Nelson Thomas Made History on ‘The Challenge’ as Its First-Ever Amputee Competitor
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Summary:
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Nelson Thomas became The Challenge’s first-ever competitor to compete on a prosthetic leg in season 42.
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He lost his leg after a 2023 car crash caused by driving while intoxicated; he’s publicly taken responsibility for the accident.
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He trained with three separate prosthetic feet—swimming, running, and everyday wear—each weighing about eight pounds.
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His season ended early on September 16 after a code-of-conduct violation.
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Nelson Thomas made history during The Challenge’s 42nd season as the franchise’s first competitor with a prosthetic leg—a milestone that still stands, despite his early exit from the show due to a code-of-conduct violation.
The 37-year-old reality competition veteran hadn’t competed on the show since 2022’s Ride or Dies. In the time since, a near-fatal car crash left him with such extensive damage to his right foot and leg that doctors ultimately amputated it, about a year after the accident.
The crash resulted from his own decision to drive while intoxicated, and he doesn’t minimize that when discussing it. He’s told PEOPLE he isn’t hiding the mistake or deflecting blame; he owns what happened that night and has taken responsibility. Still, he said, that single decision doesn’t define the whole person he is today.
In the lead-up to the season, Thomas had to relearn his body’s mechanics from the ground up. During filming, he rotated among several prosthetic devices designed for specific tasks—one for swimming, one for running, and one for everyday wear. Each weighed about eight pounds, which he compared to competing with extra resistance strapped to his leg throughout the entire experience. He said the physical adjustment made him feel like a rookie again, despite having more than a decade of experience on the show, and that being underestimated by newer castmates worked to his advantage.
How his season ended
Thomas’s time on The Challenge: Cutthroat ended earlier than expected. During the show’s September 16 episode, host TJ Lavin told the remaining cast that Thomas and castmates Leo Dionicio and Josh Goldstein had violated The Challenge’s code of conduct and were being removed from the competition. The episode itself did not air or explain what had happened.
Thomas later addressed his exit on social media, acknowledging that he lost control of his emotions and damaged the kitchen during the incident. He said he was taking accountability for his actions. Unverified reports—not confirmed by the production or all three men involved—claim the confrontation began after a castmate used a racial slur during the game. Thomas has not fully confirmed those specific details publicly, while Dionicio and Goldstein had not addressed the allegations themselves as of this writing.
Regardless of how his season played out, Thomas did his best to prepare physically and mentally for the competition, adjusting to his body’s new mechanics and the weight of his prosthetic devices. He stepped up to show what individuals with limb loss are still capable of.
The Challenge: Cutthroat, filmed in Thailand, revives a team format the franchise hasn’t used since 2010 and features 24 competitors vying for a $500,000 prize. It premiered August 5 on Paramount+ and continues airing new episodes weekly.
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