Warning: This article contains spoilers about episode 5 ofThe Challenge: All Stars, now streaming on Paramount+.
“That was my birthday!
It was a terrible birthday,” Stolarczyk tells EW with a laugh.
‘The Challenge: All Stars’.Juan Cruz Rabaglia PARAMOUNT+
“Andit was Valentine’s Day.
I was like, wow, this is coming out of nowhere.TJ,that was a sneak attack.”
“And I had no idea!
Juan Cruz Rabaglia/Paramount+
But it was too late.
Once I had that information, everyone else was off and running.”
Who’s going to hire a colorblind designer?
Juan Cruz Rabaglia/Paramount+
I don’t put it out there like that.
It’s not conducive for me.
I have a major issue with reds, and I have a major issue with blues.
It is what it is.
And my ankle was in way worse shape than my colorblindness in my mind."
SYRUS YARBROUGH:Oh, I still want to kill him.
Where’s he at?
YARBROUGH:For sure.
I’m just mad that they had to drag Beth in.
I wish I could have done it myself.
But I’d rather be in there with her than any other girl that was there.
[Laughs] It would have been literally anybody else!
And it was Alton for the simple fact that he was plotting to throw me in earlier.
Once I hear something like that, you’ve got the option to’t tell me anything else.
I want that man.
I don’t care if it’s the biggest man in the world; I want that guy.
That’s the way I am in life.
If you’re better than me, you’re better than me, but if I beat you?
Wait, so Alton was scheming against you earlier than this moment in the game?
YARBROUGH:Alton had plotted right away off the bat.
But it didn’t happen like that.
Instead, my world exploded, and I’m at home sitting down watching it on TV.
STOLARCZYK:Wait, I didn’t know that!
I had no idea Alton was gunning for Syrus.
I mean, we were all living in the same room.
Syrus didn’t give me that information!
That kind of competing is just not me.
I’ll win and then talk my s—.
The one time in my life I was hoping for a Hall Brawl was right then.
I would have still been there, for sure.
And Syrus, what exactly happened with your ankle?
We don’t see you get injured in the episode.
Darrell thought my ankle or my kneecap had given.
He thought I tore my ACL or something, but it was a really bad ankle sprain.
And then I hurt myself walking casually down the stairs.
I was so upset.
It’s still messed up to this day!
I’m still dealing with that.
You still performed really well in the daily challenge even with that injury.
YARBROUGH:For me, it’s always been mind over matter.
Otherwise, I’m competing.
I can’t wait to get back to The Challenge.
I wish it was tomorrow.
I’m ready to go!
So it’s a bummer that it went down that way.
Syrus, what was it like doing that elimination and jumping down on your bad ankle?
It looked like you were in a lot of pain.
YARBROUGH:Adrenaline was pumping, and once you get in that zone, you just go.
The pain I’ll deal with later.
But I really thought I broke my ankle on the second landing.
I remember thinking, if my ankle’s broken, am I going to break my neck?
And I’m not going out that way.
I’d definitely give up before that was the case.
So my only goal was not to fall backward.
So the last thing you want to do is not do yourself justice in these eliminations.
I just always want to compete at the highest level possible.
How did the reality ofAll Starscompare to what you had expected or hoped it to be like?
YARBROUGH:I thought it was going to be a little less intense.
But that quickly changed with the first mission.
People were getting hurt, people were getting saved, people were actually fearing for their lives.
It didn’t become real until you see that.
STOLARCZYK:Yeah, I thought it was going to be a scaled-back version.
[Laughs] Just because we’re older.
But I was excited for the challenge.
We just got unlucky in the last one.
It was totally ridiculous.
He was purposely trying to sabotage us.
YARBROUGH:We all had to keep one hand on the log.
That was the only rule.
So if Alton’s hand wasn’t on the log, what did that mean?
I thought that would mean a foul, disqualification, anything.
That’s what happens; you get penalized.
But Alton wasn’t penalized at all.
I was penalized because I had to carry his weight.
And on my bad ankle, with my 10 plus years.
There should have been some kind of penalty for that.
It doesn’t sit well with me.
But we’ll have our moment to go head-to-head again.
Hopefully,The Challengegods will grant me that.
But it really felt like he was sabotaging me.
Because no one wants to go with Alton one-on-one.
And no one wants to go against Yes, definitely.
So who’s left?
So everyone’s going to make a run at come at me, and he knew that.
So I think he tried to set me up.
Itwaspretty shocking to see him gas out so quickly on that first hill.
And Alton asked forat leastfive to 10 breaks.
STOLARCZYK:We stopped easily 10 times.
And not because of anybody else; it was only because of Alton.
He was hanging on me; he stepped on my shoes.
So we were carryinghim.
YARBROUGH:It was crazy!
Even now, I can’t believe he did what he did.
It doesn’t make any sense.
He should have been disqualified.
I should not have been going into elimination; he should have been in my place.
But at least it sounds like you’re both interested in coming back for anotherAll Starsseason!
STOLARCZYK:There’s always another Challenge!
We always go at it 100, and hopefully, we can go back again and compete.
I had a great time!
YARBROUGH:I had a blast.
And having a piece of home there in Beth was amazing.
She was my rock there.
So let them know, put it out there: Beth and Syrus are ready to come back.
We’re ready to go!
