The men may think they control the game, but the truth is that the female competitors on MTV’s The Challenge have always been just as fierce — if not fiercer — than their male counterparts.
In 24 years and 37 seasons, there have been some incredible female athletes to grace our screens. Some only appeared for a few seasons while others made a career out of the show. Either way, the women have taken home plenty of wins and a lot of money.
Below are some of the toughest, most badass women to ever compete on The Challenge. They may not always be fan-favorites, but sometimes it takes being a bad bitch to get shit done.
Unfortunately, some competitors, despite their talents, have been DQed from appearing on this list: Camila Nakagawa for her racist attack on Leroy Garrett on Dirty 30; Laurel Stucky for fat-shaming Big Easy during Cutthroat (among other things); and Emily Schromm for appearing in black face on Battle of the Exes.
So, without further ado, here are the best of the best, in order of when they first appeared on the franchise.
1. Julie Stoffer
Julie is best known for being ~a little bit crazy~ and definitely intense. But it was that intensity that led to her winning 28 daily challenges in only 5 seasons. So yeah, she definitely deserves a place on the list.
STATS
Seasons: 5
Appeared on: Extreme Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet II
Daily Wins: 28
Finals: 2
Season Wins: 1
2. Susie Meister
Susie literally went to the finals every single time she appeared on the show. She was known for making smart moves in the game while still maintaining her good-girl image.
STATS
Seasons: 4
Appeared on: Extreme Challenge, The Gauntlet II, The Inferno III, The Ruins
Daily Wins: 25
Finals: 4
Season Wins 2
3. Coral Smith
If you look up the word “badass” in the dictionary, Coral’s picture will definitely appear next to it. Many of her fellow competitors found her to be manipulative, but that’s the way the game is played, right?
STATS
Seasons: 6
Appeared on: Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes II, Fresh Meat, The Gauntlett III
Daily Wins: 33
Finals: 4
Season Wins: 1
4. Aneesa Ferreira
Often underestimated by her competitors and called “deadweight” by her partners, Aneesa constantly has to prove herself over and over again. But that’s not hard to do considering she’s one of the fiercest women to ever come on the show.
STATS
Seasons: 14
Appeared on: Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes II, The Gauntlet II, The Duel, The Inferno III, The Duel II, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals II, Free Agents, Battle of the Bloodlines, XXX: Dirty 30, Total Madness, Double Agents
Daily Wins: 30
Finals: 2
5. Tanya Cooley
Tanya is definitely not the most likable competitor — most of her fellow challengers would probably describe her as “abrasive.” But she was literally down to do anything and everything to win, which often paid off for her.
STATS
Seasons: 8
Appeared on: Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes II, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat, The Inferno III, The Island, The Ruins
Daily Wins: 26
Finals: 2
Season Wins: 1
6. Rachel Robinson
Rachel was known for being incredibly tough, a bit headstrong, and willing to do whatever it took to win. Oh, and she also had steamy romances with both Jen G. and Aneesa back in the day.
STATS
Seasons: 7
Appeared on: Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes II, The Inferno II, The Island, The Duel II, Battle of the Exes
Daily Wins: 23
Finals: 3
Season Wins: 2
7. Evelyn Smith
Not only was Evelyn an incredible athlete, but she was also incredibly smart. She was brilliantly strategic during her time on the show, leading to many wins.
STATS
Seasons: 7
Appeared on: Fresh Meat, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet III, The Island, The Ruins, Fresh Meat II, Rivals
Daily Wins: 26
Finals: 4
Season Wins: 3
8. Diem Brown
Diem was a fan-favorite and for a reason — she was sweet and bubble but also a strong cancer survivor who inspired many of her fellow competitors. Diem and CT’s romance became one for the ages but eventually ended in heartbreak. Sadly, Diem passed away from ovarian cancer in November 2014, only a few months after filming Battle of the Exes II.
STATS
Seasons: 8
Appeared On: Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Gauntlett III, The Duel II, The Ruins, Battle of the Exes, Rivals II, Battle of the Exes II
Daily Wins: 20
Finals: 2
9. Paula Meronek
Despite the male competitors and her so-called “friends” treating her like garbage, Paula eventually gained some confidence and a few wins! Paula was always full of surprises and came through when she needed to. Too bad many of her castmates underestimated her!
STATS
Seasons: 10
Appeared on: The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet III, The Island, The Duel II, Fresh Meat II, Cutthroat, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals II
Daily Wins: 30
Finals: 5
Season Wins: 2
10. Sarah Rice
Sarah started out as the sweet, enthusiastic girl of the group but soon realized she would have to play dirty if she wanted to win. She notoriously screwed over Johnny Bananas in Battle of the Exes II to take home the win.
STATS
Seasons: 9
Appeared on: The Ruins, Fresh Meat II, Cutthroat, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Battle of the Seasons, Rivals II, Battle of the Exes II, Rivals III
Daily Wins: 16
Finals: 5
Season Wins: 2
11. Cara Maria Sorbello
Oh, Cara! Cara Maria went on one hell of a journey during her time on The Challenge. She’s loved and lost (and loved and lost and loved again). When she first started on the show, many of her competitors considered her to be “weak” and often bullied her. But she rose through the ranks and finally found her confidence. Eventually, though, she went too far and ended up becoming the bully herself.
STATS
Seasons: 14
Appeared on: Fresh Meat II, Cutthroat, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Battle of the Seasons II, Rivals II, Free Agents, Battle of the Bloodlines, Invasion of the Champions, XXX: Dirty 30, Vendettas, Final Reckoning, War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds 2
Daily Wins: 43
Finals: 9
Season Wins: 2
12. Ashley Mitchell
Ashley is one of those competitors you either love, hate, or love to hate. She viciously screwed over her partner Hunter in Final Reckoning, taking the $1M all for herself with no regrets.
STATS
Seasons: 8
Appeared on: Rivals III, Invasion of the Champions, XXX: Dirty 30, Final Reckoning, War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds II, Total Madness, Double Agents
Daily Wins: 18
Finals: 3
Season Wins: 2
13. Kam Williams
Kam is a relatively recent addition to the game but she’s already proven herself to be a total beast, landing herself the nickname Killa Kam. This season on Double Agents, she’s become one of the most sought-after female partners.
STATS
Seasons: 5
Appeared on: Vendettas, Final Reckoning, War of the Worlds, War of the Worlds II, Double Agents
Daily Wins: 15
Finals: 2
