Making it to the final on The Challenge is one thing, but being prepared for it mentally and physically is a whole different game. That’s why the best of the competitors don’t stop preparing themselves, or their partners.
In The Challenge Season 36, Episode 16, Chris “CT” Tamburello is making sure his teammate Tula “Big T” Fazakerley has what it takes to run with him in the Double Agents final.
What ensues in footage released ahead of the episode is a cute training montage featuring everyone’s favorite second-year star, Big T, after she gets an early morning up wake up call.
CT prepares Big T Rocky-style for Double Agents final
MTV has released an early piece of footage from Double Agents Episode 16 in which CT is shown waking up Big T bright and early, or “late,” according to CT.
He informs his off-and-on teammate for the season that it’s time to start training at 5 a.m local time. She’s tired but agrees, and CT puts her through several different exercises and agility drills.
The inspiring montage is set to the famous Eye of the Tiger theme music, originally released by Survivor in the early 1980s. That served as the hit theme song for the famous sports film Rocky III, which featured Sylvester Stallone as boxing star Rocky Balboa. Each of the Rocky films featured a famous training montage, similar to the footage below.
Big T seems to have the heart in her and the will to fight, but can she rise up for The Challenge final? Based on the footage below, Tula’s taking this seriously no matter how much of a toll CT’s training takes on her!
In previous Double Agents footage, viewers saw CT training Big T for the Hall Brawl ahead of an elimination. She went into the Episode 15 elimination against Aneesa, but the two competed in the Fire Escape event’s third appearance rather than Hall Brawl.
Nonetheless, Big T proved herself a worthy competitor. She swung her body weight back and forth along the flaming pole she was tied to and ultimately knocked off a veteran competitor. That was also Big T’s first official elimination victory.
She was then allowed to choose to stay with CT or steal a new partner. She chose the savvy Challenge veteran, and now he’s making sure she’s fully ready.
CT preparing for another Challenge final in his career
With The Challenge Season 36, the 40-year-old Chris Tamburello is now in his 18th regular season of MTV’s competition series. Many believe he could be close to done with the regular gig, and eventually return for The Challenge: All Stars.
His resume is certainly worthy of being named for an OGs cast. After originally debuting on The Real World: Paris in 2003, he became a force to be reckoned with on The Challenge. He made it to the final on just his first two seasons of the show. While CT had early problems controlling his physical rage, he ultimately matured and continued to pave his path as a Challenge beast.
His first official win at a final came in his ninth appearance on the show, Rivals II, in 2013. He added more to that in future seasons, gaining valuable experience in the game along the way.
As of this season, CT has been to eight Challenge finals and won three of them. A fourth would push him closer to Johnny Bananas, who has seven, the most of any Challenge competitor.
To win a fourth, he’ll need his partner to be with him every step of the way or as close as she can be. So it’s understandable why CT is making sure Big T gets in her cardio to run TJ’s intense final. After all, a million dollars is on the line.
The Challenge: Double Agents airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.