Hello to everyone to who usually reads and Cara stans coming to read about their Queen; I wanted to tell you all Cara Maria was super awesome in this interview because of the amount of care and thought she put into her answers. I told her she would get to speak unfiltered, and that’s what she did. Now, the warning is this gets super long, but overall it’s easily the best interview that I’ve ever gotten to be a part of. She was honest, and the questions weren’t the same repetitive stuff about her and Kailah.

Cara Maria is one of the most divisive figures in Challenge history where people either love or hate her. To me, the biggest draw to Cara Maria is that she has had one of the great journeys as a Challenge competitor from bad to good to elite, and is now seen as a top female player in Challenge history. Here is the interview:

Q: You filmed Vendettas, did the Medlife tour, went back to Massachusetts, traveled, and now you’re finally back home in Montana with your horse. What’s it like to be back?

Cara Maria: I relish every single moment i have at home. I love being home in Montana. Getting my skinny butt back in the gym and lifting and climbing things brings life back to me. I have amazing friends who just “get” me here, and I am thankful for that, because having them around keeps me centered. I also spend as much time as I can with my beautiful horse. She fills my heart. And otherwise I am just happy to soak in the cold snowy clean air and get lost in the mountains with friends. I am so happy!

Q: Even though you were winning majority of the daily challenges, it didn’t look like you had fun on Dirty 30, and so far on Vendettas, you seem a lot happier. Is there any major reason why? And why was this season better for you?

Cara Maria: Dirty 30 lasted FOREVER. It was the Challenge that never ended… and people kept COMING BACK. And there were no hot single men to flirt with. Vendettas… well… there’s a house full of attractive single people who just want to live their best lives. Way more fun! Plus I LOVEEEEEE Spain!

Q: Before the Challenge, you did a ton of modeling work. When you applied to the Real World, besides just being on the show, were you hoping to further your modeling and art career? Do you ever wish you still did more of that stuff (I noticed your ETSY is closed currently)?

Cara Maria: I am only 5’4. I knew I wasn’t going to be an actual model. I didn’t aspire to be it either. I just did it for fun because I love playing dress up. I LOVE doing character stuff. Hell, if I never started the Challenge I probably would’ve ended up a comicon cosplay regular. I definitely would’ve invested more time in makeup and costumes. Regardless, certain modeling gigs and bikini contests etc. put money into my pocket and so I had fun and rolled with it. And no my ETSY shop is not closed…. I’ve just been traveling so much that I haven’t had time to make/pack/send orders. I do it all myself and make it super personal. I do love my arts and crafts; just haven’t been home long enough to get rolling again :)

Q: When did you make the move towards fitness? Did you ever expect it to become a such a big part of your life? I know it’s not something that defines you, but these days we always see you lifting, teaching kickboxing, or competing in Spartan Races on social media.

Cara Maria: I never did sports growing up. I literally just rode my horse all the time. Horses are ALL SEASONS… so there was no off season to do other sports. She was (and is still) my life. I’ve had her since 8th grade. I used to do classes just to stay looking good (my first job was front desk girl/shake maker at a gym). But I never got into real gritty fitness until Emily threw me over her head in Exes. I was like, welp, maybe i need some muscle on these skinny bones. I tried crossfit only because a bunch of my friends were going to check out a new spot that opened up… so I went with them (I knocked it without trying it and didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I really was super judgey about it, which is probably why Emily was so annoyed with me in the beginning). I walked in and the first thing I told the coach was if I had to give up cookies, I’m walking out the door. I ended up LOVING the class and signing up. I CAN NOT work out alone. I have zero motivation. That’s why I did whatever classes my gym offered before crossfit. I LOVE crossfit because it’s team-oriented, there’s a bit of lifting, a bit of gymnastics, and endurance, and it’s always changing. I get bored easy so crossfit keeps me on my toes. I also accomplishing new goals and doing things I never thought my body could. It’s fun when things finally “click”. And I LOVE the people I work out with. I’m lucky, in that I’ve always been surrounded by incredibly encouraging, funny, awesome teammates. It’s the same with kickboxing. I love teaching and helping people get stronger and feel amazing about themselves. I love the team aspect of it. Basically, I went from being a nerd who just did gym classes in high school to “look good”, to someone who didn’t care how I looked and just wanted to BE AWESOME. I’ve found the type of workouts that I look forward to and make me feel amazing. The sense of accomplishment is unbeatable and I love my time with friends. My body has developed according to what I’ve asked it to… and my confidence has developed with it.

Commercial Break:

Q: Will you ever be friends with Laurel again? As a fan, the relationship was one of my favorites when it was going well, but other times, it seemed really toxic as well. Do you think being partnered with Laurel and Cooke helped you grow?

Cara Maria: All I will say is that… I believe things happen in life and you learn from these things. People come into our lives at various stages and points and there’s a reason for them. There are lessons to be learned. People leave your life as well, and that’s okay too. We all come into each others’ lives at different points. We learn. We grow. We move forward. I regret nothing, I cringe at a lot, but I regret nothing. Every mistake I’ve made has shaped me into who I am today. I have love for everyone who’s been in my life. There’s good and bad in everything. You just take the best of it and move forward.

Q: How do you feel about having the most passionate fanbase in Challenge history?

Cara Maria: Where did you get that stat from? Haha. I am beyond thankful. I still view myself as an underdog weirdo socially awkward nerd. I just live my life and do the best I can. I’m incredibly flattered and humbled when people tell me that watching me has helped them in their own lives. I take none of it for granted. In fact, as much as people say I’ve indirectly helped them, the bigger thing is that they help me too. These people have more faith in me than I have in myself. They believe, unequivocally, that I can do things I myself doubt. Therefore, I work hard and ignore the doubts so I can prove them RIGHT. I don’t care about the haters or the mean things people say when I fail… I only care about not letting down the people who believe in me. I am thankful for the stories, gifts, tweets, support, everything.

Q: Does it ever get a little too much for you?

Cara Maria: The only thing I’m not okay with is people representing themselves as my “fan” (I hate that word) , attack other cast mates or people. I understand it’s coming from a good place. I understand they’re being protective and I really appreciate that. But when they get out of line or really nasty it just reflects badly on me. I’m not their mother and can’t control their actions. I do try to tell them to reign it in, but ultimately they are their own people. My biggest thing is I would never attack someone’s looks. I am insecure enough as it is, so I would hate if it’s reversed. It feels shitty. I will say things about people’s actions for sure, but I will never come at someone for something out of their control like their physical appearance or something. It’s just low and mean.

Q: How many seasons do you have left in you; what do you feel you can accomplish on this show still? You’re approaching the most seasons appeared on for a female, but at the same time, you look like you’re in the best shape of your life.

Cara Maria: Thank you so much. I feel like I’m mentally capable more than I’ve ever been. I’ll keep going until I “shouldn’t” or until MTV stops calling me. It opens so many doors for me, it pays the bills and it’s an experience of a lifetime that I don’t take for granted. The travel, the challenges, the things I get to do and live… not many people get to do that. It’s mostly about conquering fears and being stronger each day. I am so thankful for all of it. The politics and mental crap is tough, but the actual feeling of accomplishment from winning an elimination or running a final or doing well in a challenge is unbeatable. It’s a rush that rivals any high you could experience in normal life. I will probably retire when the majority of feedback is “you’re old and ugly, go home”…. Haha I don’t want to overstay my welcome honestly.

Q: Do you think Montana will remain your home long-term? I love watching the Instagram stories of you and your horse.

Cara Maria: I’m so happy in Montana. I love my life here. I am definitely not a city girl. I’ve done the LA thing, the Boston thing, but I’m a mountain girl. However, my biggest fear is commitment. I want to be free to go and do as I please. So I can’t say I will be here forever. I will go where I go when I go there, but I’m here for as long as my horse is alive. She’s 28. I can’t mover her around the world with me and I can’t leave her for a long time either. So I’ll stick it out for her ❤

Q: One of the most impressive things about you is that you’re one of the top female Challenge competitors of all time, but you really shouldn’t be on paper. You’re not an endurance person, not a swimmer, weren’t originally strong with heights or puzzles, but you took your one strength (upper body), and you slowly got a little better at everything. Do you ever just smile when competing and think about how far you’ve come?

Cara Maria: Well the swimming thing; I’ve taken lessons along the way. But unless you grow up swimming, it’s just not natural to learn as an adult. I can get from point A to point B now better than ever. I can only work on my weaknesses. And um, I actually have pretty good endurance to be honest. I HATE RUNNING. HATE IT. But I’m pretty good. I had to keep up with DARRELL on Champs vs Pros and we WON. We beat pro athletes. ANYONE is going to look like a shit runner trying to keep up with his crazy ass. In Dirty 30, I was trying to keep up with Camila and Tori; those girls are endurance animals. So being behind them by a few seconds in a run isn’t something to wag a finger at. Also, in Vendettas, I was the 4th girl up that mountain behind a firefighter, a cardio queen, and whatever the fuck animal Kam is. I’m not hating on myself. The best I can do is the best I can do. If someone performs their best and beats me I will absolutely tip my hat to them. I just have to worry about me. As long as I do my best I am happy.

Realistically I am proud. I’ve competed in the hardest finals against the strongest girls who have ever been on these challenges. I’ve ran finals against Paula, Emily, Evelyn, Tori and Camila. I’ve faced physical eliminations against undefeated players and players who should’ve beat me on paper. I definitely feel accomplished. I’ve had a hard road but it’s made me stronger.

Q: Before this ends, I just wanted to thank you again. Now, bigger elimination win for you, Aneesa (Bloodlines) or Nia (Free Agents)? And donuts, pizza, or ice cream if you could only pick one?

Cara Maria: Honestly, my best elimination win was against Johnny on Bloodlines. Nothing beats that high. Only because he is such a strong competitor and I’ve never eliminated a guy before. And, if I could only have ONE treat right now I’d go for a giant bowl of pistachio ice cream, after a few slices of veggie pizza and I’d want the ice cream to be on top of a chocolate glazed donut, but huge respect to Nia and aneesa as well. Those are right there next to the Johnny one.

Thank you to everyone who read.

Edited by Lnydon Zass