by Gina Scarpa

Last year, on Battle of the Exes, Sarah's partner Vinny was sent home from The Challenge after a night gone wrong at a local club.  Because of his behavior, Sarah was also forced to leave, which was a devastating blow for the competitive veteran.  On Battle of the Seasons, her Brooklyn team made it all the way to the finals, leaving her feeling good as she re-entered the game for Rivals 2 with Las Vegas cast member Trishelle for a partner.  Trishelle decided to quit the show after a fight with Aneesa and history repeated itself, with TJ telling Sarah she had to go as well.  We talked to Sarah about her bad luck with partners, her showmance with Jordan, and the exciting things she has going on back home.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You said it on last week's episode, and I think it's clear to everyone, that you love competing on these Challenges. Do you ever hesitate when MTV asks you to come back or is it an immediate yes every time?
A. Sarah: Well, it's an immediate yes every time because it's worked out perfectly in the past, where I'll be in between semesters at school or I don't have anything planned. Timing, of course, is everything but also, I have the itch right now to go! I'm an adrenaline junkie. The reason why Trishelle or some people can't understand why I love The Challenge is because they're not an adrenaline junkie. They don't get the same rush that I get when I'm standing 20 stories up and am about to jump off. It's basically bad! I'm getting a fix when I go on these things. I'm Sarah and I'm a Challenge-aholic. I don't say no because where else can I do this stuff?

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did having Trishelle as a partner lower your enthusiasm for being part of Rivals 2?
A. Sarah: You know, it didn't lower my enthusiasm. Just a few months before, I ran a final with her and I lost to her. I knew that she had it in her to compete and win and try... at least, I thought she did. I wasn't worried. In fact, I kinda felt good about it because it's been very successful for me in the past to be on teams where we're not expected to win. That was Brooklyn, that was my team on Cutthroat, I've always been Team Underdog. I was expecting the same with Trishelle - we fly under the radar because we're not that great but we're not terrible. People would want to run against us in the final. I was never discouraged but the more time went on, I got more and more worried. She had nobody that was in her corner, she had no friends, and she's from another generation of MTV.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You and Jordan started to have something going on. Were there real feelings happening or was it just a way to pass the time?
A. Sarah: We both like each other and he's a really great guy. He and I are very, very similar in so many ways. He's easy to get along with and he's so cute! I wanted to be the first girl to make out with that! It looks like he stepped out of a J. Crew magazine, he's such a great dresser. Out of anybody that I've had a connection with on a Challenge, I think he was the most real or whatever. It's all in fun though! He's younger than me and I knew it was just a fun thing and that was that.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What did you think when TJ said the guys would be voting the girls into the elimination rounds this season?
A. Sarah: I thought it would've been so helpful for me. I'm friends with all those guys outside of the show. I've hung out with all of them and really like a lot of them in real life. If Trishelle would've just shut her freakin' mouth...

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You've had some bad luck with partners and this is the second time you've had to leave a Challenge early because of something your partner did. I have to say, you took it much better this time around.
A. Sarah: Okay, this is what I really believe. We are given lessons that we are supposed to learn in life. This is why you have those people that say, "Oh I always date the same kind of person." If you react the same way over and over, you're never learning your lesson and the situation will keep presenting itself until you learn. This was the universe giving me a second chance to react in a different day so I could learn a lesson from it. Before, I had put so much energy and I was so hurt by being kicked off that when I saw myself on tv, I was like, "Get over it!" This is what's supposed to happen, don't get so hung up on it. When it came, I had a moment and I just talked to myself and said, "Okay, how are you going to let this affect your life? Be in charge of your emotions. Are you going to let this really upset you? You know it's coming. Are you going to take this as an opportunity learn and help people?" I got a chance to tell people to be nice. So I just kind of took a deep breath to be in charge of my emotions, and took it as a learning opportunity. I don't like feelings of inner turmoil.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you have exciting things going on back home?
A. Sarah: Yeah, I sure do! I am so excited because I start my first semester at, what I call, Big Girl School. I'm going to California State, Long Beach. I'm going to be in school for a long time now and I'm studying and taking a full course load. I'm finishing my degree and hopefully, going onto grad school. I'm all schooled up and when I'm not doing that, I'm working as an ambassador for a non-profit, PAVE, which promotes empowerment. 1 in 4 girls in their college career will be sexually assaulted, meaning 25%, which is horrific. With that being said, 9 in 10 girls who are assaulted don't report it. Those numbers are even greater than what we project them to be. I'm very passionate about being part of that and working with wonderful people to get the word out there to change campus safety.

The Challenge Rivals 2 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on MTV.

(Image courtesy of MTV)

Follow Gina @ginascarpa