ARARAT - The 'Chains of Pain' challenge lived up to its name during Tuesday night's episode of The Biggest Loser with Mary Reid fainting in the closing stages of the gruelling obstacle course.
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Medics rushed to the 181kg contestant's aid after she collapsed on the beach as her blue team made their way to the finish line dragging three 75kg chains in the sand.
After digging under logs and being hauled over barricades, Mary hit the ground during the final stretch and was assessed by the program's medical staff before being advised not to complete the challenge.
"I'd given my all, I was just absolutely spent. It was so hard to not be part of that team," Mary said.
"I was absolutely gutted when the medic said I couldn't continue. I wanted to be there with my team and I couldn't. I couldn't be there."
The Blue team bravely battled on, but it was in vain as the Black team had already pushed ahead along the 350-metre stretch of beach to win the challenge and earn a two kilogram advantage at Sunday night's first weigh-in.
The Black team was also aided in the challenge by one less chain to drag, thanks to the people of Ararat who competed in their own challenge during Monday night's episode.
Blue team member Katrina Pianta said having to drag an extra 75kg was a massive disadvantage.
"Dragging the 75kg chain, we might as well have been pulling a Mack truck, it was that heavy and that was hard," she said.
It was the second challenge the 14 contestants had to complete this week, following on from Sunday night's 'Punisher' which required teams of two to climb 10,000 stairs at one of Australia's famous landmarks - the Sydney Opera House.
Drama ensured throughout the challenge with Caitlin Munday vomiting and Natalie Wohlers collapsing.
In the end it was Katrina and Cameron Brown who won the challenge, Rodger Turner and Sharon Basset in second place, Toni and Kerry Stockwell in third and Cal Evans and Mary together in fourth place.
Meanwhile, Natalie and Craig Booby came in fifth, which meant the teams of Matt Dalton and Caitlin and Shannon Woolley and Jane Jantzen were the bottom two pairs facing elimination.
As the group assembled at the steps of The Biggest Loser house, host Hayley Lewis revealed a twist - they had the choice to write 'No Vote' if they wanted to keep everyone in, which proved the end result.
"We came in here as a team for the town. We will leave separately but we will always be the team for the town and we've made a fantastic bond which we will continue for the rest of our lives - friends forever," Shannon said.
That community spirit was again in full flight Monday night as trainer Michelle Bridges made her first appearance this season as the trainer of the entire town.
"Hello Ararat. I bet you weren't expecting to see me. No one else knows I am here. Nobody knows but you. But guess what? I am your trainer, I am your secret weapon," she said.
"Between Shannan and Commando, they have 14 people. I have an entire town!"
The first town challenge saw each team required to dig, shovel and lift dirt matter into two large trucks, with the first team to fill their truck with 26,000kg the winner. It was the black team that prevailed.
Earlier in the show, the group of 14 housemates was split into two teams, with Craig, Sharon, Kerry, Toni, Jane, Caitlin, Cal on Commando's black team and Mary, Nat, Cameron, Katrina, Matt, Shannon and Rodger on Shannan's blue team.
Throwing them straight into intense training, members from both struggled, particularly Cameron on blue and Craig on black.
A lighter moment of the week came as trainers Shannan and the Commando tried to work out how all the contestants knew each other.
The six degrees of separation provided plenty of laughs from the group.
"There was friends, relatives, workmates, people that played pool together, people that drank together, people who went shooting together, people that played golf together..." trainer Shannan said.
"The list was endless. Without a doubt this is the most common ground we have ever had between contestants. The danger sign for me is that elimination is coming up for me this week and with so many amazing bonds between contestants, that's one place I don't want to be."