April 14--Chicago writer Sarah Miller didn't expect to be picked to go into the elimination challenge so early in the NBC fitness competition "Strong," and she didn't expect to lose either.
Miller, 29, was sent home at the end of Wednesday's two-hour premiere of the new series, which pairs 10 female contestants with 10 male trainers to improve their physical and mental strength. Miller and her partner, trainer Drew Logan, were slower on the obstacle course than another team.
"I was anxious. I was excited," Miller told the Tribune by phone about going into the final challenge. "I didn't really feel fear that I was going to lose. I felt confident."
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Miller, who lives in the South Loop, and Logan were selected to face the "elimination tower," a series of strength tests, by a team that won an earlier challenge. Logan said they were "totally blindsided" by the decision.
The duo got off to an early lead, powering through squats and dragging 220-pound cylinders uphill. But the other team caught up and beat Miller and Logan by seconds.
After they lost, Miller told her competitors she would miss them.
"I spend a lot of time alone and it was nice to be around other people. To have friends, I think that's what I'm going to miss the most," Miller said.
Though she wasn't on the show for long, Miller lost four dress sizes and 11 percent of body fat from her 174-pound frame. She also gained nine pounds of lean muscle.
Despite her successes, Miller recalled the competition with some sadness.
"It was just hard because I knew I could have made it a lot farther if it hadn't played out the way it did," she told the Tribune.
Eight teams remain on "Strong," which moves to its regular 7 p.m. Thursday slot this week. The winning team gets a prize of up to $500,000, depending on performance.
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