Overcoming obstacles (on a course)

Posted on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023

When Victoria Coman received an out of the blue direct message via Instagram last year, she had to do a double take, not sure if what she was reading was legit. Coman, a 24-year-old fitness and health promotion student from Iqaluit, is active on Instagram, sharing and posting photos of herself working out, spending time with friends and studying at Algonquin College.  

“I received a message about a new reality show, and I was scouted online,” said Coman. “They cast the show through Instagram.”  

The “show” Coman is referring to is Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, a new reality program on CBC. Twenty-four strangers make up six teams coached by prominent Canadian athletes as they compete in challenges that turn locations across Canada into an obstacle course.  

After confirming the request’s legitimacy, Coman submitted a two-minute long video discussing her background and her love of fitness. 

Filming took place last June and continued until August 2022. 

“Every challenge was different; every day was different. Everything was a surprise. It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Coman. “I’ve always been very competitive and push myself and do crazy things. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I thrive under pressure.” 

Each of the six teams had a prominent Canadian coach and Coman’s yellow team was led by Waneek Horn-Miller, a water polo player who won gold at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. Horn-Miller was also the first Mohawk woman to compete at the Olympic Games. 

“I learned a lot from her,” said Coman. “We learned from her, and we taught each other things. I’m glad she was part of the journey. We had strong personalities on our team with very big opinions and voices. She leveled us out and kept us calm.” 

Coman and her team experienced many highs and lows throughout the challenges. She and her team won the first event, an obstacle course that ended in a direct climb up a ski hill in Squamish, BC. Coman ran the last leg of the course, leading her team to win the first challenge. She also competed in an individual event in the second challenge where she had to rappel up a 100-foot tree, then walk along a thin high wire in the forest. She said her least favourite moment was during a hay bale challenge in a wet field filled with cow and horse manure — rolling large bales of wet hay through an uneven field, she said was very difficult. 

“This was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Coman. “There were so many places we went that I will probably never get to go to again.” 

Coman is currently finishing up her studies and is expected to graduate this spring. In her free time, she works as a fitness instructor and personal trainer and at Algonquin College’s Mamidosewan Centre.  

Watch an interview with Victoria now.

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