Ayanna And Leah Provided A Challenge Moment That ‘People Will Remember Forever’
Leah and Ayanna had not appeared on The Challenge together until All Stars, but the two women displayed an unforgettable show of camaraderie that will unite them in the series’ history forever. And it unfolded as they were competing in an elimination, where one woman would stay and the other would be the first female to be ousted from Season 2.
During the inaugural elimination “Dead Weight,” the women — Ayanna came in last place during the first Challenge Boarding Party while Leah was voted in — were tasked with dragging three coffins each across the arena, with each coffin containing chains. The goal: secure their chains to a post, and the competitor to place their chains on the pole the fastest wins. But there was a catch: Two coffins had longer chains inside, and the players didn’t have to pull them as far to get them to the finish. However, in order to move them, they had to solve a problem first. The coffin with the longest chain had the hardest problem.
The Road Rules: Semester at Sea alum jumped out to an early lead, while The Real World: Paris roomie struggled with unhooking a carabiner and never had a fighting chance against the mother of four. And while Ayanna cruised to victory and absolutely dominated, she wanted to help her opponent cross the finish line and encouraged her to not quit.
“Leah and I share a lot of commonalities,” Ayanna reflected. “And there are so many times in life that when you are out there, really trying to make it work for your family, that sometimes you need a lifeline. She’s going to remember her power today. We are going to get this done.”
So the fellow moms got to work — as Bette Middler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” played — and both of them completed the task united as one. There was an outpouring of support from the sidelines for the duo — and Kendall, Katie, Jasmine and Laterrian were shown wiping their tear-filled eyes.
“We’ve never seen anything like this in Challenge history,” three-time champ Derrick K reflected. “If there’s ever a moment that I want to watch with my son, it’s this one. Thank you for this memory, Ayanna. People will remember this forever.”
Leah “didn’t give up” or get first place — but she and Ayanna showed their fellow players and viewers that The Challenge is more than just a game and winning. It’s about supporting each other, not quitting and simply getting it done even if the outcome is already decided.
What did you think of the first elimination? Sound off, and keep watching The Challenge: All Stars when new episodes drop every Thursday only on Paramount+.
