The Zach Nichols Podcast - The Laurel Stucky Interview | ZNP EP. 35

Episode Date: March 22, 2024

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Hey, it's Laurel from The Challenge. We're on Zach Nichols' podcast, and I hope you tune in because you're not going to want to miss it. Welcome back to the Zach Nichols podcast. I'm here with my co-host, Mr. Zach Nichols. And more importantly, we have the greatest of her time. Miss Laurel Stucky in the building in your backyard. Yeah, welcome. Pretty much, yeah.

This is where you grew up. Sort of. I was born in Pontiac. Well, yeah. So I was born in this. We're in the, how far? So you grew up less than what, 15 minutes from here? You could probably get to my house in four minutes from here.

You are right in the neighborhood. How does it feel to be back home? And what do you feel about the studio right here in, you know, half a mile from, you know, where you were born? I love it. I love that Zach brings like Michigan to the challenge. And so, you know, obviously started this podcast and it's rep in Detroit. And so it makes me happy because this is, you know, my hometown. And I have so many years, so many memories, so much history here.

And so even just flying into DTW, I, when I was in high school, I built that airport. Yeah. I literally was like on the radio with some radio host, whatever, doing like the announcing. And then we like, we like, my mom, my friend's mom was like an event planner. So we like set this whole thing up like as they were opening, you know, the McNamara terminal in Detroit. So like I even flying into that airport, I was like, we set that fountain up. We set this up. We set that up.

And it's just like everything floods back. It is a beautiful airport. Isn't it? It is one of the cleanest, nicest airports. Every time I mean that. I do. Yeah. Every time I pick people up, they're like walking off the plane.

I'm like, all right, they're 20 minutes away. It's like they're walking wherever if they don't know how to take the tram. Right. But I never take the tram. Me either. Dude, no, I love the walk. I love the walk as fall.

Okay, I'm the lazy one here. Let's just start at the top here. You know, anytime we've had someone on the couch, we always ask the same question, build your Mount Rushmore. And you are always, if not the first, the second girl they bring up. And I, that's obviously that those are the facts of the situation. But I don't think you ever went into the challenge thinking that this was going to be ever, of people were going to be talking about, like, record books and who's the greatest and who's

that. It was more of, like, a fun spring breaky experience. And so did you ever expect that? Like, or did you kind of know going into it? Like, you said kind of in your interview, you were like, you realize it's not going to be fair. So you kind of knew. Well, all right. So, no, I never, like, and here's a thing, like, coming from an athletic background, I was

breaking records for my entire career in volleyball. Right. And even, like, you know, just people were talking about. me. I was like the Michigan, I was like the high school scholar athlete for like one of the, like, you know, radio stations. Like my coach put me up for that. So like I was always breaking records. I don't mean to come off cocky. But you don't. I had the most kills in every game. I had the most aces. I was the captain. I was appointed the captain of like my team when I was second year in and that was unheard of at the time. It still is. Yeah. That's a senior's position

I know. Yeah. And I and I got it as a sophomore. So I was the captain of the team and we were champions of our league. We made it to all of these great games. We tow to toe with some of the best teams in Detroit, like Frazier, Marion. Those girls kicked fucking ass. And it was, you know, a lot due to my leadership.

And I hate talking about myself, but I will say that. It was. Speak your truth. Yeah, we're here to do exactly that. I love being on a team. Yeah. I'll just say that. I love being on a team.

I am either a born leader or a built leader, maybe both at the same time. And I enjoy it. I love picking things apart and putting the pieces together and saying that person needs to be there. This person needs to be elevated. This person's going down. You know, bring them back up. Take the blame here. Put it off of them so they don't feel like it's their fault.

Right. And then, you know, it helps them the morale of the team, heighten people up. I love that. I love getting in people's heads. Yes. That's one thing that I fucking love. You have been inside of my head for years. Like, years.

I can't say. You kill me. I'm literally like, I, from day one, like, Pierre was, like, asking about certain people. He's like, Laura, I'm like, I'm deathly afraid of her. I'm deathly afraid to go against him. her or to disappoint her. And that's the truth because I think that like your dominance in the game

was like going against you is almost like signing your death warrant because you're going to get power sooner than later. More, always more than likely sooner. Do you know what I'm saying? So I always felt as if like the game was very easy for you because you were competing to be the best competitor

not the best female. And it's definitely interesting to hear how excited you are to be part of a team because you are so competent on your own. So it's like relying on other people, there's a certain type of vulnerability that comes with that, right? And you're also taking it upon yourself to get them ready for that moment. So it is interesting insight to hear that for sure.

I mean, I just love the challenge. So the challenge comes with sometimes you're on a team, sometimes with your partner, you know, like sometimes you're on your own. But most of the time you're working with people. Yeah. You know, either a partner or a huge team. And so, you know, that I love that. And, you know, I bring what I know to that.

I try to at least. And, you know, regardless, I think it's quite evident. You know, every challenge I go on, I win half of the challenges, at least half to more. Like, and when I first came out, you know, I think we won eight out of ten or we gave one to one of our, we like gave the one of our, we like gave the one. So we won seven out of ten. And then it's like five out of time. You're talking about fresh meet with Kenny. Mm-hmm.

That may be one. of the greatest challenge teams ever assembled. And I don't think Kenny really gets talked about enough in the sense of how good he was. I mean, he had, I think he, for sure, I can count three wins, maybe four. Yeah, he has a lot of wins. Three or four wins, but he had a second place with you. He had a second place with Wes. Yep.

So he's very established. With Wes? Rivals won. He lost to Johnny and Tyler. Oh, yes. Yeah. Sorry. So this guy's, I mean, he goes to almost every final he's ever competed in.

He doesn't get talked about enough. And I think like it's the best, one of the coolest things about having you in the studio is you've done, you just did ride or dies, but you also have this like you came, I mean, fresh meat, that was still. Season 19. Yes, exactly. And we are about to, what is it, season 39. Right. So 20 seasons ago I came through. That's, that's incredible.

It is. And it's always awesome to have someone in here where it's like, okay, the story of the challenge is something that a phrase that we use. It cannot be told without Zach. It definitely is going to miss about half the fucking book without Laurel stuff. So do you feel like pressure to always win and be the best? You are so funny. Because they always used to ask for you. I don't feel it.

Okay. They always used to ask me that when like when I came through. And I remember in my interviews, I'm like, I'm so boring because every question they asked me, I'm like, no, I don't feel that. Did you hear what, did you hear what Emer said about you in the dock? No. She literally said everyone in production gets excited when you say yes to the original call because that they said that completely changes everyone's reaction to how they're playing the game. All the girls are scared and all the guys are pretty, I mean, it is true.

It's like you want to be on Laurel's side. You don't want her against you. It's true. And like, Emer literally said in the doc, she gets really excited. And that's the other interesting thing about you is you haven't done a lot back to back to back. Like you were one of the people who would do one and then you'd say no and you'd step away for one or two seasons, which is crazy to me because I was always at first like I got to do every single one because you never know when you're going to get the call, but you had like the confidence to be like, I'm all set. And then you come back and you do one. So like talk more about that.

Like talk about like the decision to like know your dominance but also know that you took like you took so many years off too. Like, you know. And a lot of it was probably for school and stuff. No, no. At the time, no. You just were just choosing like I just need. like kind of like a break so I mean you would know this that being on television isn't the easiest no it's not thing um so I did three seasons back to back so I started with fresh meat too and then I did

cut throw and then I did rivals and that was three finals in a row three finals in a row and three second place finishes in a row which to me was like I I fucking suck basically I get it I've been there I did two two yeah three girls the row taking money every time but still to you in your head, like, I don't deserve to be here almost or what? Not that I don't deserve to be here. Thank you.

Make sure they know that three in a row. It's just, I was just like, I was so mad. I just mad. That is true because you go there, you do all the work, you're there for all that time

and you get so close to winning, like with Kenny, then you have people die on you, right, and cut throat. And then rivals, too, like you went against arguably the most. She kicked my ass.

She deserved that. But those two, and Paula can run. If Paula has someone, who can be like Paula roll with me you don't have to think you don't have to do any thinking you just have to run and eat Paula will kill that

Paula does a bad job when she has to be like the leader I found and so that was arguably one of the most in the best endurance of any two girls you're ever going to go amazing so like that I get that one but I understand where you're coming from because I luckily I had my win early so that I got it but I know

like you know vendetta's car gets me car gets me in a like no because if I didn't have it I would be the biggest but to ever be on the challenge if I didn't get the win 100%. Everyone was like, this guy's gonna be this big, strong freak of an athlete, and then I come on and never win. Like, what a loser. You know, so I got that out of the way, but like I got second on vendetta's,

second on war of the world, third on free agents, embarrass the shit out of myself. I know how you feel because I have that same mindset. I'm not nearly as dominant as you. Like I lose a lot more elimination around as you, but I have that mentality where I'm like, if I can go, if I go on a show in the right mindset, I'm always a threat to get to a final, possibly win depending on who is there.

You have the mindset of not only am I going to probably get to the final, but I have the ability to win against anyone. And you do. Thank you. Because you kill the equalizers and then you're almost like, like you're a freak of nature, how you climb that mountain and then we're able to traverse your way down. You know what I was doing down that mountain? No.

Because every time I tried to stop, I'd cramp up, I was just letting myself hit the trees. So I was like taking steps and like basically like this hitting a tree hitting a tree and you were like you're looking back and you're like what the hell is you doing? I was using the trees to stop myself and we were going down the other side of the mountain and I just was watching you like and you were just like one speed the whole time and so Oh my God I didn't know that oh yeah I was using trees to stop myself But here's a thing if I was you in that position I would have treated me way worse I know I was gonna say like doing all that you did after three

three seconds and the moment is just I'm getting reminded how big it was for you to win that one because Imagine that. That concludes the free preview of the Zach Nichols podcast. So go to Patreon and subscribe to see the rest of the shit that we talk. Go do it now.