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Team Wildcard wins Canada’s Ultimate Challenge; casting open for Season 3

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From a media release:

 After six weeks of intense competition filled with twists and turns, Team Wildcard shocked the country, upsetting Team Red in the final obstacle course to win season two of CANADA’s ULTIMATE CHALLENGE last night on CBC. Standing on the shores of Vancouver Island, host Brandon Gonez declared Brandon Rodwell (Woodstock, ON), Shasily Matowe (Edmonton, AB) and Whitney Beers (Saint John, NB) season two champions and winners of a VIP trip to cheer on Team Canada at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Season two of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, including the finale episodes, are available to stream now on CBC Gem.

As the two-part finale began, teams Blue, Red and Orange travelled to Revelstoke, BC, in anticipation of the biggest elimination showdown of the season. There, they were faced with a terrifying gondola challenge atop the largest vertical drop in North America where Team Red secured their spot in the finale. Then, in the most surprising twist of the season it was revealed that eliminated Players Brandon Rodwell, Shasily Matowe and Whitney Beers were returning as the newly formed Team Wildcard and, after facing off in a kayak challenge, Team Orange was sent packing. Player tensions and rivalries came full circle as the remaining teams headed to Vancouver Island for the final three obstacles. Known for its gnarly trails and legendary precipitation, Mount Washington set the backdrop for a mountain bike relay that ultimately led to the elimination of the Team Blue, and pitted season favourites Team Red and underdogs Team Wildcard against each other in the final challenge of the season, “Canada’s Ultimate Log Jam.” In an intense obstacle course, Team Wildcard pulled off the ultimate upset and defeated Team Red for the win. They’ll be joining Season One winners Vinny Rojas (Dorval, QC), Alana Warnick (Winnipeg, MB), Bradley Farquhar (Halifax, NS), and Devon MD Jones (Toronto, ON) at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer. 

The season finale comes fresh off the heels of the announcement that the series has been renewed for a third season. Casting for season three of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is open now. Season one of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Reality/Competition Series.

Hosted by Brandon Gonez, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is an original reality competition format that transforms Canada into an epic obstacle course. Each episode takes place at an awe-inspiring location showcasing the beauty and grandeur of Canada. Players compete in a series of challenges that test every aspect of their physical and mental strength, pushing them to their limits. Season two featured 20 fierce competitors divided into teams of five who battled it out in  St. John’s, NL, Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC, Ottawa, ON, Hamilton, ON, Canmore, AB, Revelstoke, BC and Vancouver Island. 

Commissioned by CBC, season two of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is executive produced by Erin Brock, John Brunton, Mark Lysakowski, and Jeff Thrasher for Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) and Phil Gurin for The Gurin Company. 

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Canada's Ultimate Challenge

CBC, Insight Productions and The Gurin Company announce Season 2 of Canada’s Ultimate Challenge

From a media release:

CBC, Insight Productions, and The Gurin Company today announced production details for the second season of the original reality competition format CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, with Canadian broadcaster Brandon Gonez on board to host. Shooting this September and October, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (7×60) turns the entire country into a giant obstacle course with challenges taking place from coast to coast. Kicking off in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the series is set to premiere on CBC Gem and CBC in 2024. More details, including the Players and locations, will be announced in the coming months.

Each episode of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE takes place at an awe-inspiring location where the Players – 20 people from across the country competing in teams of four – compete in spectacular team challenges that put their skills to the test.

Brandon Gonez Bio
Brandon Gonez is one of the country’s most beloved broadcasters and the CEO/Founder of Gonez Media (GMI), Canada’s fastest-growing online news and entertainment company. Prior to the launch of GMI, Gonez was a reporter and anchor at CP24 and Your Morning and began his career in Northwest British Columbia as a video journalist for CFTK-TV News. Born in Toronto and raised in Brampton, ON, Gonez is a graduate of York University with a B.A. in Communications and has a certificate in Television and Radio broadcasting from Seneca College.

Commissioned by CBC, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is executive produced by Erin Brock, John Brunton, Mark Lysakowski, and Jeff Thrasher for Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) and Phil Gurin for The Gurin Company.

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Canada's Ultimate Challenge, Industry News

CBC, Insight Productions and The Gurin Company announce details for new original competition series Canada’s Ultimate Challenge

From a media release:

CBC, Insight Productions and The Gurin Company today announced production details for their new original Canadian factual competition format CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, with sports broadcaster Nikki Reyes and professional snowboarder and CBC Sports analyst Craig McMorris onboard as hosts. Shooting this summer, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE turns the entire country into one giant obstacle course with challenges in Whitehorse, YK; Squamish, BC; Kelowna, BC; Hinton, AB; Sudbury, ON; Thousand Islands, ON; and Québec City, QC; culminating with the finale on the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and PEI. The series (8×60) is set to premiere on CBC and CBC Gem in winter 2023.

As hosts, Craig McMorris and Nikki Reyes anchor the show, bringing their energy, humour, insight, and impressive broadcast credentials to bear, while connecting viewers to the heart of the action and guiding them through the entire competition. McMorris and Reyes call the play-by-play and interview the players as they experience the agony of defeat and the joy of victory, capturing all the drama of this unique competition series.

Each episode of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE takes place at an awe-inspiring location where the players – 24 Canadians from across the country – compete in spectacular solo, tandem, or team challenges that put their skills to the test. Six iconic Canadian athletes coach and mentor six teams of four through physical and mental challenges, making strategic decisions and motivating their players to victory.

Craig McMorris is a 2019 X Games medallist as well as the only snowboarder to ever compete in an X Games real snow competition and free ride world tour event in the same year. He has worked as an analyst for CBC Sports since 2014, providing snowboarding commentary at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Olympic Winter Games and serving as cultural commentator for the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. In 2017, McMorris hosted the CBC Sports series ‘Good Times with Craig McMorris’ in which he engaged with some of Canada’s most interesting action sports athletes. He is currently the star of a self-produced snowboard film, ‘Fixin.

For the past two decades, Nikki Reyes has worked as a sports television anchor, reporter, and producer. Prior to CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, she anchored TSN’s flagship show Sportscentre, was a sideline reporter for Toronto Raptor’s broadcasts and was the co-host of Raptors Game Day on TSN 1050, providing commentary and analysis during the pregame/halftime/postgame broadcasts. Reyes was also an anchor and field reporter at Sportsnet and NESN in Boston covering the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL. Quick on her feet, Reyes has extensive experience interviewing athletes at critical moments during competitions.

CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE Coaches:

Donovan Bailey – sprinting legend, two-time Olympic champion, and recent Order of Canada recipient

Waneek Horn-Miller – co-captain of the Canadian water polo Olympic team in Sydney; gold medal winner at the Pan Am games; the first Mohawk woman from Canada to compete in the Olympics; and advocate for Indigenous sport

Clara Hughes – six-time Olympic medallist in cycling and speed skating; mental health advocate; the only athlete to have won multiple medals in both summer & winter Olympics

Gilmore Junio – three-time Olympian in speed-skating; won his first ISU World Cup event in 2014 in Salt Lake City

Jen Kish – former captain of Canada’s Olympic bronze medal-winning rugby sevens team; her team won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games held in Toronto in 2015

Luke Willson – NFL Super Bowl Champion with the Seattle Seahawks and competitive cyclist

A CBC original series, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is executive produced by John Brunton and Mark Lysakowski for Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) and Phil Gurin for The Gurin Company; Jeff Thrasher is the series producer for Insight Productions.

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