Kelly Rizzo turned the most recent recruit to voluntarily withdraw from Particular Forces: World’s Hardest Check season 2. Kelly walked away from the present throughout a brutal boat-carrying problem as she battled immense knee and again ache.
In an unique interview with HollywoodLife, the host and Bob Saget’s widow revealed she signed on to the present for a lot of causes. She’s at all times had an “unbelievable appreciation” for the army and a fascination with the film G.I. Jane. “Everybody was telling me how sturdy I used to be or how sturdy I’m and that was one thing I simply type of needed to place to the check,” she mentioned.
Nevertheless, throughout a problem within the October 16 episode, Kelly reached her “breaking level.” As she carried a heavy boat with fellow recruits, Kelly hit her restrict and determined to voluntarily withdraw from the present. Learn our Q&A beneath about Kelly’s Particular Forces journey and what’s subsequent for her.
Do you’ve gotten any regrets about leaving whenever you did?
Kelly Rizzo: Sure and no. I made a promise to myself and to my household that I used to be not going to simply stop. I wasn’t going to stop simply because issues acquired uncomfortable or simply as a result of one thing appeared scary or out of concern. I solely would stop if I used to be injured, or if I bodily reached my breaking level and my physique simply gave out. That’s really what occurred. Wanting again, there’s a part of me that’s like, oh, may I’ve possibly discovered another ounce of power that might have gotten me just a little additional? As a result of if I had made it by means of that problem, by means of this horrific boat carry that was the worst factor anybody had ever been by means of.
If I may have made it by means of that, I’d have actually carried out nice at a few of these different challenges as a result of these have been actually up my alley. Like, the combating. I actually needed to combat. I actually needed to get submerged within the helicopter or underwater. I needed to do all these issues, which is bizarre. These have been the issues I used to be trying ahead to as a result of I had seen season 1. So I used to be like, if I may have simply gotten by means of that, however on the time additionally, it wasn’t nearly me. I knew I used to be holding my staff again. Tyler Cameron was so great. He was saying, ‘Kelly, simply get within the boat. We’ll carry you.’ I’m like, ‘That’s not proper. That’s not truthful.’ I don’t wish to be precise deadweight to my staff. I additionally bowed out as a result of I knew it was finest for the staff as a result of it wasn’t truthful to maintain holding them again.
You talked about that your again was in ache on the present. Have been you injured in any respect?
Kelly Rizzo: It began out with my knees. My knees have been in unbelievable ache. They have been swollen. I may barely stroll. The truth that probably the most bodily grueling problem of actually anybody’s life adopted that… I nearly needed to depart as a result of my knees have been hurting so dangerous, and my again was killing me. I used to be involved and that’s the explanation why I nearly needed to stop that morning, however then the doc gave me a bunch of anti-inflammatories to at the least assist with the ache. I used to be scared that I used to be doing lasting injury. I’m like, is that this value it if I actually mess up my knees and I’m going to wish surgical procedure or one thing? That’s how dangerous it was. After which in fact, they’re like, now carry this 1000-pound boat up a mountain within the river with an Olympian and two large sturdy males. After which me with my 44-year-old again. It was simply very grueling, and I didn’t have a long-term harm fortunately. Nevertheless it did take me at the least a full week to even be capable to stroll usually.
What did you study your self whereas competing on the present?
Kelly Rizzo: I discovered that I used to be capable of push myself additional than I assumed. Earlier than, if something ever acquired uncomfortable, I’d stop, even in a exercise. I’d at all times surrender when issues simply acquired just a little uncomfortable. Issues acquired very uncomfortable the primary hour we have been there, and I nonetheless pushed by means of. Clearly trying again, if I may do it once more, I’d return in a heartbeat. I want I used to be capable of push by means of that boat carry problem. I’d have liked to have made it farther as a result of I actually needed to be there. However on the similar time, I’m like, I do know I gave it my all and labored my butt off.
How do you assume Bob would have felt about how far you made it?
Kelly Rizzo: Actually right this moment I had this realization that I do know he would have been happy with me for doing it. He would have thought I used to be loopy as a result of it’s one thing in one million years he by no means would have carried out. He would have been like, ‘Nope, sorry. By no means will I sleep on a cot like that in a room full of individuals. No means.’ I do know that the DS have been type of getting in my ear saying Bob’s trying down on you. In that second, it did give me just a little further motivation to actually hold going as a result of I didn’t wish to let him down. However now trying again I’m like, if Bob have been actually speaking to me, he would have been like, ‘Get the hell out of there. Get again to the lodge. Get a therapeutic massage, order a martini and a steak, and simply chill out. What are you doing to your self? You don’t want to do that.’ He would have been the primary one telling me to depart. I imply, sure, he would have been proud, however he additionally would have been like, ‘Why are you torturing your self?’
Grief ebbs and flows over time. I do know the previous two years have been troublesome in some ways with Bob’s dying. How do you are feeling about the place you’re at in your grieving journey now?
Kelly Rizzo: I’m in a extremely good place as a result of I used to be capable of get to a spot fairly early on. I had such unbelievable assist round me from Bob’s ladies, Bob’s mates, and household. My household was simply unbelievable. I felt so held and supported since day one. After which I’d say I simply acquired to a spot of final gratitude so rapidly of simply being so grateful for the time I had with him as an alternative of being unhappy that I didn’t have extra time. I imply, sure, I’m unhappy I didn’t have extra time, however I didn’t have that remorse or guilt or life isn’t truthful mentality as a result of I used to be capable of simply really feel a lot gratitude for having him in my life so long as he was there and being there for him for so long as I used to be. It introduced me to a spot of peace with it fairly early on. So sure, in fact, it’s unhappy and I miss him, however I’m at peace with it.
Do you assume Particular Forces helped you type of on this complete course of in any means? Simply the expertise of all of it?
Kelly Rizzo: It actually did get me out of my consolation zone. We’re put on this world with these people who find themselves strangers, however then they arrive out of it like expensive mates. We needed to depend on one another as a result of it’s not a contest present. You’re solely competing in opposition to your self, so you actually do study to lean on these different individuals who all have been by means of one thing intense and tragic or upsetting of their lives. Have a look at Savannah Chrisley and what she’s needed to undergo, or Bode Miller and his daughter. We’ve all had these moments of sharing these troublesome occasions in our lives, and also you understand that you simply’re not alone. You’re not the one individual to have gone by means of one thing like this, and right here you’re with all these people who find themselves strangers, however you then bond over being there within the first place, and you then bond over these shared experiences. It was a extremely particular expertise that I’m so grateful that I acquired to have.
You may have a brand new podcast launching quickly referred to as Consolation Meals with Kelly Rizzo. What was the inspiration behind this new podcast?
Kelly Rizzo: I’m actually enthusiastic about it. It began out with me pondering that possibly I ought to have these conversations about grief as a result of individuals actually don’t speak about it a lot. It’s nonetheless a taboo subject. Individuals assume it’s too upsetting. They don’t wish to go there, regardless that it’s one thing all of us are going to expertise in some unspecified time in the future in our lives. However then I used to be like, okay, it doesn’t want to simply be about anyone who’s misplaced a liked one. It might be nearly any troublesome expertise like possibly anyone went by means of a divorce, or they’d another troublesome expertise of their life that we are able to discuss by means of, that I do know goes to be a useful dialog for the general public to listen to. But additionally let’s have these troublesome conversations, however add some levity, add some laughter.
My husband was a legendary comic. A whole lot of his mates are comedians, and I’m going to have quite a lot of them on the podcast. That’s the way you get by means of onerous occasions by not having these heavy subjects essentially be so heavy. How can we introduce just a little laughter, levity, and speak about life, love, and laughter whereas consuming my friends’ favourite consolation meals? No matter their favourite consolation meals is I’m going to have that there for them able to go whereas we’ve this dialog, so it type of brings them again possibly to childhood or to a cheerful place to allow them to really feel extra snug speaking about one thing which may have been actually troublesome of their life.
