Why Trista Sutter abruptly left the special forces: what you didn’t see

Trista Sutterthe exit of Special Forces abruptly appeared on television, but it turns out there was a lot going on behind the scenes that viewers didn’t see during the Wednesday, January 15, episode.

“The first day, when I came back from the beach, I was in hypothermic shock. My lips were turning blue in the vehicle on the way back. It was bad. I was extremely lethargic,” Sutter, 53, revealed in an exclusive interview with Us every week. “It was really scary.”

Shortly after Wednesday’s episode debuted, the OG Bachelorette told the Special Forces soldiers she wanted to leave. According to Sutter, she realized it was time for her to tackle a mirrored room that wasn’t ventilated.

“I wanted to go to the end. I really did it. I wasn’t the type who just wanted to sign up for the show and get my paycheck on day one, you know what I mean? I wanted to challenge myself as much as possible, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the hall of mirrors is part of that, I wanted to make it happen,” she said. We. “I thought it would be further, but because of what happened to me, they pulled me in and I was able to really connect on a human level with Billy (Billingham) And Q (Jovon Quarles).

Sutter also remembers contacting Trooper Rudy Reyes.

“When I was on the beach, I stopped Rudy and said, ‘I think I’m going to pass out.’ And he said, “Well, what do you want to do?” » I said, “I would love to see a doctor.” And he said to me, “Well, you can’t, if you see a doctor, you voluntarily withdraw.” » …And he says, ‘I’m sorry, you either have to VW or move on.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I’m not ready to go home,'” she told We. “So I went on and he said, after the hall of mirrors, ‘I’m really proud of you. I thought you were going to stop on the beach and you didn’t and you kept going and it’s so important and I’m so proud of you.’

Sutter called the validation she received from DS rewarding — and a sign that she might have accomplished what she set out to do on the show, despite her early exit.

“They saw that I was giving 100 percent, even though my 100 percent wasn’t as good as professional athletes and Carey HartI was doing my best,” she continued. “And so just knowing that they saw that I was giving one hundred percent meant a lot to me.” I have so much respect for them and what they gave to our country (and) their countries. Being in contact with them was really important to me.

The reality TV personality went into more detail about her decision to leave the show, explaining that she took a long shower to warm up after returning from the beach.

“Before we started filming again, I saw the number 444 and I believe in numbers and guardian angels and God and I have immense faith and all that,” she said. “I went in knowing or believing that my guardian angels were watching over me and I went to bed. I woke up to the explosions – we all did – and instantly a peace came over me thinking, “Everything is okay. You have enjoyed these two days a lot. Even if it’s only two days. It felt like a lifetime.

Sutter added that the staff warned her that things were going to get more difficult if she stayed and progressed on the show.

“And it was already very hard!” she continued. “The in between – running with the peloton, which is basically a third of my body weight – was really tough. I was never a runner and those were the hardest parts, the tasks that excited me and I thought I did very well at them even though I didn’t succeed technically.

On the show, Sutter said she didn’t want to be a “burden” to any of her teammates.

“I wanted to challenge myself but not force others to help me,” she said. We of the remark. “They didn’t have to help me. Golden (Tate) he was carrying my bag – you could see him at one point near the bridge – he had two bags on him, one of them was mine. And I remember saying to him, “I think I’m going to go.” He said, “Are you sure? » And watch out, that’s when we’re running around trying to get ready to go, go.

Sutter reiterated that even though she was only on the show for a short stint, it was a very rewarding experience. She noted that fellow contestants Denise Richards (who was the second rookie to leave) probably felt the same way.

“I have so much respect for what Denise was able to accomplish and she was the second to go,” Sutter said. “Everyone has a different purpose for being there. Everyone has their own reasons for leaving and that doesn’t take away from who they are and what they are trying to accomplish.

Sutter concluded that she regained her “confidence” – as an individual and an athlete – thanks to her appearance on the show.

“I learned that I can do difficult things if I put my mind to it. And part of me regrets leaving when I did, now that I see everything they went through,” she said. “But I just keep trying to remember what I felt at that moment and that peace that came over me, (how I did) to challenge myself with the experience and all the people I’ve met, the camaraderie. I try to be grateful for all that, but it’s hard. I’d love to wake up and be like, ‘Yeah, whatever. Screw this play.’ “

Special Forces airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.