American Grit is an American reality television series that premiered on Fox on April 14, 2016. The series stars WWE wrestler John Cena. Fox ordered ten episodes for the first season of the competition series. On July 29, 2016, Fox renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on Sunday, June 11, 2017.
Premise Competitors are divided into four teams of four, each led by a military veteran who is designated as the team's Cadre and compete in a series of Team Challenges. All members of the winning team are safe from elimination and advance to the next round, while a member of each losing team is chosen to participate in an Elimination Challenge. The elimination continues until one contestant quits, fails the challenge, or becomes physically unable to continue, at which point he or she is eliminated from the competition. Eliminated competitors ring a ship's bell on the site before departing, after the tradition of Navy SEAL trainees "ringing out" if they choose to withdraw from the program. In the finale, the remaining competitors take part in an elimination challenge that concludes with a winner being named and receiving a $250,000 cash prize.
Filmed at the foothills of Mount Rainier in Eatonville, Washington, the first season focuses on "pushing teams to the brink" and features 16 contestants with a variety of fitness backgrounds. Competitors who lose during Team Challenges, called "Evolutions", are selected by their own Cadre to participate in the Elimination Challenge. As long as a team has at least two members, a contestant cannot be sent to two consecutive Elimination Challenges. The Elimination Challenge begins with an obstacle course, called "The Circus", followed by an endurance test. The obstacle course remains constant, but the endurance test differs in each episode. The endurance test begins once all three participants have completed the obstacle course, with the first- and second-place finishers receiving an advantage over the third-place finisher, and concludes with the elimination of one competitor. The season finale features an extended Circus where all remaining contestants must participate. This Circus lasts until all members of three teams have dropped out, at which point the remaining members of the last team win $250,000 each. The season was won by Clare Painter and Mark Bouquin of Team Noah.
Taking place in Hampton Island, Georgia in a location referred to as "Camp Grit", the second season focuses on "helping competitors find their grit" and features contestants "who either have lost their grit or never had it". 17 competitors appear at the start of the competition, one of whom is eliminated before the teams are formed. The Cadre of the winning team chooses the members of the losing teams who will be sent to the Elimination Challenge and consecutive appearances are allowed. Only an endurance test is featured in the Elimination Challenge and no advantages are provided to its participants. Depending on the Elimination Challenge, it concludes with one or two contestants being eliminated. The competition eventually becomes contestant-based, with all remaining competitors ultimately competing against each other and only one winner being named. Winning the second season was Gigi Gustin of Team Grady.
Season 1 Cadre Rorke Denver, a US Navy SEAL Commander who led assault teams worldwide. He also starred in Act of Valor. Noah Galloway, a US Army member of the 502nd Infantry and 101st Airborne Division, awarded the Purple Heart when he lost his left arm and left leg in a roadside bomb attack Tawanda "Tee" Hanible, a US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Nicholas "Nick" Irving, a US Army sniper with the 3rd Ranger Battalion with 33 confirmed kills, nicknamed "The Reaper"
Contestants The contestants of Season 1 range in age from 22 to 54.
ContestantAgeHometownNicknameOccupationPlacementClare Painter47Omak, WAThe FishermanHorse trainer and fishermanWinnersMark Bouquin26Colden, NYThe LumberjackTimbersports athleteTony Simmons41Chicago, ILTouchdown TonySports performance coach and former NFL player3rd placeJim Vaglica54Billerica, MAThe Boston CopPolice officer4th placeTabatha "Goldie" Chandler39Chattanooga, TNThe Roller GirlRegistered nurse5th placeDavid Neville31Fort Wayne, INThe OlympianCollege track and field head coach and former Olympic medalist6th placeAshley "Haze" Hazlett31Cincinnati, OHThe Marine's DaughterEvent coordinator7th placeMario Robinson25Queens, NY The TriathletePersonal Trainer8th placeCameron "Cam" Zagami22Salem, NHThe WrestlerProfessional wrestler9th placeKimberly Joy "KJoy" Lipson38Houston, TXThe YogiYoga instructor10th placeIvette Saucedo35Los Angeles, CAThe EquestrianModel11th placeLisa Traugott42Austin, TXThe Bikini BodybuilderTrainer and author12th placeMaria Kang35Elk Grove, CAThe No Excuses MomNonprofit founder and author13th placeMarc Lobliner35Elgin, ILThe MachineCEO of nutrition company14th placeBrooke Van Paris25Indianapolis, INThe Obstacle Course JunkieSales rep15th placeChris Krueger32Los Angeles, CAThe Hollywood TrainerStrength and performance coach16th place
Contestant progress
Color key WINNER The player or players were the winner(s) of American Grit. WIN The player was on the winning team in an Evolution and automatically advanced to the next stage of the competition. EXEMPT The player was on a losing team, but was exempt from the Circus due to having been chosen for it in the previous episode. SAFE The player was on a losing team in an Evolution, but was not chosen for the Circus. CIRCUS The player was on a losing team in an Evolution, competed in the Circus, and advanced. OUT The player competed in the Circus and was eliminated.
ContestantsEpisodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Clare WIN WIN WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE WINNERMark WIN WIN WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN CIRCUSEXEMPT WINNERTony SAFE SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT CIRCUSEXEMPT CIRCUS WIN WINOUTJim CIRCUSEXEMPT SAFE SAFE WIN CIRCUSEXEMPT SAFE CIRCUSOUTGoldie CIRCUSEXEMPT SAFE SAFE SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT CIRCUSEXEMPTOUTDavid WIN WIN WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SAFE CIRCUSOUTHaze SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT CIRCUSEXEMPT SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFEOUTMario SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT CIRCUSEXEMPTOUTCam SAFE SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT WIN SAFE SAFEOUTKJoy SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPT SAFE WIN SAFEOUTIvette SAFE SAFE SAFE CIRCUSEXEMPTOUTLisa WIN WIN WIN WINOUTMaria SAFE SAFE SAFEOUTMarc SAFE SAFEOUTBrooke SAFEOUTChrisOUT
Episodes
Ratings
Season 2 Cadre John Burk, a US Army Infantry Drill Sergeant who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and also trained younger soldiers for battle, now an entrepreneur Riki Long, a US Marine who was in charge of the legal administration at the largest Marine Corps personnel center, now a fitness nutrition specialist and weightlifter Chloe Mondesir, a US Marine Ammunition Technician, now working with a non-profit organization to raise money for Veteran Affairs programs Grady Powell, a US Army Green Beret with the 10th Special Forces Group with tours in Iraq and Africa, now runs a firearms training facility. He also won NBC's reality television program Stars Earn Stripes alongside 2007 WWE Diva Search winner and former WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres.
Contestants The second season contains 17 contestants, ranging in age from 20 to 48.
ContestantAgeHometownOccupationPlacementGigi Gustin20Glassboro, NJSales associateWinnerMichael Wilson Morgan38Brooklyn, NYCostume designerRunner-upHannah Koen23Newburyport, MAHousewife3rd placeHerman Brar26Billings, MTNurse4th placeChris Edom48Merrick, NYKindergarten teacher5th placeAlison Kempkey36Seattle, WAFashion consultant6th placeGeorge Foreman IV28Houston, TXPublicist7th placeCarla Mireles26Chino, CAAccount executive8th placeRichard Mallard32Berryville, TXVlogger9th placeJanessa Morgan36Los Angeles, CATelecommunications manager10th placeScarlett Angelina24New Brunswick, NJPublic relations coordinator11th placeMelanie Mahanna29Brooklyn, NYTutor12th placeShermon Braithwaite22Brooklyn, NYHotel clerk13th placeWill Westwater23West Hollywood, CASwimming instructor14th placeGill Morton36Vernal, UTYoga instructor15th placeNathalie Martin45Youngsville, LACleaning business owner16th placeHeather Pincelli36Lakeland, FLPrivate investigator17th place George was originally on Team Grady, but later became a member of Team Burk.
Contestant progress Color key WINNER The player was the winner of American Grit. RUNNER-UP The player finished in second place and was the runner-up of American Grit. WIN The player was on the winning team in a Team Challenge and automatically advanced to the next stage of the competition. SAFE The player was on a losing team in a Team Challenge, but was not chosen for the Elimination Challenge. LOW The player was on a losing team in a Team Challenge, competed in the Elimination Challenge, and advanced. OUT The player competed in the Elimination Challenge and was eliminated. CHOSEN The player was saved by being chosen to be on a team by one of the Cadre. OUT The player was eliminated before teams were chosen, being the sole contestant to not be chosen for a team.
ContestantsEpisodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910Gigi CHOSEN SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFEWIN SAFE WIN SAFE WINNERMichael CHOSEN SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE WIN WIN RUNNER-UPHannah CHOSEN WIN LOW SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE LOW SAFEOUTHerman CHOSEN SAFE WIN WIN LOW LOW WIN LOW WINOUTChris CHOSEN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN LOW SAFEOUTAlison CHOSEN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE LOW WINOUTGeorge CHOSEN LOW WIN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFEOUTCarla CHOSEN SAFE SAFE LOW LOW SAFE SAFEOUTRichard CHOSEN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFEOUTJanessa CHOSEN SAFE LOW SAFE WINOUTScarlett CHOSEN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFEOUTMelanie CHOSEN WIN SAFE SAFEOUTShermon CHOSEN SAFE SAFEOUTWill CHOSEN WIN SAFEOUTGill CHOSEN LOWOUTNathalie CHOSENOUTHeatherOUT
Episodes
Ratings
Awards and honors
Year Category Nominee(s) Episode Result 2016 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Reality Programs J. Rupert Thompson "Over the Falls"
References
General references
External links
Official Website