The Challenge 41 finale recap: Partnerships tested and penalties faced as finalists battle to the mountaintop

The Challenge: Vets & New Threats has officially wrapped with the premiere of part two of the finale on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, on MTV, after a season filled with intense challenges, gruesome tasks, shocking twists, and emotional eliminations.

Season 41's finale saw each team battling through pain, sweat, and tears as they competed to reach the top of the mountain peak, facing several checkpoints along the way.

The teams competing for the title in the finale were: Michaela and Cedric, Olivia Kaiser and Yeremi Hykel, Sydney Segal and Turbo Çamkıran, and Theo Campbell and Adrienne Naylor.

Olivia Kaiser and Yeremi Hykel reached the mountaintop first, earning first place and emerging as the winners of season 41 of The Challenge. 

While the duo, Sydney Segal, Survivor alum and The Challenge superstar, and Turbo Turabi, finished in second place, earning $50,000 cash prize.

Michaela Bradshaw and Big Brother alum Cedric Hodges also reached the top 3 with a cash prize of $25,000.

Here's what happened in The Challenge season 41 finale, part two

The Challenge: Vets & New Threats finale opens with a long, grueling overnight challenge. The last episode of the finale ended with host TJ Lavin introducing a new twist, giving an opportunity to the players to swap their partners with someone else.

Michaela has an injured ankle and decides to push forward with Cedric, who initially considered swapping partners, but later stayed with Michaela.

Theo thinks about teaming up with Olivia, but he also sticks with his original partner, Adrienne.

TJ then introduces one of the most gruelling overnight tasks: only one partner can rest inside the tent while the other has to balance on a narrow log. If the person falls, they switch their partners from the tent.   

Sydney and Turbo, being in first place, have to endure six straight hours. Cedric and Michaela face seven hours, and Olivia and Yeremi were required to do the task for eight. Theo and Adrienne, who are in last place, have to hold out the entire night.

After surviving the night, Cedric can’t find his rope, the tool TJ specifically told them to protect so teams could tether themselves together on the mountain. When Cedric admits he lost it, TJ immediately hands him and Michaela a five-minute penalty.

Lavin then says that players have to now run up to the top of the mountain, which has several checkpoints. Whoever finishes first wins the competition.

The first checkpoint included players answering trivia questions about their partner. If they answered correctly, a number to unlock a coded padlock was awarded.

Sydney and Turbo crack the code first, with Olivia and Yeremi finishing second. Meanwhile, the other two teams struggle behind.

The next checkpoint was a massive Connect Four board. Sydney and Turbo win, beating Olivia and Yeremi.

Theo and Adrienne then manage a win against Olivia and Yeremi, pushing the latter pair into last place after getting defeated by Michaela and Cedric as well.

Sydney and Turbo are in the lead, moving in sync as they battle the cold, the wind, and the punishing slope while tethered together.

But Olivia and Yeremi also find themselves buckled up, surging past Michaela and Cedric, and then Theo and Adrienne, who ultimately fall so far behind that their race is over.

Despite Michaela’s injury, she refuses to quit and keeps climbing with Cedric. Sydney and Turbo keep pushing, but Olivia and Yeremi inch closer with every step.

In the final stretch, Olivia urges Yeremi on: “Come on, Yeremi. Almost there.”With one last burst of energy, they reach the top first, unlock the final box with their keys, and become the newest Challenge champions.

Stay tuned for more updates.