Interview with MTV's 'The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons' contestant Cara Maria

Cara Maria is known for her red hair and pirate beads as well as being on MTV’s ‘Fresh Meat 2’, ‘Cutthroat’, ‘Rivals’, ‘Exes’ and most recently ‘Battle of the Seasons’. You can follow Cara Maria on twitter here, and be sure to check out her website (http://www.caramaria.com/default.asp) if you want your own set of pirate beads!

How has BOTS compared to the other challenges you competed in? You guys said that not living together or being a real team was difficult, but haven’t all your challenges been like that?

“When I was on a challenge with Abram or Laurel they were my partners. They were who I depended on for everything. On BOTS it wasn’t a big group. It’s not two teams or three big groups of teams; it’s me or Camila who was going into elimination every time. That adds a lot of stress and drama to the team.”

When did you find out you’d be on BOTS? Did you know who your teammates where going to be? Was it difficult keeping it a secret?

“There wasn’t any time for me to try and keep it a secret. Everybody had flown out to do BOTS and I just assumed I wasn’t doing this challenge. Then something happened with one of the teams, and I guess they had to be sent home so we were called in as a replacement. I got a phone call at 10 o clock at night asking if I could be on a plane at 8 am the next morning. I met the rest of my team at the airport.”

If you could choose three other people to be on your Fresh Meat team – who would you chose?

“I would keep Camila, but other girl alternates would be Laurel or Evelyn. For guys Brandon, Kenny, or Evan.”

You were in two elimination rounds. Which one was the most difficult?
“The second one for sure! It was strategy, strength and endurance all in one challenge.  The ropes weighed like 500 pounds (give or take a little). They called the volleyball elimination one an endurance challenge, but really both teams just sat there until the last minute. There wasn’t continuous volleying during that whole challenge. My second challenge was definitely very difficult!”

Are you and Abram still together?
“Yes! We are actually living together in Boston now!”

When did you start designing pirate dreads? Is creating jewelry something you always wanted to do?
“I would put beads in my braids during high school and people would always comment about them. When I started doing the shows more people continued asking about the beads. I didn’t want them screwing up their hair so I made the clip in pirate beads. You can purchase them here: http://www.caramaria.com”

Even though you were only on BOTS for a short time were you able to form any bonds and make new friendships?
“Trey and Laura were really cool!”

Was it weird being part of a challenge were the rookies didn’t go home right away and instead ruled the game?
“Yes! It would be one thing if the rookies had been on challenges before, but a lot of them had never done one. There were more rookies than vets. There is strength in numbers. If there had been more vets we would have ruled the game. I would rather have had Johnny Bananas or Kenny walk in on an all rookies season and play them. I think that would have changed the game significantly!”

Would you do another challenge?

“Of course. Who would say no? I will be like Paula. I will keep going!”