STRONG, NBC's new reality fitness competition series, eliminated the Purple team comprised of trainer Mathew Miller and trainee Nicole Bentley during Thursday night's broadcast.
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"We did everything we could. We put everything out there. I mean, we're disappointed, you know? We saw ourselves here until the end. We were so close and it wasn't good enough. I'm just really blessed to have the experience I had here and we can hold our heads up high because we kicked ass," Nicole said following her ouster.
Nicole started the competition as a size 10 with 32% body fat and a resting heart rate of 59. In a post-elimination update, Nicole is now a size 4 and has a 23% body fat percentage and resting heart rate of 51. She also gained six pounds of lean muscle.
The STRONG broadcast began with three teams remaining.
For this week's "Ultimate Challenge," the pairs were required to climb up a 36-foot cylinder while collecting weights of 5, 10 and 15 pounds and attaching them to their belts on their way to the top. The weights equaled 200 pounds, and the team to get the most weight to the top of the cylinder in 15 minutes wins. In a twist, the pairs were tethered together.
The winning team would automatically earn a spot in the Final 2 and win a $50,000 medallion. The two losing teams would face off later on at the elimination tower.
The Blue team -- Jill May, a 35-year-old from Willmar, MN, and Bennie Wylie, a 39-year-old from Tuscola, TX -- won the challenge after collecting all 200 pounds. They now have a total of $225,000 in medallions.
As a result, Nicole and Mat were forced to battle Brittany and Todd at the elimination tower. This would mark the Yellow team's third time in a row at the tower, and Brittany had a foot injury she was trying to work through.
The elimination tower features four levels, and one obstacle evolves every week as the contestants' bodies strengthen.
Brittany and Todd ended up getting through the tower in a record-breaking time of 3 minutes and 13 seconds. Nicole and Mat completed the tower in 3 minutes and 26 seconds.
The Purple team were therefore eliminated and handed $75,000 worth in medallions to the Blue team and an additional four medallions worth $100,000 to the Yellow team. Heading into the finale, Bennie and Jill have $300,000, while Brittany and Todd have collected a total of $200,000.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
