On Beyond The Edge, viewers spent almost two months watching the contestants endure grueling physical challenges to raise money for charities, and fans want to know how Colton Underwood managed to win. The former The Bachelor season 23 lead pulled it off, after Colton joined eight other celebrities in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of Panama. He competed for the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation. With no eliminations in place, the players were instead allowed to tap out at any time by ringing a bell. Metta World Peace, The Real Housewives of New York City star Eboni K. Williams, Paulina Porizkova, and Jodie Sweetin all exited voluntarily. Lauren Alaina was removed after an injury.
By the final episode of Beyond The Edge, only four celebrities remained in the competition: Colton, Mike Singletary, Ray Lewis, and Craig Morgan. Colton, Mike, and Ray are former NFL players and Craig's an Army veteran. Jodie was the last woman remaining before she gave up her shot to win $50,000 for her charity, Girls Inc., giving Colton and Ray better shots at winning an extra $100,000. The show's similar to CBS' hit series Survivor (which crowns its season 42 winner on May 25), and tough Beyond The Edge challenges included traveling through thick mud, building a shelter, solving difficult puzzles, and surviving in the jungle with nothing but natural instincts.
One of Colton's biggest strengths, which helped him to secure $100,000 as the winner of Beyond The Edge, is his athletic background. Before Colton joined Bachelor Nation as a contestant on The Bachelorette season 14, the 30-year-old played defense for Illinois State. He was later signed to the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. With years of physical training under his belt, Colton showed off his athleticism throughout Beyond The Edge, where he lost only two challenges. During the final adventure, Ray picked Craig as his teammate, telling host Mauro Ranallo that he believed Craig was "more qualified," than the other option, Mike. While the two teams were neck-and-neck throughout the last physical and mental competition, Colton and Mike gained the lead and won the final adventure, after placing their pennants in the correct order.
As one of the youngest contestants on Beyond The Edge, Colton's fit physique also gave him the advantage of impressive stamina. Since Beyond The Edge has no eliminations like Survivor, or even the related show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!, stamina was an important quality to have while living in the jungle. Lauren was removed against her will after tearing a ligament, while Paulina tapped out after her arthritis pain became too extreme. Between the harsh conditions of living outside, and the mental roadblocks that come from the shock of a new environment, there were many obstacles. Colton's ability to push past the mental, physical, and emotional pain of each adventure allowed him to secure his spot as the first winner of Beyond The Edge.
Beyond The Edge season 2 hasn't gotten the green light yet, but the success of CBS' Survivor-inspired show (coupled with the large amount of funds raised for different charities) means that the celebrity competition has a good shot at returning with a new set of challenges. Colton walked away with over $200,000 for the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, and with the winner of Survivor season 42 about to walk away with an astonishing $1 million of their own, CBS is making their contestants earn money the old-fashioned way.