'American Grit' eliminates Will Westwater and Shermon Braithwaite after showdown against Carla Mireles

American Grit eliminated Will Westwater and Shermon Braithwaite during Sunday night's fourth broadcast of the show's second season on Fox.


Will, a 23-year-old from West Hollywood, CA, and Shermon, a 22-year-old from Brooklyn, NY, were the first two people to fail and ring the bell in the "Elimination Challenge," losing to Carla Mireles, a 26-year-old from Chino, CA, and ultimately sealing their fate in the survival and military-themed reality competition series.

Will was on U.S. Army Drill Sergeant John Burk's team, while Shermon was sent packing from Marine Chloe Mondesir's team. Carla returned to Marine Riki Long's team.

"I didn't lose in the way I feared losing, which is nice. That $250,000 is gone, but I got what I came here for. I didn't quit on myself, so that's good," Will said following his ouster.

"I tried my best. I love the whole Camp Grit," Shermon explained after he was defeated.


"I learned a lot. I learned to just not always scream, not always be angry, not always want to curse people out. I am willing to learn to be kind to others, show them that you really care. When I came in the house, I didn't really care about nobody. I didn't think I was going to make any friends. But they proved me wrong. I love the fact that I'm changing. That's grit!"

In addition to Burk, Chloe and Riki, the show's other military hero is Grady Powell, an elite Green Beret whose group of players won the episode's team competition.

In Sunday night's broadcast, each team was required to participate in a foot race in which they had to run through "the muck" as they were roped waist to waist. American Grit host John Cena warned the teams that there would be a double elimination this week, meaning the first two people to ring out at the subsequent "Elimination Challenge" would be ousted from the show.

Burk's team was made up of Will; Hannah Koen, a 23-year-old from Newburyport, MA; Melanie Mahanna, 29-year-old from Brooklyn NY; and Chris Edom, a 48-year-old from Merrick NY.

Chloe's team was comprised of Shermon; Janessa Morgan, a 36-year-old from Los Angeles, CA; and Alison Kempkey, a 36-year-old from Seattle, WA.


Riki's team consisted of Carla; Richard Mallard, a 32-year-old from Berryville TX; and Scarlett Angelina, a 24-year-old from New Brunswick, NJ.

On Grady's team were George Foreman IV, a 28-year-old from Houston TX; Herman Barr, a 26-year-old from Billings MT; Michael Wilson Morgan, a 38-year-old from Brooklyn, NY; and Gigi Gustin, a 20-year-old from Glassboro, NJ.

Grady's team ended up winning the team competition, so George, Herman, Michael, and Gigi were all granted immunity.

Hannah unfortunately hurt her arm upon crossing the finish line and therefore had to take a trip to the emergency room. It turns out she suffered a sprained wrist and two fingers.

Since his team was victorious again, Grady got to select three individuals from the other teams to compete against one another in the Elimination Challenge.


Burk knew Hannah was going to be the weakest link on his team, so he asked Grady if he could pick her for the Elimination Challenge in order for his team to have a fighting chance in team competitions in the future. Burk asked for the favor in fear of losing two players, including Hannah to injury, and having no shot to beat Grady's tough and nearly-unstoppable team.

Grady thought it was a "cop out" and didn't speak highly of Burk as a leader. With that being said, Grady picked Carla, Shermon, and Will to go head to head in the challenge because the cadre had promised his team they'd be the four individuals duking it out for $250,000 at the end of this journey.

For the Elimination Challenge, the three contestants were required to hold a heavy ball above the water with only one hand while leaning forward on a perch. They were allowed to switch hands, but the move came with the risk of potentially letting the ball go. The challenge was all about endurance and balance, as well as body positioning.

After 20 minutes of competing, the players could no longer switch hands. Everyone was still competing after one hour, and that's when Will lost control of the ball. After a whopping three hours, Shermon finally dropped out. Cena called the Carla and Shermon face-off "amazing."

"Mind over matter," Carla said of her victory. "When I am put to the test like that and it's all on me, I fear nobody. I definitely gave this challenge my all, and the strongest-minded won."


Riki said Carla "really showed some grit today" and she'd probably make the other competitors "sh-t themselves" upon returning to camp.

In this new season of American Grit, the cast is comprised of individuals looking to regain grit they had lost or find grit they never had in the first place.

Unlike last season, the majority of Season 2's cast is comprised of people who are not physically strong or athletic. These contestants are typically viewed as weak, materialistic, cocky, insecure, or vulnerable. Many of them recently experienced a tragedy or heartbreak they're hoping to move past.

The cast includes individuals dealing with disorders such as OCD, crippling fears such as swimming, health issues such as being overweight, or sudden loss such as a partner cheating or a child dying. Going into the new season, each person had something to prove to him or herself as well as others who doubt or criticize them.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski