Beyond The Edge contestant American Idol season 10 runner-up and country music superstar Lauren Alaina deserves a second chance on the show if it is renewed for season 2. Lauren tore a ligament in her foot during a challenge, and she was devastated when the doctors at the hospital told her that she had to leave the competition. On Beyond The Edge, nine celebrities--including Lauren, Craig Morgan, Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Colton Underwood, Eboni K. Williams, Metta World Peace, Paulina Porizkova and Jodie Sweetin--compete in challenging "adventures" in the jungles of Panama to raise money for charities of their choice. Every evening, the cast meets at a place called The Lanterns to reflect on the day's events. Unlike other reality competition shows, there are no eliminations each week. Instead, the contestants themselves decide when they have reached their breaking points, and they ring a bell to signal that they are ready to go home.
Twenty-seven-year-old Georgia native Lauren wanted to join the show mainly because of the charity component, but she also shared that she loves adventure. During the first episode, she said, "I am the life of the party. I am the person that makes everyone laugh. But there are also layers to me that I don't think everybody necessarily knows. I'm excited to be thrown into this scenario that I absolutely know nothing about, and to show people that I can be taken seriously." Lauren wanted to prove to herself and to everyone else that she could compete.
Lauren pushed herself to the limit, and worked hard to win every adventure. She even ate a worm for sustenance after Craig told her that it was a good source of protein. Unfortunately, during the fifth adventure when she was a team captain for the second time, Lauren fell while she was running in the jungle, but she immediately got up and continued the task. However, she was in so much pain when it was over that she visited the hospital, where she was told that she had to withdraw from the game became she tore a ligament in her foot. Lauren and the cast were devastated as she became the second celebrity after Metta World Peace to leave the game. Lauren was not ready to leave, and, if Beyond The Edge is renewed for season 2, there are many reasons why she deserves a second chance.
Lauren Was A Cheerleader For Her Teammates
Lauren was a supportive teammate and helped to encourage her fellow contestants to push themselves to their limits. Lauren has always had a spunky personality which helps her to persevere through challenges in life. From her stints on reality television shows such as American Idol and Dancing With The Stars to her rise to superstardom in country music to her serious struggles with eating disorders, Lauren finds a way to survive. She applied this quality to her time on Beyond The Edge and was able to push herself and her teammates to achieve their best. Lauren's co-star, Eboni, summed this up when she told her, "You got some sassy sass, my love. I like it."
In episode 2, Lauren volunteered to be a team captain, saying that her only strategy was to build a team that she thought would win. She knew when to take the lead and when to take direction from her other teammates who had more knowledge or experience about certain tasks. Lauren knew her limits, especially with physical competitions, so she stepped back and let others shine with their strengths. After host Mauro Ranallo gave her the credit for putting together the plan to win adventure 2, Lauren said, "It was a real team effort." She did not allow her ego to take over, which was a great strategy for winning. When Lauren left the show, her fellow contestants were shattered, proving how much they respected and loved her.
Lauren Was Strong At Both Physical And Mental Competitions
Lauren proved that she was a strong competitor as she was able to dominate in both physical and mental competitions. She was a fighter and able to keep up with the former professional athletes in order to complete the physical challenges. Whether she was running through the jungle or rafting in the water, Lauren fought to win.
During the first adventure, when the team had to solve and construct a puzzle, Lauren was excited because she said that she does puzzles for fun all the time and she was "about to thrive." After her team won, she admitted that she thought she was not going to be very good at the Beyond The Edge competition in general, but "the puzzle changed the game for me, literally. Gave me a confidence boost to feel like I can have a place here." Lauren kept her cool under pressure and did not panic, which allowed her to solve the puzzles in a calm and timely manner in order to win each adventure.
Lauren Was On A Personal Journey
Lauren has been very open about her past struggles with severe eating disorders, and she has spoken about how she learned how powerful her body can be through her participation on Beyond The Edge. During episode 2, she had a heart-to-heart talk with Paulina about how Paulina's career as a supermodel was a trigger for her because of Lauren's eating disorders. When she was a contestant on American Idol, in the public eye under harsh scrutiny as a teenager, people judged her body and confirmed all of her insecurities about herself. Lauren shared, "The biggest struggle in my life, my celebrity life, is that people forget that I'm a person. I'm out here to take my power back, and see what my body's capable of." After her team won, she said, "It was really, really great to be really proud of my body again for what it physically can do. I took my power back today." She realized how physically strong she was. Lauren has since said on Instagram that she is "so thankful for this body God gave me and its ability to help me survive in the jungle and make a difference for women back home who need it [through the charity, The Next Door Foundation]." She also thanked Paulina for being a "loving light and friendly reminder" that all people are "unique and beautiful" just the way they are.
Lauren was also learning how to open up to other people. On the first night of the show, she said, "My therapist tells me all the time, I got to accept help and love from other people as much as I'm willing to give it." Lauren shared that she felt like crying throughout the day because she was "overwhelmed with this whole journey," and that she was "growing as a human being," and it was only day one. After Lauren won adventure 4, she said that she was "by far the best at the puzzles," so it brought her a lot of confidence because it was a "great strength." Since Lauren said that she had come into Beyond The Edge with "zero confidence," it was inspiring to see her changing her mindset and recognizing her strength.
Lauren Was On Track To Win
When Lauren had to leave the competition, she was the frontrunner. She and her teammates had won the first four adventures, and the fifth one was her first loss. She had also earned the most money for her charity, The Next Door Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving women in crisis, until Colton moved ahead of her after the loss. In the end, Lauren raised an impressive $42,750 for the charity, but she could have done even more if she had not been injured. As Lauren left the show, she said that it never even crossed her mind to ring the bell and being forced to do it due to her injury "really sucks." She proudly said that she far exceeded her own expectations. Lauren deserves a second chance to come back to the show and win the $100,000 grand prize which is added to the winner’s earnings.
Lauren's early exit from Beyond The Edge was heartbreaking for her, her castmates, and her fans. She had so much potential and could have done so much more on the show. She was dedicated to her charity, and, although she won a substantial amount of money, she could have earned even more. She also did not get the chance to complete her own personal journey. If Beyond The Edge is renewed for a second season, Lauren deserves a second chance.
Source: Lauren Alaina/Instagram