In The Challenge: All Stars 2 spoilers, fans who haven’t had a chance to watch Episode 6 of the spinoff show are learning about what happened with Kendal Sheppard.
Kendal was amongst the 24 OG cast members appearing in the spinoff, making her return after appearing in Paramount+’s premiere season.
She became a fan-favorite during Season 1 due to her ability to win challenges and eliminations against her fellow OGs. However, her time ended just before TJ Lavin’s All Stars final.
That made her return one that excited many fans, who hoped she could make it to the All Stars 2 final. After her recent situation in All Stars 2, Episode 6, Kendal opened up about the episode in several messages. Spoilers will follow.
The Challenge: All Stars 2: What happened to Kendal?
In The Challenge: All Stars 2, Episode 6, TJ Lavin introduced a new twist to the competitors. After they’d finished the Deep Dive daily challenge as pairs, he revealed those would be their partners for the remainder of the season.
Kendal teamed up with Laterrian Wallace for the daily, and they ended up completing the task, which involved a 30-foot jump into a cenote, diving underwater, and retrieving puzzle pieces to bring back to shore.
However, Kendal noticed an issue when she jumped into the water below, mentioning she was having problems breathing.
That came into play later on, as castmates Casey Cooper and Jasmine Reynaud met with Kendal in her room and she noticed feeling like her rib was out of place. She also mentioned having problems taking a deep breath.
Kendal spoke more about a health condition she suffers from during interview footage in the episode.
“As the day is progressing, I realize I’m hurt a little bit more than I thought I was,” she said in confessional, adding, “I have a connective tissue disorder. I dislocate joints frequently, and my ribs get displaced, which makes me concerned that maybe there’s a bigger issue.”
While she indicated she didn’t want to take a trip to the hospital, she ended up doing so ahead of the cast voting for a team to go into elimination.
Laterrian and Kendal got voted in as elimination opponents for the losing team, Tyler Duckworth and Jasmine.
However, Kendal was absent when TJ called out the competitors for the Arena elimination event. TJ informed everyone that she’d been medically disqualified from continuing for the All Stars 2 season.
The episode didn’t provide any other details about Kendal’s health situation that resulted in her DQ.
Kendal comments about situation after All Stars 2 episode
The day after her aired departure from All Stars 2, Kendal shared several messages on her Twitter. In one of them, she commented about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and she praised the “Zebras” who reached out to her.
“I see you & feel your struggle. Living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome can be lonely at times- I argue with my Dr’s weekly – but it’s important to keep sharing your story!” She wrote in a tweet along with GIF.
In a retweet of a fan’s screenshot from Episode 6, Kendal referred to the interview and editing teams as “the true heroes.”
“I’m so insecure about my skin condition, but they made me feel comfortable. Somehow- with makeup, lighting and whatever magic they do in ‘post’ – I don’t end up looking like the Frankenstein I feel like I am,” Kendal said.
In another interesting tweet, Kendal asked fans if they realized they were “watching a TV show where things like COVID don’t exist.”
Kendal also gave a shoutout to her partner Laterrian Wallace for supporting her when they worked together in the daily challenge. She also apologized that they couldn’t finish the season together.
What is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome?
The condition that Kendal suffers from is extremely rare. According to Live Science, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) affects 1 in 5,000 individuals worldwide. Notably, singer-songwriter Sia also revealed in 2019 that she has EDS.
EDS can present differently in those suffering from it, although it commonly brings hypermobility, a large range of joint movement. Additionally, it can result in poor muscle tone and “loose, velvety skin prone to bruising and scarring.”
Kendal mentioned “Zebras” in her tweet above, which is commonly refers to the members of the EDS community. The zebra became the official mascot for the community. LiveScience indicates that “sometimes when you hear hoofbeats, it really is a zebra.”
Kendal to attend upcoming event, has episode details to share
With Kendal’s early exit from the All Stars 2 season, fans are hoping she’ll be back once again to make her way to the final. As of now, she appears to be doing well.
Based on social media, Kendall will appear at a Challenge Mania event scheduled for San Francisco this weekend alongside other OGs, Darrell Taylor, Janelle Casanave, and Yes Duffy.
Based on a tweet from Kendal as she watched the All Stars 2 episode, there were a lot of things “left out” of Episode 6. However, it seems like those in attendance at Challenge Mania will get the inside scoop this weekend.
The Challenge: All Stars 2 episodes arrive Thursdays on Paramount+.