What Really Happened To The Challenge's Susie Meister?

Susie Meister is something of a fixture in the reality TV circuit. She first appeared in MTV's "Road Rules: Down Under" when she was 18 years old. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the show took her and her five castmates to Oceania, where they completed various missions across the region. Following "Road Rules," Meister went on to compete in four seasons of "The Challenge," which includes "Extreme Challenge," "The Gauntlet 2," "The Inferno 3," and "The Ruins," per Us Weekly. Meister proved a formidable competitor, winning two seasons of "The Challenge" and making it to the final twice — earning a total of $100,173 along the way.

"The Ruins" was the last time fans saw Meister on the show. In 2018, she wrote a lengthy piece on Medium critiquing the practices producers used on "The Challenge" to create more drama for the cameras. She described how competitors were denied recreational items to keep them occupied, such as phones and books. Instead, producers filled the house with alcohol and encouraged a party lifestyle.

Meister has moved on from the demands of "The Challenge" lifestyle but remains a fan favorite today, with many wondering what happened to the reality star since her time as a competitor.

Susie Meister described on "The Good Men Project" how she met her husband, Adam Butler, while filming "Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins." Meister noticed a handsome crew member, whom she described as a "Sound Guy." As a member of the crew, he wasn't allowed to speak with Meister, which spurred her to make it to the final for a shot at getting to know him after the show wrapped. Meister's infatuation proved the perfect motivator, as she won that season and took home the grand prize of $70,000.

Upon winning the competition, Meister attended the show's wrap party. There, from across the room, she laid eyes on her crew-member crush, and they finally shared their first words. "Are you ready for this?" she asked, to which he replied: "Yes, I am."

Meister and Butler went on to get married in what Pittsburgh Magazine described as a "short-and-sweet Christian-inspired ceremony." In 2012, they welcomed a son named Lincoln. In a snap of Meister and Lincoln shared on Instagram, Butler called his wife "a gorgeous woman" and a "great mother." Years later, Meister shared another snap of her now much-older son, captioning the shot: "As long as he stays small enough that we can squeeze into this chair together I'll be a happy girl, so I would kindly ask the universe to stop time. Please and thank you."

After having Lincoln, Susie Meister started podcasting with "The Challenge" alum Sarah Rice. Meister described her podcast "Brain Candy" as her "passion project" to Art of Happy Moving. While raising her young son, Meister was hard at work earning her  Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. "[It] was the only thing that kept me sane during that tumultuous time. Brain Candy gave me a creative outlet, and something to get my motor running."

Brain Candy has appeared to have done well, and is described as an "award-winning show" on their website. Fans can listen to two shows a week, which cover everything from science to pop culture. Like Meister, her co-host Rice appears to be done with "The Challenge." During her time on "Rivals III," she was betrayed by her teammate Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio after they finished the final together. Devenanzio had the option to split the $275,000 prize with Rice but chose to keep the sum for himself. However, as noted by Showbiz CheatSheet, Rice said she didn't return to the show because she was happy with her life and work as a therapist. Either way, it appears both Meister and Rice are content with persuing their new challenge.