The Challenge: Whatever Happened To Evelyn Smith?
While she might not have appeared on the most seasons of "The Challenge," Evelyn Smith is no slouch when it comes to the MTV reality series. She first appeared on Season 12's "Fresh Meat," an aspiring Olympian who came on the show risking a softball scholarship at the University of Arizona. She may have lost that one, but she was a contestant numerous other times, ultimately winning "The Inferno 3," "The Island," and "Rivals." She starred in seven seasons of the show across five years, but what happened to Evelyn Smith after "The Challenge?"
She eventually made her way back to college, this time at the University of San Diego, where she graduated with a degree in history. She joined Phi Beta Kappa but didn't really draw attention to her TV past. Upon graduating in 2013, it sounded like she was ready to leave reality TV behind, "I'd rather do something that leaves me with a greater sense of accomplishment. I do have goals and there are things I want to achieve. I can do so much more with my life than reality television."
Smith then studied at Harvard Law School, a pretty rare feat for alumni of "The Challenge." She's gone on to a successful legal and political career that certainly makes her stand out from other previous contestants.
Evelyn Smith of The Challenge worked on presidential campaigns for Pete Buttigieg and Kirsten Gillibrand
Evelyn Smith has definitely kept busy over the years, and her experience being part of a team and solving puzzles may have helped her significantly with her career path, according to her LinkedIn. After graduating from Harvard, she held many positions before ultimately being an organizer for Kirsten Gillibrand's presidential campaign until she dropped out. But Smith jumped ship and started working on Pete Buttigieg's campaign, which also ended prematurely. But she's continued keeping one foot in politics, and she presently works as the organizing director of Lori Lightfoot for Chicago.
With that kind of resume, it's understandable why Smith hasn't shown up in any of the more recent "The Challenge" seasons. The reality series recently launched the spin-off "All-Stars" on Paramount+, where previous players get another shot at glory. While it wouldn't be out of the question for Smith to appear there, fans probably shouldn't hold their breath. Smith is clearly on another path, and when she spoke with the University of San Diego all those years ago, she made it clear she didn't want to make a habit of being a reality TV star, "I would hardly call it a career. It's fun while it lasts, but you see a lot of washed up reality stars."
No one would expect Evelyn Smith to give up her career entirely to appear on "The Challenge" full-time. But it would be a real treat for fans to see her compete once again in at least one more season.