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According to Chanel Iman, “Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test” lived up to its name.
The 34-year-old model was eliminated from the competition in the latest episode of the popular series. In the series, celebrity recruits take part in military-style challenges in intense terrain. She told People that it felt depressing to have to walk away in that moment, but she’s proud of herself for pushing herself out of her comfort zone.
“I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t move on to the next challenge, but watching that made me think, ‘Well, maybe it’s not so bad to go home,'” Iman admits. “I remember feeling like, How am I going to get through this? I’m going to have to find some strength to do that. So, yeah, I guess it was a little disappointing, but overall it was a great experience of my life.”
Pete Dadds/FOX
“I don’t know if I would do it again, but I always try one thing,” she continues. “Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s always worth trying something once. Then you can say, ‘I did it.’ And for me, working in the Special Forces was something I was very proud of.”
Iman said she didn’t know what to expect going into the competition, especially when it came to how taxing the challenge would be on her body.
“I didn’t know it was going to be this intense. And it was so raw, so real. There was nothing glamorous about it,” she says. “Even when I got a blister on my hand, I had to figure out how to wrap it myself. My survival skills kicked in right away. I’m used to full-scale productions and some assistants, but we had each other, just me and the cast, and that was it.”
“I needed a break the whole time,” she added. “But not physically, but not mentally. It was like I was stuck there mentally.”
Iman revealed that her journey started off on a rocky note after she contracted food poisoning on the second day of filming the show in Africa for two weeks. By the time she tapped out, she admitted she didn’t know what she was feeling.
“At that point I was so exhausted and just emotional,” Iman recalls. “I was exhausted and thinking, ‘Am I happy or sad?'”
She also states that being so far away from her family was difficult. The mother of three children with husband Dayvon Godchaux was further hampered by her inability to even call home.
“I kind of had to go back and think, ‘How would my husband handle this?’ Or, ‘What would he say to encourage me to get through this?’ Or, ‘What did he teach me to stay calm and focused?'”
She called the reunion after the loss “awesome,” and immediately “broke down in tears.”
Chanel Iman/Instagram
Looking ahead, Iman is focusing on her family and lifestyle brand Chasa.
“I put my heart and soul into constructing every piece, and it’s just what stole my heart,” she gushes. “I’m really inspired by my life experiences and building a home no matter where I am in the world.”
Iman added, “I love decorating interiors and building homes for my family, so the space in this house was perfect for my current life. I just wanted to create a timeless piece that would add a little warmth to everyday life. It’s something I’m proud of.”
As the holiday season approaches, Iman revealed that the brand is preparing to launch a special new collection of “the comfiest, softest, coziest pajamas.”
“Pajamas were a family tradition of wearing the tastiest pajamas before Christmas,” she says. “These pajamas that I designed have a timeless and effortless design that can be worn all year round. We spend most of our lives – half of our lives – in pajamas, so pajamas were a top priority when it came to creating or developing the perfect fit for the collection.”
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“Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Test” airs Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on FOX.
