Photo courtesy of CBS Lia Mort changes a tire when Savage Crew and Dirty Hands race to the Irwindale Speedway in Los Angeles where they must work together to be the fastest team to complete a race car pit stop in a screen grab from the CBS television series Tough As Nails. Pictured (L-R): Lia Mort. Photo: Screengrab/CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

RICHFIELD — “Tough as Nails” viewers discovered on Dec. 8 that Richfield woman Lia Mort won the reality competition, but Mort held this secret since summer 2021 when she participated in filming this show.

Competing as a member of the “Dirty Hands” crew on the show and ultimately winning the grand prize of $200,000 and a Ford Super Duty truck stirred Mort’s emotions and perspectives.

Now that Mort may share this information about her win, she wants to share her knowledge about reality shows and the joy of community.

“Winning ‘Tough as Nails’ was humbling, exhausting and unbelievable. It was such a privilege just to be selected to compete on Season 3,” Mort said.

She added that, “The rest of the cast was so gracious and supportive after my win. What an amazing group of friends!”

Mort found community in her “Tough as Nails” cast members and said those on the show provided a supportive environment.

She and her castmates even supported each other during challenges despite their competition.

“Going into the final challenge, I prayed for strength and that I would remain calm and stay focused. I did my best to concentrate on one challenge at a time and to do my best,” Mort said.

She recalled that she offered encouragement to her competitors during the final challenges.

Mort prioritized good sportsmanship and community throughout the filming of the show.

She also paced herself during the final competition because she said she knew her capabilities.

“I pushed myself to move forward and keep my head in the game,” Mort said.

Her drive paid off and she hopes to help others with her winnings. Mort said, “A bulk of the winnings will go to non-profits. Locally, the Richfield Community Center and Basom Park. They provide a playground and meeting places for the community and host Richfield Dutch Days every year.”

She detailed that her competitors will select a non-profit so that she can donate in their name. Mort wants to aid others and give back to her community as much as possible.

Part of her plan to give back includes building a challenge course like those on “Tough as Nails” so her community can feel the same joy of competing that she has.

“My plan is to build a scaled-down challenge course similar to ‘Tough as Nails’ on my property so folks can come and test their skills, fitness, and focus under pressure,” Mort said.

She added that the course would feature two lanes for people who wish to compete against each other in challenges of her design based on the CBS show set. Mort hopes to add challenges for local kids to compete. She continues to plan to make her ideas into reality.

Mort hopes to host a podcast entitled “More Than Tough” in addition to building a challenge course on her property. She will conduct the podcast with her fellow “Dirty Hands” teammate Kalimba Edwards and “Savage Crew” team member Sarah Ham.

This podcast focuses on co-hosts’ dynamic in addition to the cast members’ experience on and after “Tough as Nails.”

“We are so close it’s a blessing to have them in my life,” Mort said of her castmates. “Afterward, I was overwhelmed with the kind comments people posted on social media.”

Mort added that she is also grateful for all the support she received outside the show.

Mort said the “humbling” experience of competing on the show created a dream-like feeling for Mort and she said she will share more in her projects to come.

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