Shocking player shuffle intensifies the competition on Canada's Ultimate Challenge
A tear is shed as coach Donovan Bailey loses a treasured player
"The whole competition shifted," said Canada's Ultimate Challenge showrunner Jeff Thrasher after the shocking player shuffle at the end of Episode 3.
Each coach was allowed to protect one player from their team and able to select a new member from any other team, with the team in last place going first. "The idea was that the team in last place would select some of the stronger players in the competition," said Thrasher, "it kept the competition super tight, balanced the teams and made it anyone's game to win or lose."
The players had been expecting some sort of twist in the game but the biggest surprise was who was protected and who got drafted to the other teams.
Here's how it all went down.
Facing a difficult choice, coach Donovan protected public speaker and amputee firefighter Chris Cederstrand leaving tough competitor Franz Wellington open for selection. But, coach Waneek Horn-Miller selected Dilpreet Bhattal instead.
"That was probably the biggest shock," remembers Thrasher. Dilpreet was a fierce competitor and the glue that held the red team together, "and when she was selected, it really shocked both him and Dilpreet and the whole tournament."
"You do see a tear rolling down the face of Donovan Bailey. It's quite touching," said Thrasher, "it was really great to see a new side of him that he really connected with his players, protected his players."
Thrasher and his team spent years developing the game and planning obstacle courses all around the country worthy of the star coaches and their players. "With new players on the teams, new dynamics, I think the mood going into round 4 in Kelowna was charged. There was blood, sweat and tears going into that first elimination round."
