Gulder Ultimate Search The Mission: EPISODE 13 – NOELA AND SAMANTHA MAINTAIN LEAD

Despite a slow start, the duo of Noela and Samantha pulled off arguably the best come-back in the on-going Gulder Ultimate Search. The ‘Ticking Time’ which was meant to test the contestants’ precision skills as well as speed and team co-ordination literally drained three of the remaining five female contestants of their energy. Worse still, they performed the task in the rain.

The challenge was phased. The first phase involved contestants fetching the parts of a ladder in different locations. For the second phase, they were to climb palm trees to retrieve the rungs of the ladders and bags of tools at the Circle of Palms. The different teams were then to assemble the ladder and use it to retrieve a key. The key would be used in opening a box in front of them to solve a jigsaw puzzle.

Retrieving the pieces of the ladder was the easy part, but fetching the rungs and ladder from the palm tree proved Herculean for Samantha, Sandra and Evi. While they were still stuck in this phase, other teams: Sandra and Ikenna I, Cosy Joe and Ikenna as well as Emmanuel and Joshua had already started assembling their ladders.

As Samantha’s strength appeared to fail her, Noela nudged her on not to give up. Evi looked frail and dropped from the palm tree severally; but Otto’s words of encouragement appeared to strengthen her to climb after each fall. At a point, Otto asked Chidi Mokeme, the Anchor man, if he could climb up the palm tree in her place.

Chinedu cajoled and pleaded with Sandra to put more effort in climbing the palm tree. Samantha decided to detach the lower part of her khaki trousers, even though Noela, screamed that it was a bad idea. Samantha’s last ditch effort paid off, as she climbed up the tree and picked up the ladder rungs. She tagged Noela who also got up the palm tree and retrieved the bag of tools.

Otto screamed to Evi that she could succeed, if Samantha could do it.

Despite starting behind two all-male teams and a mixed gender team, the duo of Samantha and Noela assembled their ladder, retrieved the key, opened the box and solved the puzzle before the others.

Chinedu urged Sharon on, telling her that they risked eviction if she did not complete the task. At a point, he beckoned to her to come and gave her a pep talk. She also removed her boots and attempted to climb the palm tree with her bare feet.

Evi soon successfully retrieved the bag of tools.

Chidi soon noticed that Sandra and Ikenna I’s ladder was broken. Sandra accused Chinedu of fixing the wrong knots in the wrong holes while Ikenna accused her of breaking the ladder.

Ikenna I and Cosy Joe finished second, followed by the duo of Emmanuel and Joshua. Otto and Evi placed fourth while Sandra and Ikenna emerged fifth. Sharon could not fetch the tool bag; hence her team was regarded as the losing team.

Noela and Samantha currently lead the contestants with 12 points. Emmanuel and Cosy as well as Otto and Evi are in second place with eight points each. Emmanuel and Joshua are in fourth place with six points. Chinedu and Sharon currently have five points while Sandra and Ikenna I have three points. Chidi Mokeme warned the Sandra/ Ikenna I team that they risked eviction.

For emerging as the winning team, Noela and Samantha were treated to Sharwarma, as the other team members gaped with envy. He asked the contestants to pass by The Cube. To prevent the other team mates from feeding off the Sharwarma delicacy, Chidi asked Samantha and Noela to wait behind for a small chat.

Upon opening the Cube, they found two very cold bottles of the new-look Gulder and a scroll which read: “For winners only.” Meaning only the winners could drink the beer. A befitting reward for hard work indeed!