The season finale of The Challenge: All Stars 2 just aired, and fans cheered when the show underdog Jonna Mannion won alongside her partner, MJ Garrett. Jonna first appeared on the hit MTV series The Real World: Cancun in 2009. Two years later, she starred in the spinoff, The Challenge: Rivals, where she was partnered with her former The Real World roommate, Jasmine Reynaud. Although they didn’t win, they placed 4th, which fans consider impressive in light of how hard the challenges were.
Jonna came back on subsequent seasons, but never won the title of The Challenge Champion, despite her best efforts. The closest she ever got was in the previous season of The Challenge: All Stars when she finished in 3rd place. Fans of the series were impressed that she got so far, as they felt that she mostly skated through the season without facing an elimination. She had also had a baby several months prior to joining the season and managed to beat other tough competitors such as Aneesa Ferreira in physical battles. When she finished the final last season among super-elite competitors like Darrell Taylor and KellyAnne Judd, fans realized that Jonna was a force to be reckoned with.
Jonna showed her physical prowess on All Stars 2, and she also played a political game. She mostly kept her head down, and while she didn’t do well enough to alarm the heavy hitters, she also wasn’t the weakest link. However, the one skill she needed (and had) was her ability to think under pressure. The Challenge viewers know that puzzles are the ultimate equalizers, and even the best athletes can fall behind when they fail to solve them. Puzzlemaster CT Tamburello has won the game five times due to his skills. Jonna and MJ were in third place but were able to catch the lead when Jonna figured out the key to solving a complicated puzzle. At the next checkpoint, Jonna made an error, which cost them some time. However, with plenty of determination and luck, they still managed to still ahead.
The Challenge finals are so grueling and exhausting that many players quit without finishing. This season, Jonna had a moment of weakness when she thought they were so far behind the other teams that she wanted to throw in the towel. MJ gave her a little pep talk and Jonna rallied with newfound determination. Following the dreaded eating challenge, they were in second place after Darrell and Janelle Casanave finished eating the disgusting food. The two teams rushed to open the safe that contained $500,000 for the winners. Darell and Janelle struggled with the lock, but Jonna remained calm and realized that they needed to turn it the other way to open it. Jonna and MJ grabbed the money and ran to the finish line, securing their win.
Fans know how important it is to keep a cool head on The Challenge, and Jonna impressed fans with her ability to do so. Having MJ as a partner was also an advantage due to his strength and endurance. The two made a dynamic team that earned them Jonna’s first win and MJ’s second. Like the former Challenge star Tula "Big T" Fazakerley, Jonna has shared that she doesn't want to do another season of The Challenge because it took her away from her family. Fans would love to see her come back as she is a tough competitor, but if she decides not to, many people who love the show are happy that she ended this season with a big win.