For some young Christians, studying the Bible isn’t just about faith – it’s a part of a competition with glory and millions in scholarship money hanging in the balance.

The two-hour TLC special Bible Bowl, airing Monday night, explores the intense world of the nation’s top Bible quiz bowl, and one of its key contestants says competing becomes a way of life.

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“It added extra intensity,” Hannah Hardman tells PEOPLE of having the latest competition airing on TLC. “You know the cameras are watching so you have to do better.”

In an exclusive clip, Hardman and her team rapidly answer challenging questions, showing how fast-paced the competition is. The competition is extra personal for Hardman, who is the daughter of a former Bible Bowl champ. Her team is coached by Gary Bordelon, who is considered among the competition’s greatest coaches, but had never won going into the competition. Hardman was in her senior year of high school during taping, making her extra hungry for victory.

“Everyone assumes there was pressure from my mom to do well in Bible Bowl, but she never put that pressure on me,” Hardman says of being the daughter of a former champ. “It was always myself wanting to do well because she was so good at it.”