ExclusiveThe Challenge’s Emily Schromm Says She Loves the ‘Pressure’ of Being a ‘Threat’ After 11 Years Away

Emily Schromm is making her grand return to The Challenge after an 11-year break from competing and she’s embracing the “pressure” of making a comeback.

“I’m so follow my gut and the day The Challenge called me was the day after I sold my gym,” Emily, 35, exclusively told In Touch. “It was very much, ‘This door has shut, what is opening in my life?’ And when they called, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I am so ready to compete.’ I am an athlete. I am a competitor. I want to put myself in situations that are hard and challenging and test me to see what I’m made of and see how I’ll do after all this time. So it was time for me to unleash the beast again.”

The former gym owner made her Challenge debut on Cutthroat in 2010. She made the final and finished on the third place team. Then, she returned in 2012 for Battle of the Exes and finished in third place once again. On her third season, Rivals II in 2013, she finally won. With just three seasons under her belt, Emily emerged as an extremely dominant competitor, who is often named as one of the strongest female cast members, despite her absence from the show since Rivals II.

When she returned for season 40, Battle of the Eras, the fitness instructor said she “loved” the “pressure” of being a threat. “I feel like it is a hype, but I also prepared, like, six months for this show,” she dished. “I was training, I was swimming, I was doing puzzles, I was doing math. I’ve just never been more prepared.”

However, she did also admit that there’s “probably room for growth” in terms of her political and social game. “My strategy is athleticism and that’s it,” Emily laughed. “I need to change that with this show. But I do feel like there’s something about knowing these people for so long in this cast group and that we really do like each other outside of the game.”

Battle of the Eras features 40 returning players divided into four teams based on what era they joined the show. With Emily’s first season being season 20, she found herself in era 2.

Meanwhile, another player who came back for season 40 after years away was one of the OG females – Rachel Robinson. Rachel, 41, competed on season 4 of The Challenge: All Stars, which aired earlier this year, and it refueled her love of the game after she took 12 years off.

“It was a hard [decision] because obviously the time commitment is longer [than on All Stars] and I have a business and three kids and a wife,” Rachel exclusively revealed to In Touch. “But thankfully my wife really understood how much I love this after All Stars 4 and she cosigned it. … I definitely feel like my home is more [on] the flagship [show]. Shout-out to [my wife] Natalie Gee. Support at home is really what you need if you have kids.”

Rachel also teased that fans will get more of a glimpse into her political game this season than they have in the past. “In the old days, we’d meet in bathrooms privately with no cameras, do a handshake, and walk in the opposite direction,” she explained. “Nowadays, it’s very open. If somebody wants to have a deal with you or make some sort of alliance, they’ll actually say, ‘Can we talk?’ and cameras will come and make sure they’re there. I like the new school way. It makes people accountable to what they say. … I think it will show what a political player I’ve always been. That’s always been me … except my conversations were whispered in corners [before].”

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras premieres Wednesday, August 14, at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.