'The Titan Games' Just Crowned Its Champions
Talk about a wild ride. Since The Titan Games premiered on NBC this past January, competitors have climbed, lifted, and sledgehammered their way to victory. After whittling down the pool from 64 athletes, the TV show-hosted and executive produced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-finally crowned its champions on Thursday night's season finale.
The winners of The Titan Games are...drumroll please...James Jean-Louis and Charity Witt! Their grand prize is $100,000 each-not to mention eternal bragging rights and a lifetime supply of respect from The Rock.
“James and Charity perfectly embody the spirit of The Titan Games, which is about giving people from all walks of life the platform to showcase their amazing strength and perseverance under a global spotlight,” The Rock said in a press release. “I’m inspired by our two Titan champions, who overcame incredible obstacles to make us all stand up and cheer throughout this epic inaugural season.”
Here's what to know about who won The Titan Games
James Jean-Louis
Jean-Louis, 30, is a beer truck driver from Miami and a single dad to son Semaj. He entered The Titan Games to show Semaj that anything is possible.
You might remember Jean-Louis-aka the "Haitian Sensation"-as the show's very first Titan. On the Jan. 3 premiere, he beat Anthony Fuhrman on Mt. Olympus.
We pulled together some highlights of Jean-Louis' run on The Titan Games, where he crushed the Hammering Ram, Atlas Smash, Uprising, and two turns on Mt. Olympus. Be prepared to feel MANY feelings every time Jean-Louis hugs his son and tells him he loves him.
Beating Mike Evans in the Hammering Ram:
Besting Christopher Watts at the Atlas Smash:
Battling it out against Fuhrman on Mt. Olympus:
Charity Witt
Witt, 26, is a metabolic technician with a passion for powerlifting. She was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, also known as irregular heartbeat, at 17.
In a 2017 interview with BarBend, Witt, talked about learning how to adapt to the condition-and ultimately discovering powerlifting:
"At the time, one doctor had told me to live a sedentary lifestyle and get on medication. When I got a second opinion, the second doctor said, 'Well you could sit around depressed, or you could take control of your life and start doing things to counteract it.' So I took that advice to heart and wasn’t going to accept defeat.
"I started doing yoga, endurance training, and a lot of cross training. That all changed when I moved to Georgia for school. I got involved in swimming and became a U.S. Master’s Swimmer, I did that for about a year and a half and during that time I got into Olympic lifting, so I was doing a lot of front squats and presses. Then I was approached by someone in my gym who recommended I try powerlifting."
During the Titan Games, Witt competed in Heavy Metal, Herculean Pull, Uprising, and two runs on Mt. Olympus. Check out some of her incredible victories.
Taking on Mariah Counts in Heavy Metal:
Beating Kara Lazauskas at the Herculean Pull:
Battling Nikki Neal on Mt. Olympus:
In a quote provided to Men's Health via email, The Titan Games executive producer Arthur Smith said: "These outstanding athletes, and everyday people, immediately won America over with their strength, speed and agility, but more importantly, everyone quickly grew to admire their heart, spirit and will to persevere. As our very first Titan Champions, James and Charity are the perfect torchbearers for this incredible movement that Dwayne is spreading across the world to his legion of fans."
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