A Fighter Until The Very End: Diem Brown’s Most Triumphant 'Challenge' Moments
A Native American proverb says that we will forever be known by the tracks we leave, and in the case of Diem Brown, it is an honor to have the chance to follow in her footsteps.
Today, the "Challenge" veteran and founder of fundraising service MedGift died after a fight with cancer that lasted nearly a decade. Diem had been open about her condition since accepting a bid on 2006's "Fresh Meat" as a brand-new competitor, and her many battles and victories in the proceeding eight years and six "Challenge" seasons have been all the more impressive.
Though Diem was known among the show's cast for her sweetness and penchant for letting loose on the dance floor, we'll never forget the way she fought on and off the battlefield -- and how she was always able to stand so resolutely, even when the call to duty seemed entirely too difficult to answer. Look back at six of the heroine's most resilient "Challenge" moments below, and please share your own memories in the comments.
Hanging tough, "Fresh Meat":
After watching a handful of her fellow competitors fall into the water from a suspended rope and, thus, fail to complete "Crossed Paths," Diem was determined to grit her teeth and power through. And, upon exhausting her strength and will, she did precisely that.
Her first win, "Fresh Meat":
Through the thick of the first "Fresh Meat" season, Derrick and Diem, a small-but-scrappy team, found themselves consistently in the middle of the pack. Finally, though, after Evan and Coral were disqualified for injuries, D&D pulled through, and Diem officially earned entry into the victors' club.
Coming from behind and winding up on top, "The Duel":
In what is perhaps the most memorable moment in "Challenge" history, Brown, who'd only recently recovered from her first battle with cancer, stripped off her wig in preparation for "Ring Toss," dove into the game's mud pit and came out of the exhausting mission as the winner.
Gritting her teeth and battling through elimination, "The Duel II":
For all of her success in missions, Diem didn't always have the best luck in elimination rounds, but she reversed her own curse when she took on Jenn in the show's "Push Over" game and plowed over her competition to victory.
Making a molehill out of a mountain, "Battle of the Exes":
After swimming through frigid waters and getting no sleep in a flimsy tent, the final "Exes" competitors were tasked with climbing to the top of a mountain for the first-place prize. Impossible, right? Not for Diem, who shot toward the summit like a cannon, and though she and CT ultimately settled for second place, she was unquestionably the day's MVP.
Pushing through the pain with a foe, "Rivals II":
Succeeding in a "Challenge" is tough work, and it gets even tougher when you're tethered -- literally -- to someone you don't trust. Diem and Aneesa had issues with working together but finally got into a groove during "Blind Leading the Blind" -- and they came out of the painful task on top of the pack.
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