges. For years, the show has poached former cast members from other hit reality shows, including Big Brother, The Real World, The Amazing Race, and, of course, Survivor.
This season, three former Survivor players will be heading into the competition to show their competitive fire. One has already competed on the show twice, Michaela Bradshaw, while the other two are going to be first-time players on the "new threats" side. These two are Dee Valladares, winner of Survivor 45, and Sydney Segal, who was the mergatory boot on Survivor 41.
Dee and Michaela likely need no introduction to the Survivor community, but Sydney Segal is perhaps a bit more forgotten. What will she bring to the cast of The Challenge 41?
Sydney started off the game fairly strong on Survivor 41. She was part of the dominant Luvu tribe, one that never ended up going to tribal council once before the merge. She established a solid three-person alliance, but other castaways felt less sure with her. At two different points, members of her tribe tried to throw challenges to go to the tribal council and vote her out, but did not succeed.
Her biggest legacy, though, is being the victim of one of the most controversial twists in Survivor history. After seemingly merging, Jeff dropped a bombshell that split the group in two to fight for safety, leaving the other half vulnerable at tribal. Sydney's group won, but that's where the controversy came in. One infamous hourglass later, and suddenly, Sydney's entire group was actually on the chopping block.
In the end, her original tribemates threw her under the bus, and feeling nervous, she played her shot in the dark. It did not work, and she was voted out in a 5-4-3 vote. In the end, despite having established a decent alliance early, she did not do enough to ever fully find her footing, and ultimately, it cost her.
Sydney has potential on The Challenge
Given her lack of real impact on Survivor, what does Sydney bring to The Challenge? Her greatest asset may actually be her motivation. Coming off a relatively poor showing, she has something to prove that she deserves to be in the game. That alone could make her impactful here.
Another strength is that she does well in challenges. Reality is, she and her tribe on Survivor did so well that even when teammates tried to throw, they still won immunity. If she can carry that athletic prowess into The Challenge, it bodes well for her in eliminations, even if she is a newbie, that could be an easy target.
Hopefully, she also has learned from her social game that was lacking on Survivor. Going into the show, it is unclear what connections she has formed, but there is no obvious link to her upon first glance. That could make her an easy out for people who may not stick their neck out for her, which means she will have to move fast and establish an alliance to get her further in the game.
Overall, Sydney has her work cut out for her. While her current legacy is being the fall girl for a terrible Survivor twist, she now has the opportunity to change that perception. As a lawyer, she should have a way with words, and hopefully, she can evolve from her past and prove why she is part of the cast of The Challenge 41.